What is the meaning of melena?

Melena is the medical term for black, tarry stools that are caused by the presence of digested blood in the stool. This occurs when there is bleeding from somewhere high up in the gastrointestinal tract, such as the stomach or small intestine.

The blood will turn black as it passes through the intestines due to exposure to digestive juices. The resulting stool can be quite alarming to see, but it's usually not a sign of anything serious provided there isn't any ongoing bleeding. However, it's always important to get checked out by a doctor if you have black stools, just to be sure there isn't an underlying cause that needs treatment.