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Medical Author:

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.

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Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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Prevention of change in stool color may be meaningless without knowing the cause. Since stool color can change for a variety of reasons, any preventive measure for a particular cause may play a role in preventing further changes in stool color.

For example, if the stool is black and tarry because of a bleeding ulcer, then avoiding medications that can cause bleeding, such as aspirin, may be a reasonable preventive measure. Avoiding alcohol can be a preventive measure against yellow stools resulting from undigested fat in stool due to pancreatic disease.

On the other hand, some causes of changes in the color of stool, for instance, cancer of the pancreas, may not be entirely preventable.

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