What causes dark grey poop. How to interpret various stool colors. When should you be concerned about changes in poop color. What do different shades of stool indicate about your health.

The Spectrum of Stool Colors: What Your Poop Is Telling You

Stool color can be a window into your digestive health, offering valuable insights into your diet and potential medical conditions. While variations in poop color are often harmless and related to food choices, some hues may signal underlying health issues that require attention. Understanding the range of normal and abnormal stool colors can help you monitor your digestive health more effectively.

Normal Stool Color: The Baseline

What color should healthy poop be? Typically, normal stool is brown. This color results from a combination of what you eat and the presence of bile in your stool. Bile, a fluid produced by the liver to aid in fat digestion, starts as a yellowish-green color. As it travels through your digestive system, it undergoes chemical changes that turn it brown, giving your stool its characteristic hue.

Green Poop: Causes and Considerations

Why might your poop be green? Green stool is often normal and can be caused by various factors:

• Consuming green vegetables like spinach or kale
• Ingesting food products with green coloring
• Taking iron supplements
• Experiencing rapid intestinal transit, which doesn’t allow bile enough time to break down completely

Is green poop a cause for concern? Generally, no. However, if accompanied by other symptoms or persistent, it may be worth discussing with a healthcare provider.

Yellow Stool: Potential Digestive Issues

What does yellow poop indicate? Yellow stool can be normal for some individuals, particularly infants who are breastfeeding. However, greasy, foul-smelling yellow stools may suggest excess fat content, potentially indicating issues with fat digestion or absorption.

Celiac Disease and Yellow Stool

Can celiac disease cause yellow poop? Yes, individuals with celiac disease who consume gluten may experience yellow, fatty stools due to their body’s inability to properly digest certain foods. If you notice persistent yellow stools and suspect celiac disease, consult a healthcare professional for proper evaluation.

White or Pale Stool: When to Be Concerned

What causes white or pale-colored stool? While occasionally linked to certain medications like anti-diarrheal drugs or barium used in medical imaging, consistently pale or clay-colored stools may indicate a more serious issue:

• Lack of bile in the stool
• Liver disease, such as hepatitis
• Blockage in the bile ducts
• Gallstones
• Tumors
• Biliary atresia (a congenital condition)

Should you worry about pale stools? If pale stools persist or are accompanied by other symptoms, it’s important to seek medical advice promptly.

Black Stool: Distinguishing Between Benign and Serious Causes

Why might stool appear black? Black stools can result from various factors, ranging from dietary choices to potential health concerns:

Dietary Causes of Black Stool

• Consuming black licorice
• Eating large quantities of blueberries
• Taking iron supplements
• Using bismuth subsalicylate-containing medications

Medical Causes of Black Stool

When should black stool be a cause for concern? Black, tarry stools (melena) can indicate bleeding in the upper digestive tract. Potential causes include:

• Stomach ulcers
• Esophageal bleeding from acid reflux
• Noncancerous tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract
• Gastrointestinal cancers

If black stools occur without an obvious dietary explanation, it’s crucial to consult a healthcare provider promptly.

Red or Reddish Stool: Benign Causes vs. Potential Health Issues

What causes red or reddish poop? Red or reddish stools can result from both harmless dietary factors and more serious medical conditions:

Dietary Causes of Red Stool

• Consuming beets
• Eating tomato soup
• Having red-colored gelatin desserts
• Drinking red-colored beverages

Medical Causes of Red Stool

When should you be concerned about red stools? If dietary causes can be ruled out, red stools may indicate bleeding in the lower digestive tract. Potential causes include:

• Hemorrhoids
• Anal fissures
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Colorectal polyps or cancer

If you experience persistent red stools without an obvious dietary cause, seek medical attention to determine the underlying cause.

Orange Stool: Possible Causes and Implications

Why might stool appear orange? Orange stools can result from various factors:

• Consuming foods high in beta-carotene (e.g., carrots, sweet potatoes)
• Taking certain medications or supplements
• Potential issues with bile production or release

Is orange poop a cause for concern? While often harmless, persistent orange stools may indicate problems with bile production or absorption. If orange stools persist or are accompanied by other symptoms, consult a healthcare provider.

When to Seek Medical Help for Stool Color Changes

How do you know when changes in stool color warrant medical attention? Consider seeking medical help if you experience:

• Persistent changes in stool color lasting more than a few days
• Black, tarry stools not explained by diet or medications
• Bright red blood in the stool
• Pale or clay-colored stools
• Changes in stool color accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, or unexplained weight loss

Remember, while stool color changes are often harmless, they can sometimes indicate underlying health issues. When in doubt, it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional for proper evaluation and guidance.

