White stool after taking antibiotics. Types of feces. Bristol Stool Shape Scale

What is feces?

This is an indicator of the normal functioning of the digestive and excretory system. Using scientific language, it is often referred to as the process of defecation or emptying the rectum.

Viscous, homogeneous yellow stool in a child and an adult - this is an indicator healthy condition gastrointestinal tract.

But if for some reason the stool becomes discolored or the stool takes on an unusual color, you should worry about your health. Possibly happening in the body inflammatory processes. Very light stool may also indicate initial stage serious illness.

In a laboratory setting, anyone can take the test independently. But deciphering its meaning is not an easy task. But any experienced doctor can help with this.

Let's look at what the patient's stool norm looks like through the eyes of a specialist:

quantity per day. For an adult – 100-250 grams, for small children – from 30-50 grams;
consistency. In adults - formed discharge, in children - viscous, mushy;
mass, contents. Must be free of impurities bloody discharge, mucus;
smell. Fecal, not sharp. In children, the odor is sour; in bottle-fed infants, it is putrid;
brown color - in adults; in children, not too light yellow or yellow feces are allowed. Discolored feces indicate problems with the body;
the enzyme responsible for the brown coloration of bowel movements, stercobilin. It is formed on the basis of bilirubin, which is produced in the liver;
pH level indicator. In children - 4.8. In adults - more than 7;
ammonia. Appears only in older children and adults;
neutral fat, fatty acid and muscle fibers are present only in babies;
leukocytes – single.

If you change one of the parameters, you should consult a doctor.

It is possible that the reason for the appearance of discolored stool, dark or of another uncharacteristic shade, is food, medicines, poor lifestyle or illness:

black. Indicates bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract or consumption of berries such as currants and blueberries. From drugs: “Bisal”, “Vicalin”, “Activated carbon”;
red. It is observed in ulcerative lesions and lesions of the duodenum. After eating beets, tomato juice;
dark brown. Signs: constipation, colitis. Large consumption of protein foods.

Let's look at some more features of changing the color of bowel movements. And why is some people's stool light and others' stool dark?

Yellow stool in an adult

What becomes the main reason for changes in the color of discharge in humans. And what you should pay attention to if light-colored feces appear periodically. There are several shades that need to be remembered.

Yellow color of stool. It is usually combined with symptoms such as flatulence, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In this case, it is worth thinking about the liver. The causes may be disorders of the biliary system, ducts, or food products of the same color.

What happens in the body and why white, unusual stool appears. In case of additional symptoms such as weakness, nausea, bloating, light-colored stool and dark urine, you need accurate diagnosis health status.

These signs indicate serious, often chronic and dangerous diseases:

jaundice. Bilirubin, which is produced by the liver, enters the blood and stains the skin, giving the surface of the epidermis a yellowish tint. And in fecal secretions there is a deficiency of this enzyme. Light white chair;
pancreatitis. Serious inflammation of the pancreas, in which enzymes and toxins enter the bloodstream and affect organs;
cholecystitis. Impaired bile outflow and formation cholelithiasis;
oncological neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract.

If there are no symptoms of the disease or signs of an inflammatory process, then light-colored feces in an adult have common everyday causes:

reception medicines;
fatty protein foods;
wrong diet;
hormonal contraceptives.

Here you need to carefully monitor your diet and its balance. Do not take medications on your own without a doctor’s prescription. If white stool appears, but after a few days it returns to normal, it’s time to stop taking the pills and think about a healthy diet.

White stool in a child

For babies during the period of natural breastfeeding, as well as mixed feeding, a white discolored type of anal discharge and signs of too light stool are the norm in the absence of significant symptoms of a painful condition.

Causes:

teething;
breast milk;
mixtures;
a large number of sweet.

In young children, the color of bowel movements may vary depending on the food: red from beets, orange from carrots. A mother who has eaten a lot of meat can also cause a change in the color of her bowel movements.

