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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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Individuals should notify their physician when there is a persistent change in the color of their stool.

Persistent black, tarry stools or red, bloody stools signify intestinal bleeding and need to be evaluated by a physician promptly. Individuals should either notify their primary care doctor or visit an urgent care center or an emergency room.

Gray or clay-colored stool and yellow stool also may signify diseases of the pancreas, gallbladder, or the liver. The evaluation of these conditions may warrant careful evaluation by an internist, primary care physician, or a gastroenterologist (a physician specialized in disease of the stomach and the intestines).

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