The Role of Diet in Stool Color Variations

How significantly can diet impact stool color? Your dietary choices play a substantial role in determining the color of your stool. Many foods and supplements can temporarily alter stool color without causing concern:

• Green leafy vegetables can lead to green stools
• Beets and tomato-based products may cause reddish stools
• Blueberries and black licorice can result in black stools
• Foods rich in beta-carotene might produce orange stools

Understanding the connection between your diet and stool color can help you differentiate between benign color changes and those that may require medical attention.

Food Dyes and Stool Color

Can artificial food coloring affect stool color? Yes, consuming foods or beverages with artificial coloring can temporarily change the color of your stool. This is particularly common with brightly colored foods and drinks, such as:

• Popsicles
• Flavored drink mixes
• Gelatin desserts
• Candies

These color changes are typically harmless and resolve once the colored food has passed through your system.

The Impact of Medications and Supplements on Stool Color

How can medications affect stool color? Various medications and supplements can alter the color of your stool:

• Iron supplements often cause dark green or black stools
• Bismuth subsalicylate (found in some antacids) can lead to black stools
• Antibiotics may cause green stools
• Antidiarrheal medications can sometimes result in lighter-colored stools

If you notice changes in stool color after starting a new medication or supplement, consult with your healthcare provider or pharmacist to determine if it’s a known side effect.

Stool Color in Infants and Children: What Parents Should Know

How does stool color differ in infants and young children? Stool color in infants and young children can vary widely and may differ from adult stool colors:

• Newborns often have black, tar-like stools (meconium) in the first few days of life
• Breastfed infants typically have yellowish, seedy stools
• Formula-fed babies often have darker, more formed stools
• As solid foods are introduced, stool color can vary greatly depending on diet

When should parents be concerned about their child’s stool color? While many color variations are normal in infants and children, certain colors may indicate problems:

• White, grey, or pale yellow stools could suggest liver or gallbladder issues
• Red stools not explained by diet might indicate bleeding in the lower digestive tract
• Black stools beyond the newborn period could signal upper GI bleeding

If you’re concerned about your child’s stool color, it’s best to consult with their pediatrician for proper evaluation.

The Connection Between Stool Color and Digestive Health

How does stool color reflect overall digestive health? While not a definitive diagnostic tool, stool color can provide valuable insights into your digestive system’s functioning:

• Brown stools generally indicate normal digestion and bile production
• Green stools might suggest rapid intestinal transit or high consumption of green foods
• Yellow, greasy stools could indicate malabsorption issues
• Pale or clay-colored stools may signal problems with bile production or flow
• Black or red stools might indicate bleeding at different points in the digestive tract

Remember, stool color is just one aspect of digestive health. Other factors like consistency, frequency, and accompanying symptoms are also important indicators of your digestive system’s well-being.

The Importance of Monitoring Stool Changes

Why is it beneficial to pay attention to stool color changes? Monitoring changes in your stool color can help you:

• Identify potential digestive issues early
• Recognize the impact of dietary changes on your digestive system
• Detect possible side effects of medications or supplements
• Maintain awareness of your overall digestive health

By staying attuned to changes in your stool color and consistency, you can better maintain your digestive health and promptly address any concerns with your healthcare provider.

Interpreting Stool Color in the Context of Other Symptoms

How should stool color changes be evaluated alongside other symptoms? While stool color alone can provide valuable information, it’s crucial to consider it in conjunction with other symptoms:

• Abdominal pain or discomfort
• Changes in bowel habits (frequency, consistency)
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue or weakness
• Fever
• Nausea or vomiting

The presence of these symptoms alongside changes in stool color may indicate a more serious condition and warrant prompt medical evaluation.

The Role of Stool Color in Diagnostic Processes

How do healthcare providers use stool color information in diagnosis? While not definitive on its own, stool color can be a valuable piece of information for healthcare providers when assessing digestive health:

• It can help guide further testing or examinations
• It may suggest potential areas of concern in the digestive tract
• It can corroborate other symptoms or test results
• It may indicate the need for more invasive diagnostic procedures like endoscopy or colonoscopy

Always provide your healthcare provider with accurate information about your stool color and any accompanying symptoms to aid in proper diagnosis and treatment.

Maintaining Digestive Health: Beyond Stool Color

What steps can you take to promote overall digestive health? While monitoring stool color is important, maintaining digestive health involves a comprehensive approach:

• Eat a balanced, fiber-rich diet
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
• Exercise regularly to promote healthy bowel movements
• Manage stress through relaxation techniques or meditation
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption and smoking
• Take probiotics or eat fermented foods to support gut health
• Schedule regular check-ups with your healthcare provider

By adopting these habits and staying attentive to changes in your digestive health, including stool color, you can maintain a healthier digestive system and overall well-being.