Greenish stool

Why might light green stool appear?

What is the reason for this and should you be wary of such symptoms. If we talk about infants, then such a swampy shade of discharge is the norm. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Olive bowel movements in an adult are signs of diseases: dysentery. An infection that occurs due to damage to the intestines by bacteria.

Signs:

rumbling in the stomach, migraines, stools with blood, mucus and pus;
dysbiosis. Violation natural microflora intestines. Characterized by bloating, diarrhea;
internal bleeding in gastrointestinal tract, ulcerative lesions;
salmonellosis. A disease caused by bacteria such as salmonella. Symptoms: nausea, loose stool, fever, rash;
diabetes. Metabolic disorders, damage to blood vessels and tissues;
food poisoning;
problems with the thyroid gland;
uncontrolled use of antibiotics.

These disorders can provoke accompanying symptoms such as fever, weakness, sudden sharp pains in the stomach, decreased hemoglobin. Arrhythmia often occurs pale color skin, rapid breathing.

Tests to determine the causes of changes in stool color

To identify disorders in the digestive system and organs of the gastrointestinal tract, the following types of analysis are prescribed, which are also associated with a complete study of feces:

blood chemistry. Search for discrepancies in the number of leukocytes and hemoglobin with the norm;
coagulogram. Study of blood clotting rate;
coprogram. Research on occult blood, mucus and pus in bowel movement;
analysis for worms. Methods used: enzyme immunoassay, CPR;
colonoscopy. Examination of the colon with the subsequent possibility of further biopsy and collection of cellular material;
CT, MRI, ultrasound examination. Visual examination of internal organ lesions that cause changes in the color of stool.

All the results obtained will help the doctor make the correct diagnosis and find the causes of light-colored stool in a person.

Treatment must be carried out under supervision medical personnel and a specialist, taking medications and undergoing rehabilitation therapy is mandatory.

Fecal changes may be of various nature. In some pathologies, white feces appear. It may seem like this for several reasons. Primarily this is discoloration due to low content pigment, which is a sign. Other reasons are the appearance of light mucus, remnants of undigested food,...

The patient will rarely be able to determine what caused the appearance of white stool, so even in the primary case, you should go to the clinic and undergo an examination, including having your stool tested. This article will help you figure out what may cause these changes and how not to miss them life threatening pathology. This is not a guide to self-medication, so use it for informational purposes.

Cholelithiasis

Why does stool turn brown? Through a natural process, hemoglobin is converted into bilirubin, which is taken up by the liver. Part is converted into urobilinogen and excreted in the urine, and the remaining pigment becomes stercobilinogen, which enters the intestine and is excreted naturally. In this case, the feces turn brown.

Gallstone disease is accompanied by the formation. Under the influence of various unfavorable factors the stones move forward and enter the bile duct, blocking it. As a result, bile does not enter the intestines and stercobilinogen is not formed.

Lots of stones in gallbladder with blockage of the common bile duct

What can trigger the movement of stones?

Consumption of fatty, fried foods, alcohol;
Taking medications that have a choleretic effect (such drugs are strictly contraindicated for gallstone disease);
Physical exercise;
Jocky ride.

Gallstone disease is primarily accompanied by severe pain – hepatic colic. This pain cannot be relieved with pills and requires urgent medical care. To others important sign Jaundice is due to the fact that a large amount of bilirubin accumulates in the blood, which must be excreted through the bile duct.

Important: Jaundice always starts from the sclera, so if there is no jaundice in the skin, be sure to pay attention to the whites of the eyes.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis of blockage of the common bile flow is simple and is based on ultrasound examination. On the monitor screen, stones in the bile duct are clearly identified.

The treatment will not be so easy. Stones from the bile duct can only be removed surgically. Today there are options for minimally invasive interventions, but acute situations they may be contraindicated. Therefore, if you are diagnosed with gallstone disease, do not delay treatment.

