Patients with fatty liver disease often report the same symptom

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Stool can provide valuable information about a person's health.

Because fatty liver disease symptoms are known to develop slowly, the condition is often advanced by the time it is diagnosed. At this stage, the accumulation of fat in the liver will make it difficult for blood to flow properly throughout the organ. This leads to increased blood pressure in the veins that carry blood from the intestines, which can affect the consistency and appearance of stools.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding, regardless of its cause, is a common clinical presentation associated with a significant risk of death.

The most common cause of esophageal varices is alcoholic liver disease, which is found in many patients with chronic liver disease.

“Among patients with severe liver scarring who experience gastrointestinal bleeding, 78 to 87 percent of cases are due to bleeding from varices.”

Esophageal varices form when veins inside the esophagus become extremely dilated, making them vulnerable to rupture and bleeding.

Varicose veins in this part of the body are a common cause of melena due to portal hypertension secondary to cirrhosis. Melena is black, tarry stool that usually results from bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

“It has a characteristic tarry color and foul odor, and it is often difficult to flush out.”

The change in stool consistency occurs because of the alteration and degradation of blood by intestinal enzymes, leading to melena.

Some studies have shown that up to 40 percent of patients with fatty liver disease suffer from melena. This bleeding can lead to complications such as chronic anemia, but can also result in significant blood loss in a short period of time.