The Future of Digestive Health Monitoring

How might advancements in technology impact digestive health monitoring? Emerging technologies and research are opening new avenues for monitoring digestive health:

• Smart toilets that can analyze stool composition and color
• Wearable devices that track digestive patterns and symptoms
• Advanced imaging techniques for more detailed views of the digestive tract
• Personalized gut microbiome analysis for tailored dietary recommendations

As these technologies develop, they may provide more comprehensive and personalized approaches to monitoring and maintaining digestive health, complementing traditional methods of observation and medical evaluation.

What Do Different Poop Colors Mean?

Written by Hope Cristol

• What Do Different Stool Colors Mean?
• Normal Poop Color
• Green Poop
• Yellow Poop
• White, Pale, or Clay-Colored Poop
• Black Poop
• Red or Reddish Poop
• Orange Poop
• When to Get Help for Poop Color Changes
• More

Different stool colors can mean different things, mostly depending on what you’ve eaten.

You’d probably notice if your poop is a different hue than normal. But what does it mean if it’s green? What about red, yellow, white, or black? Or orange?

Most of the time, minor changes in the color of your waste are due to diet. After all, we don’t eat the same thing at every meal, every day. But sometimes a color change can signal a minor health issue. In rare cases, it means something serious is wrong in your digestive system.

If the color you see before you flush worries you, call your doctor.

Poop is normally brown. The color is the result of what you eat and how much bile is in your stool.

Bile is a fluid your liver makes to digest fats. It starts out as a yellowish green color. But as the pigments that give bile its color travel through your digestive system, they go through chemical changes and turn brown.

Your poop can sometimes have a slightly greenish hue, or even be a more vivid green. Most of the time, green or greenish poop is normal.

Is your diet causing green poop?

Think back on what you’ve been eating. These foods and supplements can cause your poop to be green:

• Green veggies, like spinach or kale
• Green food coloring, such as in drink mixes or ice pops
• Iron supplements

Other causes of green poop

If you have green diarrhea, the color of your food may not be to blame. It’s likely that your meal moved through your gut too quickly, so the fat-digesting bile didn’t have time to turn brown.

There may be times when your poop looks more yellow than brown.

This shade is also normal for many people. It’s common for babies, especially those who breastfeed. But if you have yellow poop that looks greasy and smells very bad, it may have too much fat. That could be a sign your body isn’t digesting food properly.

Is your diet causing yellow poop?

Indirectly, your diet could cause yellow poop. If you have celiac disease, your body can’t handle a protein called gluten, which is in wheat, barley, and rye. If you have the condition and eat foods that have gluten, like many breads, pastas, and cookies, your intestines won’t work as they should. So, if you’re eating those foods, and your poop is yellow, it may be time to see a doctor.

Other causes of yellow poop

There may be other causes of yellow poop that’s greasy and smelly. If it happens to you often, tell your doctor.

Sometimes, poop may not have much color at all.

Is your diet causing pale poop?

If your poop is pale, it’s not likely directly due to a food. But medicines for diarrhea like bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can sometimes cause pale or clay-colored poop. So can barium, a chalky liquid you drink before you get X-rays of the upper part of your digestive tract.

Other causes of pale poop

A more serious cause is a lack of bile in your stool. (Remember, bile gives poop its brown color.) Your body makes bile in the liver, stores it in the gallbladder, and releases it into your small intestine to help digest your food. If there’s not enough of it to give your poop its typical brown color, it could be a sign of a problem along the way.

Liver disease, such as hepatitis, can keep bile from getting into your body waste. So can a blockage in the tubes (called ducts) that carry bile. This can happen because of:

• Gallstones
• A tumor
• A condition you’re born with called biliary atresia

Babies’ poop is black for the first few days after they’re born. Otherwise, it may be because you ate something very dark-colored or took a medicine or supplement that causes black poop. But this color can be a sign of a more serious problem: bleeding in the upper part of your digestive tract.

Is your diet causing black poop?

Foods and supplements that turn poop black include:

• Black licorice
• Blueberries
• Iron supplements

Medicines that have bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can also cause very dark stools.

Other causes of black poop

Poop that looks like tar is often a sign of bleeding in the digestive tract. Some causes include:

• Bleeding from stomach ulcers
• Bleeding sores in your esophagus from acid reflux
• Bleeding from noncancerous tumors in the upper GI tract
• Cancer

If you don’t think black poop came from what you ate, you need to talk to your doctor.

If you see red or reddish poop in the toilet, don’t be alarmed right away. First ask yourself if you’ve had red foods lately.

Is your diet causing red or reddish poop?