Recommendation: Go through the planned surgical intervention, which, thanks to preparation and good general condition, will give only positive effects and eliminate the likelihood of complications (which often happens with emergency surgery, which is performed without prior preparation).

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis can cause stool white in two cases: discoloration due to loss of pigment and the appearance of undigested food. Discoloration of stool due to loss of pigment occurs when the common bile duct is involved in the process. The mechanism for the appearance of white feces is the same as with the pathology described above. Only a timely diagnosis and correctly prescribed drug therapy can help the patient.

In addition to pancreatitis, white feces can cause simple overload. When consuming fatty foods and alcohol the day before, the pancreas may not cope with the task - remnants of undigested food appear in the stool, which is why it may appear white.

Important: if this is a one-time situation that is not accompanied by other symptoms, then to eliminate it it is enough to temporarily switch to dietary food. However, if undigested food is present regularly, be sure to consult a doctor.

Symptoms

Overeating the day before can cause acute pancreatitis or exacerbation chronic inflammation pancreas. Then, in addition to white feces, there will be following symptoms:

with radiation to the back;
Nausea, vomiting;
Diarrhea;
Temperature increase.

Pancreatitis requires mandatory medical care. Fasting and powerful detoxification therapy are what will help the patient. And constant medical monitoring will allow timely identification of a threat to life and conduct surgery.

Important: If you seek medical help early, doctors will be able to stop the inflammatory process with medications, without surgical intervention.

Oncopathology

Cancer of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas can also cause blockage of the common bile duct, which will interfere with the excretion of bile into the intestines, which means that stercobilinogen will not color the stool brown. However, this sign appears only at an advanced stage of cancer pathology, when the tumor is large and either compresses or grows into the common bile duct.

Along with this, patients note the following symptoms:

Pain in the right hypochondrium due to liver enlargement;
Yellowness of visible mucous membranes and sclera;
Nausea, vomiting;
Violation general condition due to intoxication.

By the way, the cause of white feces in an adult can be not only malignant tumor, but also benign education. What distinguishes cancer from a benign tumor is that it leads to fever, weight loss, sweating, decreased performance, and mood changes. A benign formation manifests itself similarly to obstructive jaundice.

Do not be afraid to consult a doctor and hear a terrible diagnosis; it is quite possible that you will need a minor surgical intervention that will eliminate the tumor and restore liver function. If you hesitate to see a doctor, blockage of the common bile duct will lead to the development of toxic hepatitis and liver failure.

Poisoning

Discoloration of stool during poisoning occurs due to inclusion in feces. Along with this, nausea and vomiting, changes in the character of stool (usually diarrhea), abdominal pain and fever appear. All these are signs of acute intestinal infection. Remember that getting an infection from food or water may not be so harmless, so at the onset of the disease, go to the hospital to receive detoxification therapy.

Uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea lead to dehydration, which affects cardiovascular system and disrupts activities internal organs. The sooner the patient receives help, the sooner the body can cope with the infection.

Poisoning most often occurs in the summer. To avoid this, don't drink raw water, as well as water from unknown sources, and do not eat unwashed vegetables and fruits. It is recommended to exclude from the diet products containing cream, creams and other dairy products, which spoil very quickly in the warm season.

Important: White, loose stools (called stool) rice water) is a sign of cholera - extremely dangerous infectious pathology, which requires urgent hospitalization of the patient in the infectious diseases department.

Taking medications

Some medications can change the color of feces, including discoloration. These include:

Some antibacterial and antifungal agents;
Anti-tuberculosis drugs;
Medicines for epilepsy;
Aluminum hydroxide ( antacid).

Maalox is a commonly used antacid that can cause stool discoloration.

White stool may also appear after consuming barium, a contrast agent for X-ray examination gastrointestinal tract.

The appearance of white feces when taking specified medications is not an indication for discontinuation of treatment, but your doctor should be aware of this effect. A dose adjustment or examination of the body may be required. More often, if the appearance of white stool is not accompanied by other symptoms digestive system, the doctor decides to continue the previous therapy, but with closer monitoring.

