Bowel Movement: Understanding Stool Color and What It Could Indicate About Your Health

2023-08-06 14:00:00

Bowel movement: This is what you need to know regarding color

Short-term changes in stool color usually have no serious cause. They can be caused, for example, by eating certain colour-intensive foods. For example, beets or blueberries can cause red to purple stools. Green vegetables like spinach or kale can lead to green stools. Taking certain medications can also discolor the stool – iron supplements often cause a black color.

If the changes in stool color persist over a longer period of time, you should always have the cause clarified by a doctor. In the following, we explain which diseases can be responsible.

yellow chair

Certain infections of the gastrointestinal tract that are associated with diarrhea can cause the stool to turn yellow. Yellow stools can be a sign of food passing through the intestines too quickly and fats not being fully digested, which is known as steatorrhea. This can occur with various health problems such as celiac disease, gallbladder problems, Pancreatitis or liver diseases.

Also interesting: Yellow stools: What you need to know regarding the unusual discoloration >>

Ocher or clay colored stool

In most cases, persistent clay- or ocher-colored stools are due to problems with digestion or the functioning of the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. The bile helps with digestion and is partly responsible for the brown color. If the blocked bile ducts are, the stool can take on an ocher or clay color. liver diseases such as hepatitis or cirrhosis can cause the liver to not produce enough bile, which can result in light-colored stools. The pancreas produces enzymes that aid in digestion. If these enzymes are missing, the stool color can change.

green chair

When food passes through the intestines too quickly, the bile that normally gives stool its brown color cannot be completely broken down. This can lead to yellow as well as green stools. In rare cases, green stools can also indicate a bacterial infection Clues.

Also interesting: Green stool: 3 causes of discolored stool >>

black chair

Black stools can indicate bleeding in the upper digestive tract. The blood turns black during its passage through the stomach and small intestine, resulting in a tarry, foul-smelling stool. Possible causes of this bleeding include: stomach ulcersone Inflammation of the gastric mucosa (Gastritis), dilated veins in the esophagus (esophageal varices) or that Mallory-Weiss-Syndrom. In the latter case, there is a tear in the lining of the esophagus, often caused by severe or prolonged vomiting. In rarer cases, too tumors in the digestive tract to be responsible. Cancer or benign tumors can bleed and cause black stools.

Important: If you notice black stool for no apparent reason, you should definitely have the cause clarified by a doctor. This is especially true if the stool is tarry and smells bad, or if you have other symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or weakness.

Also interesting: Black stool: causes of tarry stool >>

White or gray stool

White or gray stools, also known as acholic stools, can indicate problems with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. Possible causes include liver diseases such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis or liver cancer, gallstones as well as pancreatic diseases such as pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma.

Also interesting: White stool: 3 diseases as a cause >>

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