Several foods can change the color of your stool to a pink or reddish color:

• Beets
• Tomato soup
• Gelatin dessert
• Red drinks

Other causes of red or reddish poop

If you don’t think your diet is the cause, the red you see may be blood. And if it’s bright red, the blood likely comes from the lower part of your digestive tract. Common causes include:

• Noncancerous tumors
• Cancer
• Inflammation in the colon, called colitis
• Growths called polyps in your colon
• Conditions caused by small sacs in the wall of the colon, called diverticular disease
• Hemorrhoids

Call your doctor if you see red that’s probably not from food you ate.

Poop can often come out the color of the food that went in, especially if you have diarrhea. If your poop has an orange hue, it’s most likely due to some orange foods.

Is your diet causing orange poop?

Foods that have beta-carotene can turn your poop orange, such as:

• Carrots
• Winter squash
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes

Foods with orange coloring, such as sodas, candy, or gelatin dessert, can also give your poop an orange color.

Also, antibiotics and antacids that have aluminum hydroxide in them can make your stool orange.

Other causes of orange poop

Rarely, poop can be orange if you have a problem with your liver that causes it to make less bile than normal, or a blockage that keeps bile from leaving the liver and entering your system. But usually, if this is the case, your poop will be pale or clay-colored.

Most of the time, poop that’s a different color from what you’re used to isn’t something to worry about. It’s rare for it to be a sign of a serious condition in your digestive system. But if it’s white, bright red, or black, and you don’t think it’s from something you ate, call your doctor.

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What Do Different Poop Colors Mean?

Written by Hope Cristol

• What Do Different Stool Colors Mean?
• Normal Poop Color
• Green Poop
• Yellow Poop
• White, Pale, or Clay-Colored Poop
• Black Poop
• Red or Reddish Poop
• Orange Poop
• When to Get Help for Poop Color Changes
• More

Different stool colors can mean different things, mostly depending on what you’ve eaten.

You’d probably notice if your poop is a different hue than normal. But what does it mean if it’s green? What about red, yellow, white, or black? Or orange?

Most of the time, minor changes in the color of your waste are due to diet. After all, we don’t eat the same thing at every meal, every day. But sometimes a color change can signal a minor health issue. In rare cases, it means something serious is wrong in your digestive system.

If the color you see before you flush worries you, call your doctor.

Poop is normally brown. The color is the result of what you eat and how much bile is in your stool.

Bile is a fluid your liver makes to digest fats. It starts out as a yellowish green color. But as the pigments that give bile its color travel through your digestive system, they go through chemical changes and turn brown.

Your poop can sometimes have a slightly greenish hue, or even be a more vivid green. Most of the time, green or greenish poop is normal.

Is your diet causing green poop?

Think back on what you’ve been eating. These foods and supplements can cause your poop to be green:

• Green veggies, like spinach or kale
• Green food coloring, such as in drink mixes or ice pops
• Iron supplements

Other causes of green poop

If you have green diarrhea, the color of your food may not be to blame. It’s likely that your meal moved through your gut too quickly, so the fat-digesting bile didn’t have time to turn brown.

There may be times when your poop looks more yellow than brown.

This shade is also normal for many people. It’s common for babies, especially those who breastfeed. But if you have yellow poop that looks greasy and smells very bad, it may have too much fat. That could be a sign your body isn’t digesting food properly.

Is your diet causing yellow poop?

Indirectly, your diet could cause yellow poop. If you have celiac disease, your body can’t handle a protein called gluten, which is in wheat, barley, and rye. If you have the condition and eat foods that have gluten, like many breads, pastas, and cookies, your intestines won’t work as they should. So, if you’re eating those foods, and your poop is yellow, it may be time to see a doctor.

Other causes of yellow poop

There may be other causes of yellow poop that’s greasy and smelly. If it happens to you often, tell your doctor.

Sometimes, poop may not have much color at all.

Is your diet causing pale poop?

If your poop is pale, it’s not likely directly due to a food. But medicines for diarrhea like bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can sometimes cause pale or clay-colored poop. So can barium, a chalky liquid you drink before you get X-rays of the upper part of your digestive tract.

Other causes of pale poop

A more serious cause is a lack of bile in your stool. (Remember, bile gives poop its brown color.) Your body makes bile in the liver, stores it in the gallbladder, and releases it into your small intestine to help digest your food. If there’s not enough of it to give your poop its typical brown color, it could be a sign of a problem along the way.

Liver disease, such as hepatitis, can keep bile from getting into your body waste. So can a blockage in the tubes (called ducts) that carry bile. This can happen because of:

• Gallstones
• A tumor
• A condition you’re born with called biliary atresia

Babies’ poop is black for the first few days after they’re born. Otherwise, it may be because you ate something very dark-colored or took a medicine or supplement that causes black poop. But this color can be a sign of a more serious problem: bleeding in the upper part of your digestive tract.