Worm infestation

A pronounced change in the color of feces due to helminth larvae is an extremely rare situation, which indicates that the process is neglected. Typically, the disease manifests itself as the release of eggs in feces, which is detected only by laboratory examination of stool.

Along with the color change, it is accompanied by the following symptoms:

Loss of body weight with increased appetite;
Irritability;
Fatigue, decreased performance;
Temperature increase;
Abdominal pain.

By the way, this problem is not purely childish, helminthic infestations quite common in adults. The problem is especially common among people living with pets who go outside or into the entrance. You can protect yourself with preventive treatment (taking an anthelmintic once every 1-2 years) for all family members and animals.

The color of stool is an indicator indicating the normal functioning of the digestive system. Typically, stool is presented in light and dark brown shades; they are colored due to the bile produced by the body. For partial or complete blockage bile ducts, and also when bile production is impaired, light-colored feces are released.

Reasons for lightening of feces

If light-colored stool is present in an adult, liver disease is often diagnosed. For this reason, it is recommended that such changes in bowel movements be taken seriously in order to eliminate possible dangerous pathologies. At infectious lesion bowel stool may also change to a light brown color. Lightening of stools occurs not only against the background of disease progression. Feces change due to the introduction of rarely consumed foods into the diet. Light-colored food gives feces a lightened color, which stabilizes after its elimination.

Physiological reasons

Light-colored stool appears as a result of consuming large amounts of fatty and dairy products (for example, sour cream, butter, milk). Similar action on the body healthy person has an abundance of white rice and potatoes in the diet. If a person regularly consumes meat products, and then suddenly adds a lot to his diet plant food, the feces will suddenly become light in color. It is important to remember what your diet consisted of for the last few days. Converting stool color to beige color may be triggered by a change in food products.

The causes of light-colored stool in adults are often medications, in particular:

anti-inflammatory medications;
antibiotics;
antifungal agents;
antipyretic drugs (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen);
medicines for tuberculosis, gout;
drugs prescribed for epilepsy.

During an X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to take barium sulfate. This tool over the next 2–3 days it can lighten the stool of a healthy person. The color change in excrement is normalized after the final removal of barium from the body.

It is important to correctly assess your own well-being, monitor its changes over the past few days, and remember the illnesses you have recently suffered. Light-colored stools in adults often occur against the background of pathologies that lead to malfunctions of the pancreas, liver, and gastrointestinal tract as a whole.

Associated symptoms

When stool starts to become lighter in color due to developing disease, characteristic symptoms appear:

high body temperature;
general weakness of the body;
pain in the abdominal area;
darkening of urine;
nausea accompanied by vomiting;
rashes on the skin;
yellowness of the eye sclera;
abdominal enlargement for unknown reasons;
flatulence;
sudden weight loss due to lack of appetite;
change in stool to a liquid state (diarrhea).

Diseases that are characterized by light-colored stool

If the color of feces has changed, and your health condition has sharply deteriorated, a visit to a medical facility is strictly indicated. After the initial examination, a qualified specialist will prescribe necessary tests, based on their results, the reasons for changes in the properties of feces will be determined. Deterioration in health status against the background of lightened stools may be a sign of the following pathological processes:

Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), manifested against the background of infection, toxic poisoning, alcohol abuse. The main factors include yellowness of the skin, gastrointestinal upset, nagging unpleasant pain appearing on the right side. Without proper treatment, hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis of the liver.
Pancreatitis or inflammatory processes affecting the pancreas. Pathology is caused by long-term use medications, alcohol intoxication, poor diet, internal infections. In the acute phase of the disease, diarrhea is observed, severe vomiting, painful sensations in the abdominal area, especially on the left.
Cholecystitis is damage to the gallbladder. From obvious signs It is worth highlighting a decrease in appetite, accompanied by nausea, acute cutting pains in the abdominal area, a slight increase in temperature. The stools are liquid and contain food residues.
Oncological intestinal diseases. The danger of the appearance of malignant tumors on the gastrointestinal tract lies in their asymptomatic progression. The first signs may appear already with an impressive volume of the tumor, compressing various ducts and walls. The main symptoms include diarrhea or, conversely, constipation, vomiting, regular lack of appetite, which leads to weight loss, and pain in the abdominal cavity.
Cholelithiasis. Blockage of the ducts with stones leads to insufficient intake or complete absence bile, which causes acholic feces.
Crohn's disease is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract associated with immune disorders. The cause of the pathology is infectious, psychosomatic changes, strong allergic reactions. Signs include vomiting, too light or white stools, blood and mucus in the stool, and high fever.
If the indicated pathologies are detected, Ursosan is often prescribed, provided that a thorough examination is carried out and the correct diagnosis is made.

Light-colored stools during pregnancy

During pregnancy, a change in the color of stool is a common occurrence. Almost all women in similar situation they begin to panic, suspecting the development of some pathology. It is necessary to understand that pregnancy is accompanied by a restructuring of all functions in the body, as preparation for bearing a baby begins. Due to such drastic changes, the consistency and shade of feces changes.

Availability light brown stool indicates harmless physiological changes. In particular, this is the introduction into the diet of plant and dairy products that lighten feces. However, the reason may also lie in the development of serious diseases that require immediate treatment. Thus, with pancreatitis, gastritis, hepatitis, rotavirus, the function of the pancreas and liver is disrupted, resulting in an insufficient amount of bile being released. She does not have time to stain the discharge with bilirubin, which acquires an unnatural light color.

White stools during pregnancy may indicate dysfunction of the digestive system, a violation of the intestinal cleansing processes. The manifestation of discoloration of feces occurs with insufficient secretion of bile, provoked by the presence of tumors and stones. Pale yellow stools are a result of long-term use multivitamin complexes.

In all of the above cases, a pregnant woman should seek professional help. Only a specialist will correctly determine the reason for the change in the expectant mother’s well-being and the appearance of unusual color feces.

A change in the shade and consistency of the stool is a “bell” for a detailed examination necessary to prevent fetal development abnormalities.

Acholic stool with dark urine

You need to immediately listen to your body if you have unusually light-colored stools, and at the same time your urine has acquired a dark brown tint. The cause of this symptom is a large share probability may become viral hepatitis.

Regardless of the form and type of pathology, stool always becomes light-colored. Hepatitis in 10% of cases leads to the development of liver cirrhosis. Skin and the mucous membranes of the eyes become unnaturally yellow during the disease. The stool appears sharp and bad smell, which indicates the progression of the pathology.

In some cases, viral hepatitis of the chronic type does not appear for several years; it may be hidden, because there are no characteristic signs for it (unreasonable bitterness and dryness in oral cavity, loose stools). In such situations, the presence of discolored feces should alert a person. Makes it difficult timely diagnosis the fact that urine darkens both early and early late stages development of the disease.

To determine the cause of the deterioration as accurately as possible, the patient is prescribed the following procedures:

Timely diagnosis of the disease will make it possible to treat it already at early stages development. The doctor selects complex individual therapy, which directly depends on the nature of the pathology and the characteristics of its course.

The treatment regimen depends on the underlying cause. For example, in case of improper absorption of fats, the use of special vitamin supplements and changes in diet are indicated. When blocked bile ducts are discovered, surgery is indicated in most cases. If specific diseases (hepatitis, gastroduodenitis) are detected with a changed color of stool, they are subject to specific treatment.

Contacting a specialist for light-colored feces is necessary if fever makes itself felt, pain syndrome, constant weakness.