Is your diet causing black poop?

Foods and supplements that turn poop black include:

• Black licorice
• Blueberries
• Iron supplements

Medicines that have bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) can also cause very dark stools.

Other causes of black poop

Poop that looks like tar is often a sign of bleeding in the digestive tract. Some causes include:

• Bleeding from stomach ulcers
• Bleeding sores in your esophagus from acid reflux
• Bleeding from noncancerous tumors in the upper GI tract
• Cancer

If you don’t think black poop came from what you ate, you need to talk to your doctor.

If you see red or reddish poop in the toilet, don’t be alarmed right away. First ask yourself if you’ve had red foods lately.

Is your diet causing red or reddish poop?

Several foods can change the color of your stool to a pink or reddish color:

• Beets
• Tomato soup
• Gelatin dessert
• Red drinks

Other causes of red or reddish poop

If you don’t think your diet is the cause, the red you see may be blood. And if it’s bright red, the blood likely comes from the lower part of your digestive tract. Common causes include:

• Noncancerous tumors
• Cancer
• Inflammation in the colon, called colitis
• Growths called polyps in your colon
• Conditions caused by small sacs in the wall of the colon, called diverticular disease
• Hemorrhoids

Call your doctor if you see red that’s probably not from food you ate.

Poop can often come out the color of the food that went in, especially if you have diarrhea. If your poop has an orange hue, it’s most likely due to some orange foods.

Is your diet causing orange poop?

Foods that have beta-carotene can turn your poop orange, such as:

• Carrots
• Winter squash
• Pumpkin
• Sweet potatoes

Foods with orange coloring, such as sodas, candy, or gelatin dessert, can also give your poop an orange color.

Also, antibiotics and antacids that have aluminum hydroxide in them can make your stool orange.

Other causes of orange poop

Rarely, poop can be orange if you have a problem with your liver that causes it to make less bile than normal, or a blockage that keeps bile from leaving the liver and entering your system. But usually, if this is the case, your poop will be pale or clay-colored.

Most of the time, poop that’s a different color from what you’re used to isn’t something to worry about. It’s rare for it to be a sign of a serious condition in your digestive system. But if it’s white, bright red, or black, and you don’t think it’s from something you ate, call your doctor.

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Grayish-white stools – causes, diagnosis and treatment

Grayish-white stools is a discoloration of stools, often accompanied by a violation of the consistency and frequency of stools. A change in the color of feces is characteristic of dysbacteriosis, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, and damage to the pancreas. To find out the cause of the appearance of gray or white feces, a coprogram, ultrasound and radiography of the gastrointestinal tract, endoscopy are prescribed. To eliminate the symptom, probiotics, enzyme preparations, specific antiviral and detoxifying agents are used.

Causes of grayish-white stool

Errors in diet

Gray stool in an adult is observed after the abuse of fatty foods. An excess amount of neutral fats accumulates in the intestine, due to the increased load on the pancreas, lipids are not digested and are excreted in the stool. The consistency changes – the feces become soft, “fat”, leave marks on the walls of the toilet bowl. Typically, stools increase up to 3-4 times a day.

Usually the symptoms disappear on their own, normalization of stool color occurs the next day. The reasons that provoke the discharge of grayish-white stools in infants are the incorrect introduction of complementary foods, the use of unbalanced milk formulas. A change in the color of feces occurs against the background of general weakness and lethargy of the child, constant crying and refusal to feed. These symptoms are an indication for consulting a pediatrician.

Dysbacteriosis

Violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora causes digestive disorders, insufficient digestion of incoming food. The feces become liquid, grayish-white or dark gray in color. The frequency of stool with dysbacteriosis increases up to 5-7 times a day, defecation is preceded by cramps and discomfort in the left abdomen. The stools have a fetid odor, a light gray coating can be seen on the surface.

Hepatitis

Infectious causes cause destruction of liver cells and disorders of bilirubin metabolism, due to which the supply of stercobilin to the intestine decreases, which stains feces in a brown hue. Gray feces appear at the height of hepatitis, the symptom is combined with a sharp darkening of the urine and yellowing of the skin. Characterized by an increase in stool and a change in its consistency, before defecation, patients feel rumbling and “seething” in the abdomen.

The duration of the symptom depends on the type of liver inflammation. In non-severe forms of viral hepatitis A and E, grayish-white feces persist for 2-3 weeks. With hepatitis B, the color of feces returns to normal after 1-2 months, in case of severe damage to the hepatic parenchyma, dark gray stools are excreted up to six months. Alcoholic hepatitis, complicated by damage to the pancreas, often cause persistent lightening of the feces.