Some tips from traditional medicine:

Bloating means that your digestive system is not working properly. A decoction of angelica root (30 g), boiled in 500 ml of water, will help. Take a few tablespoons before meals.
For damage to the liver and gallbladder, you should use a decoction of the dried root of the German iris (1 tbsp.), infused in 2 cups of boiling water. Intake: 100 ml of decoction 4 times throughout the day.
Long-lasting diarrhea can be eliminated at home by a decoction of lingonberry leaves (2 tbsp.), enriched tannins. Take 100 ml several times a day immediately before meals.

The appearance of clarified feces in men and women is not recommended to be ignored. Initially, it is worth analyzing possible physiological changes. If any, eliminate them and monitor the stool. If your condition worsens, you should immediately seek help from a doctor.

The color of human stool depends on many factors. This includes diet, gastrointestinal tract activity, and the use of medications. Normal stool color ranges from light brown to dark brown. It is the brown tint that indicates the health of the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, we are talking about normal excretion bile in an adult.

Getting from the gallbladder to duodenum, bilirubin and stercobilin, which are found in bile masses, give the intestinal contents a brown tint. The saturation of the hue may vary depending on many reasons. The simplest of them is diet diversity. Besides, light chair in an adult it can be caused by diseases of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder and inflammation of various areas digestive tract. Let's look at all these reasons for light-colored stool in more detail.

Why is stool light in color: causes

Food significantly influences the color of excrement. Sudden light color of stool can be caused by heavy consumption of fatty foods (butter, sour cream). Potatoes and white rice can have the same properties if you eat a lot of them the day before and without adding other foods.

If the diet consisted more of meat foods, and you suddenly ate a large amount of plant foods, then the feces will become much lighter. When changing shade, first of all, remember your diet in previous days. It was probably nutrition that caused this phenomenon.

There are a number of medications that can cause lightening of excrement. These include:

antibiotics;
anti-inflammatory drugs;
antipyretics (aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol);
antifungal agents;
drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis;
gout medications;
drugs for the treatment of epilepsy.

If you have undergone an examination such as an X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract or other procedures in which it is necessary to take barium sulfate, then 2-3 days after the stool will very sharply lighten. When the barium is completely removed from the body, the excrement will return to its normal color.

Diseases that lead to the appearance of light-colored stool

For some serious illnesses liver, gallbladder, lightening of excrement is an important sign for their diagnosis. Light-colored stool is a symptom of many diseases, but the most probable reasons are problems with the gallbladder, biliary tract and liver. Tumors and inflammations in different parts of the digestive tract are less likely.

Biliary dyskinesia. With this disease, the secretion of bile from the gallbladder becomes difficult due to a decrease in its contractility. Accordingly, bile enters the duodenum in smaller quantities, and the color of the stool becomes lighter.
Bend of the gallbladder. This problem is accompanied by decreased motility of the gallbladder and ducts. As a result, an organ important for good digestion, works less productively, bile acids are supplied to a minimum, causing a light color like an adult.
Gallstones. The presence of stones changes the way the bladder produces and secretes bile. As in the previous case, the secretion of bile in humans decreases. Along with acute symptoms, light-colored stools appear.
Blockage of the bile ducts. The delivery of bile from the gallbladder to the duodenum is partially or completely stopped.
Cholecystitis. With cholecystitis, inflammation of the gallbladder occurs, which significantly reduces the amount of bile secreted.
Hepatitis. This inflammatory disease liver significantly affects the quality of digestion, worsening the general condition of the body and the clarification of feces.
Pancreatitis. Inflammation of the pancreas threatens the gastrointestinal tract with digestive problems, since this organ secretes important food enzymes.
Crohn's disease. This is inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal tract, which is characterized by a disorder of the digestive processes.
Cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Tumors and similar cancerous processes in the intestines can appear almost asymptomatically. Light-colored stool may be the only symptom, which you can pay attention to.
Infection with helminths. In this case, white particles and larvae can be observed in the feces. Their number depends on the degree of intestinal infection.

Symptoms

If, in addition to lightening the stool, you feel unwell and a deterioration in your general condition, you should seek medical advice. Especially if you eat, the malaise does not go away within a day. Symptoms to watch out for:

persistent increase in temperature;
stool disorder;
nausea, vomiting;
pain in the abdomen, left hypochondrium, girdle pain;
yellowed sclera of the eyes and skin;
lack of appetite;
sudden weight loss;
dark urine;
flatulence, abdominal enlargement;
stool with mucus.

If with a lightened stool there are at least two additional features, must pass medical examination to identify a diagnosis. With some problems, for example, with advanced pancreatitis, the count is not days, but hours. Be attentive to symptoms and do not ignore serious ailments.

What can you eat if your stool is white?

If you have light-colored stool, first of all, you need to eliminate fatty, fried, spicy and salty foods to facilitate the functioning of the liver and gallbladder. We must refrain from alcoholic drinks, strong coffee and tea, as all this puts a lot of strain on the human digestive system.

To normalize the gastrointestinal tract, add more vegetables and fruits to the menu. Consume herbal teas from mint, chamomile, sage. Small meals have a beneficial effect on all digestive organs: eat small portions 5-6 times a day. This especially facilitates the work of the pancreas in chronic pancreatitis.

If the menu consists only of products plant origin, then light-colored stool is considered normal.

If the stool is light green

Light green stool can be caused by taking antibiotics. Due to the specific processes that occur in small intestine When taking these drugs, excrement becomes green color light or dark shades.

If the green tint of the stool is combined with other signs, such as fever, vomiting, nausea, then the cause of this phenomenon may be dysentery. Urgent medical attention is required.

Green stool may indicate ulcers and tumors in the gastrointestinal tract. Also, in combination with diarrhea and vomiting, this symptom indicates an intestinal infection.

If the stool is yellow

Large amounts of plant foods can cause yellow or light yellow stools. There is a disease in which plant carbohydrates (plant fibers) are not digested due to disruption of processes in the gastrointestinal tract. This disease - fermentative dyspepsia - can be manifested by the yellow color of excrement.

Malfunctions of the pancreas can contribute to the lightening of feces. This process is a natural periodic phenomenon.

If the stool is dark in color

The reason for the dark color of the stool may be black foods (for example, blueberries), and those that contain a lot of iron. If you took the day before Activated carbon, be surprised at the darkened feces in next days not worth it.

But if you have not consumed anything suspicious, and the stool has darkened and has a viscous, stretchy structure, this is serious signal undergo examination. Sudden darkening of feces to black color may indicate internal bleeding V upper sections digestive tract. Blood getting into colon, darkens and changes, thereby changing the color and structure of human feces.

If the stool is red in color

Some foods can give stool a red tint: red beets, tomatoes, tomato sauce in large quantities, fruit juices.

The presence of a red tint in the stool may indicate bleeding in the lower sections intestines, in this case the blood does not darken to black. If, in addition to this symptom, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite appear, you must urgently seek medical help.

The presence of blood in human feces may indicate anal fissures, hemorrhoids, bleeding in the rectum.

Changes in the color of stool can be caused by a variety of reasons. If light-colored stool appears, analyze your diet the day before. If your condition worsens, your temperature rises, and other symptoms of gastrointestinal distress occur, do not hesitate to seek medical help.

Normal stool color ranges from light brown to dark brown. Sometimes the stool may be a strange color - yellow or black. In most cases, this depends on some changes in the diet. But few people expect to see white stool. Not often, but it does happen, and the cause of white stool can be an indicator of very serious health problems.

Why is stool white?

In order to understand why stool is white, it is important to understand why stool is normally brown. Red blood cells are constantly being broken down in the body and new ones are being born. This breakdown produces a compound known as bilirubin. Bilirubin is temporarily stored in the gallbladder, is an integral part of bile and is released with it into the intestines.

Some of the bile is reabsorbed into the bloodstream and excreted by the kidneys, while the rest is processed in the intestines by bacteria. This produces a yellowish-brown compound known as stercobilinogen, which gives stool its brown color. Without stercobilinogen, the stool will discolor and become very light or even completely white.