Cholelithiasis

Isolation of grayish-white stool indicates an exacerbation of cholelithiasis and blockage of the bile duct by a calculus. In this case, bile does not enter the intestines, symptoms of obstructive jaundice develop. A person notices that the stool becomes light, almost white, the consistency of the stool often remains normal. Discoloration of the stool occurs simultaneously with severe pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea, bitterness in the mouth.

Pancreatitis

A change in the color of feces to white in adults occurs in chronic pancreatitis, which is characterized by pancreatic enzyme deficiency. The light color is due to the accumulation of undigested food in the stool. Fecal masses are abundant, grayish-white in color, with a sharp fetid odor. There is an increase in stool, during defecation, patients experience diffuse pain in the abdomen.

Disorders of the pancreas function are often irreversible, therefore, without the appointment of replacement therapy, the restoration of normal stool color is impossible. The patient’s condition worsens under the influence of external causes – with the abuse of heavy food, alcohol intake, the disease worsens. During this period, diarrhea is disturbing with the release of a large amount of light feces, accompanied by intense pain in the left hypochondrium and epigastrium.

Other pathologies of the liver

Damage to liver cells of various etiologies is accompanied by parenchymal jaundice, which is typically characterized by the appearance of a grayish-white color of feces. Such changes persist for a long time, for several months. Violation of the chair is combined with dull pain and heaviness in the right hypochondrium, nausea and vomiting with bile. Most often, discoloration of feces is caused by such reasons as:

• Cirrhosis : alcoholic, postnecrotic, biliary.
• Massive lesions : hepatocellular carcinoma, echinococcal cyst, polycystic liver.
• Functional disorders : Gilbert’s syndrome, Crigler-Najjar syndrome, cholestasis of pregnancy.

Complications of pharmacotherapy

Brief discoloration of stools to grayish-white is a natural reaction after oral administration of barium sulfate for x-ray of the digestive tract. Light fecal masses depart 10-12 hours after the study, atypical coloring of fecal masses persists for 2-3 days. Normally, these changes are not accompanied by dyspeptic disorders or abdominal pain.

Other reasons also provoke gray feces: taking antacids, iron. Trace elements, which are found in large quantities in these drugs, accumulate in the feces and cause the appearance of a characteristic grayish-white color. With the use of iron preparations, the color is darker up to black. Discoloration of feces is possible with prolonged use of antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Rare causes

• Inflammatory bowel disease : Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic enteritis.
• Celiac disease .
• Malignant tumors : pancreatic head cancer, duodenal cancer.
• Bile duct atresia .

Diagnosis

A gastroenterologist is in charge of identifying the cause of gray stool. The specialist collects an anamnesis and complaints to establish why dyspeptic disorders appeared. Diagnostics includes instrumental imaging methods, which, according to indications, are supplemented with invasive techniques. To clarify the diagnosis, laboratory tests are prescribed. Most informative methods:

• Coprogram . Microscopic analysis of grayish-white feces reveals the remains of undigested food, muscle fibers, starch grains. The absence of stercobilin is pathognomonic. To confirm the diagnosis of pancreatitis, a study of the level of fecal elastase is done. Bacteriological analysis is necessary to detect dysbacteriosis and bacterial overgrowth syndrome.
• Biochemical blood test . With obstructive jaundice, cholestasis syndrome is determined – an increase in the amount of cholesterol and the enzyme alkaline phosphatase. An increase in the level of ALT and AST indicates cytolysis and parenchymal jaundice. To check the exocrine function of the pancreas, the concentration of pancreatic lipase and amylase is measured.
• Ultrasound . In order to detect the organic cause of the grayish-white hue of feces, a survey ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is performed with targeted scanning of the organs of the hepatobiliary zone. The study allows you to visualize signs of the inflammatory process of the gallbladder, heterogeneous echogenicity of the liver parenchyma, rounded volumetric neoplasms.
• Duodenal sounding . To assess the flow of bile into the intestine, several portions of bile are sequentially taken after stimulation with secretory drugs. Typically, slow bile flow or its complete absence in case of blockage of the common bile duct. The collected material is sent to the laboratory for bacteriological analysis.
• Cholangiopancreatography . White feces usually appear when the biliary tract is affected, so ERCP is required. The method involves examining the Vater papilla and bile ducts using endoscopic technologies. The study reveals stones in the bile ducts, signs of inflammatory and tumor pathologies.

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

Grayish-white stools caused by dietary errors do not need to be treated. The patient is advised to consume easily digestible foods (stewed vegetables, soups, lean meat) for several days, to reduce the amount of portions. You can’t take alcohol. If during this time the stool has not returned to normal, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause of the disorder.