Causes of white stool

The cause of white stool occurs due to disruption of the bilirubin cycle due to problems with the liver, where bile is produced, or the gallbladder, where bile is stored, or with the bile ducts, which carry bile to the intestines.

However, it is important to remember that the stool may be white due to substances consumed that have not been broken down and absorbed in the intestines.

Liver problems

Hepatitis- inflammation of the liver, which can occur with infections (especially viral ones), toxins, excessive alcohol consumption, and, in less common cases, with autoimmune diseases.
Cirrhosis- a condition in which scarring of the liver tissue occurs due to long-term damage to the liver, eventually ending liver failure. Hepatitis is one of the possible reasons, which is often associated with chronic alcoholism.
Liver failure- liver dysfunction varying degrees severity up to its complete atrophy. Often found with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis of the liver.
Liver cancer- malignant tumor in the liver. May arise as hepatocellular carcinoma or spread to the liver from other organs (secondary cancer).

Gall Bladder Problems

Gallstones– one of the most common gallbladder diseases. If the stone(s) become stuck in the ducts, they can block the flow of bile into the intestines.
Cholecystitis- inflammation of the gallbladder, often due to cholelithiasis. In most cases, the complication is caused by large stones or other causes of blockage of the bile ducts.
Gallbladder cancer- a case where a malignant tumor arises in the gallbladder or elsewhere and spreads to the gallbladder.

Bile Duct Problems

Biliary atresia- a condition, usually congenital, when the bile ducts are underdeveloped and the drainage of bile into the intestines is impaired to varying degrees.
Biliary stricture- narrowing of the bile ducts, which can occur for a number of reasons. Depending on the degree of narrowing, it affects the volume of bile outflow.
Sclerosing cholangitis- a condition in which persistent inflammation of the bile ducts eventually leads to narrowing of the passages due to the development of scar tissue.
Bile duct cancer - malignancy in the bile duct system. It can occur on its own or be caused by cancers in the liver, gallbladder and even pancreas. Sometimes metastases from cancer of other organs can spread to the bile ducts.

Other conditions

Pancreatitis- inflammation of the pancreas. Often occurs when digestive enzymes are activated, which subsequently cause damage and inflammation of pancreatic tissue, which can spread to the bile ducts.
Pancreas cancer may also cause white stool, but is generally not a symptom. It occurs more often in people with chronic pancreatitis.
Antacids, especially those containing aluminum hydroxide, when consumed in very large quantities.
Barium, which is used for some diagnostic procedures, such as an X-ray of the intestine.

White diarrhea in adults

If diarrhea occurs for any reason against the background of the diseases mentioned above, then you may see white diarrhea.
But most often, diarrhea is white cholera rate. This type of diarrhea is also called rice diarrhea. watery diarrhea, because of him appearance, reminiscent of milky rice water. Cholera is severe bacterial infection caused by Vibrio cholerae. The bacteria can be found in contaminated water or food, which is often found in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene conditions. Cholera is deadly dangerous disease and needs urgent medical attention. A person with cholera rapidly dehydrates within a very short period of time, which can be fatal.

Is white poop dangerous?

White feces is not independent disease and he himself is not dangerous. But it is a symptom of diseases that can be serious, dangerous and even fatal. Some diseases, such as gallbladder cancer, are definitely dangerous, but also less severe conditions may lead to severe complications if bile is not produced for a long time.

If bilirubin does not enter the intestines, the kidneys take on additional work to remove bilirubin. Therefore, when the stool is white, the urine is often very dark in color.

However, unexcreted bilirubin accumulates in the body, leading to various complications. Most common symptom- jaundice, as bilirubin is deposited in the skin and mucous membranes, in the eyes and mouth. The accumulation of bilirubin in other organs may not appear immediately, but can lead to more serious problems. For example, a buildup of bilirubin in the brain can cause damage to brain tissue and lead to death.