To avoid diarrhea and stool discoloration when taking antibiotics and other toxic drugs, it is advisable to drink natural kefir and yogurt, which are rich in beneficial bifidus and lactobacilli. Self-administration of enzyme preparations to improve digestion is not recommended, as this can provoke violations of the pancreas.

Conservative therapy

Treatment of dyspeptic disorders, including grayish-white stools, is mainly aimed at eliminating the cause of the symptoms, after which the color and consistency of the stool normalizes. Medications must be supplemented with a special therapeutic diet, which is selected depending on the disease. In clinical practice, drugs such as:

• Enzyme preparations . Medicines containing pancreatic extract improve the processes of parietal and abdominal digestion in the small intestine. Gray feces disappear a few days after the start of medication, the severity of other dyspeptic disorders decreases.
• Probiotics . They are a mixture of beneficial bacteria that inhabit the colon and prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. In adults, they are prescribed for long-term antibiotic therapy, combined with prebiotics, which stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria.
• Cholagogues . They increase the contractility of the gallbladder and expand the ducts, improve the colloidal properties of bile, so that it is released into the intestine in the right quantities. Additionally, hepatoprotectors are recommended, which protect cells from the toxic effects of bile acids.
• Antivirals . In chronic hepatitis of viral etiology, special treatment regimens are used with interferons, RNA polymerase inhibitors. Medicines reduce the viral load in the blood, inhibit the replication of the virus in the liver cells. They are combined with detoxification agents.

Surgical treatment

Complicated cholelithiasis, which is accompanied by grayish-white stool, requires surgical intervention. Removal of small calculi is carried out during therapeutic and diagnostic ERCP, and the method of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is also used. With pronounced changes in the biliary tract, drainage according to Kerr or Halstead or the formation of a choledochodigestive anastomosis is indicated.

Grayish-white feces – causes, diagnosis and treatment

Grayish-white feces is a discoloration of stools, often accompanied by a violation of the consistency and frequency of the stool. A change in the color of feces is characteristic of dysbacteriosis, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, and damage to the pancreas. To find out the cause of the appearance of gray or white feces, a coprogram, ultrasound and radiography of the gastrointestinal tract, endoscopy are prescribed. To eliminate the symptom, probiotics, enzyme preparations, specific antiviral and detoxifying agents are used.

Causes of grayish-white stool

Errors in diet

Gray stool in an adult is observed after the abuse of fatty foods. An excess amount of neutral fats accumulates in the intestine, due to the increased load on the pancreas, lipids are not digested and are excreted in the stool. The consistency changes – the feces become soft, “fat”, leave marks on the walls of the toilet bowl. Typically, stools increase up to 3-4 times a day.

Usually the symptoms disappear on their own, normalization of stool color occurs the next day. The reasons that provoke the discharge of grayish-white stools in infants are the incorrect introduction of complementary foods, the use of unbalanced milk formulas. A change in the color of feces occurs against the background of general weakness and lethargy of the child, constant crying and refusal to feed. These symptoms are an indication for consulting a pediatrician.

Dysbacteriosis

Violation of the composition of the intestinal microflora causes digestive disorders, insufficient digestion of incoming food. The feces become liquid, grayish-white or dark gray in color. The frequency of stool with dysbacteriosis increases up to 5-7 times a day, defecation is preceded by cramps and discomfort in the left abdomen. The stools have a fetid odor, a light gray coating can be seen on the surface.

Hepatitis

Infectious causes cause destruction of liver cells and disorders of bilirubin metabolism, due to which the supply of stercobilin to the intestine decreases, which stains feces in a brown hue. Gray feces appear at the height of hepatitis, the symptom is combined with a sharp darkening of the urine and yellowing of the skin. Characterized by an increase in stool and a change in its consistency, before defecation, patients feel rumbling and “seething” in the abdomen.

The duration of the symptom depends on the type of liver inflammation. In non-severe forms of viral hepatitis A and E, grayish-white feces persist for 2-3 weeks. With hepatitis B, the color of feces returns to normal after 1-2 months, in case of severe damage to the hepatic parenchyma, dark gray stools are excreted up to six months. Alcoholic hepatitis, complicated by damage to the pancreas, often cause persistent lightening of the feces.

Cholelithiasis

Isolation of grayish-white stool indicates an exacerbation of cholelithiasis and blockage of the bile duct by a calculus. In this case, bile does not enter the intestines, symptoms of obstructive jaundice develop. A person notices that the stool becomes light, almost white, the consistency of the stool often remains normal. Discoloration of the stool occurs simultaneously with severe pain in the right hypochondrium, nausea, bitterness in the mouth.

Pancreatitis

A change in the color of feces to white in adults occurs in chronic pancreatitis, which is characterized by pancreatic enzyme deficiency. The light color is due to the accumulation of undigested food in the stool. Fecal masses are abundant, grayish-white in color, with a sharp fetid odor. There is an increase in stool, during defecation, patients experience diffuse pain in the abdomen.

Disorders of the pancreas function are often irreversible, therefore, without the appointment of replacement therapy, the restoration of normal stool color is impossible. The patient’s condition worsens under the influence of external causes – with the abuse of heavy food, alcohol intake, the disease worsens. During this period, diarrhea is disturbing with the release of a large amount of light feces, accompanied by intense pain in the left hypochondrium and epigastrium.

Other pathologies of the liver

Damage to liver cells of various etiologies is accompanied by parenchymal jaundice, which is typically characterized by the appearance of a grayish-white color of feces. Such changes persist for a long time, for several months. Violation of the chair is combined with dull pain and heaviness in the right hypochondrium, nausea and vomiting with bile. Most often, discoloration of feces is caused by such reasons as:

• Cirrhosis : alcoholic, postnecrotic, biliary.
• Massive lesions : hepatocellular carcinoma, echinococcal cyst, polycystic liver.
• Functional disorders : Gilbert’s syndrome, Crigler-Najjar syndrome, cholestasis of pregnancy.

Complications of pharmacotherapy

Brief discoloration of stools to grayish-white is a natural reaction after oral administration of barium sulfate for x-ray of the digestive tract. Light fecal masses depart 10-12 hours after the study, atypical coloring of fecal masses persists for 2-3 days. Normally, these changes are not accompanied by dyspeptic disorders or abdominal pain.

Other reasons also provoke gray feces: taking antacids, iron. Trace elements, which are found in large quantities in these drugs, accumulate in the feces and cause the appearance of a characteristic grayish-white color. With the use of iron preparations, the color is darker up to black. Discoloration of feces is possible with prolonged use of antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Rare causes

• Inflammatory bowel disease : Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, chronic enteritis.
• Celiac disease .
• Malignant tumors : pancreatic head cancer, duodenal cancer.
• Bile duct atresia .

Diagnosis

A gastroenterologist is in charge of identifying the cause of gray stool. The specialist collects an anamnesis and complaints to establish why dyspeptic disorders appeared. Diagnostics includes instrumental imaging methods, which, according to indications, are supplemented with invasive techniques. To clarify the diagnosis, laboratory tests are prescribed. Most informative methods:

• Coprogram . Microscopic analysis of grayish-white feces reveals the remains of undigested food, muscle fibers, starch grains. The absence of stercobilin is pathognomonic. To confirm the diagnosis of pancreatitis, a study of the level of fecal elastase is done. Bacteriological analysis is necessary to detect dysbacteriosis and bacterial overgrowth syndrome.
• Biochemical blood test . With obstructive jaundice, cholestasis syndrome is determined – an increase in the amount of cholesterol and the enzyme alkaline phosphatase. An increase in the level of ALT and AST indicates cytolysis and parenchymal jaundice. To check the exocrine function of the pancreas, the concentration of pancreatic lipase and amylase is measured.
• Ultrasound . In order to detect the organic cause of the grayish-white hue of feces, a survey ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is performed with targeted scanning of the organs of the hepatobiliary zone. The study allows you to visualize signs of the inflammatory process of the gallbladder, heterogeneous echogenicity of the liver parenchyma, rounded volumetric neoplasms.
• Duodenal sounding . To assess the flow of bile into the intestine, several portions of bile are sequentially taken after stimulation with secretory drugs. Typically, slow bile flow or its complete absence in case of blockage of the common bile duct. The collected material is sent to the laboratory for bacteriological analysis.
• Cholangiopancreatography . White feces usually appear when the biliary tract is affected, so ERCP is required. The method involves examining the Vater papilla and bile ducts using endoscopic technologies. The study reveals stones in the bile ducts, signs of inflammatory and tumor pathologies.

Treatment

Help before diagnosis

Grayish-white stools caused by dietary errors do not need to be treated. The patient is advised to consume easily digestible foods (stewed vegetables, soups, lean meat) for several days, to reduce the amount of portions. You can’t take alcohol. If during this time the stool has not returned to normal, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause of the disorder.

To avoid diarrhea and stool discoloration when taking antibiotics and other toxic drugs, it is advisable to drink natural kefir and yogurt, which are rich in beneficial bifidus and lactobacilli. Self-administration of enzyme preparations to improve digestion is not recommended, as this can provoke violations of the pancreas.

Conservative therapy

Treatment of dyspeptic disorders, including grayish-white stools, is mainly aimed at eliminating the cause of the symptoms, after which the color and consistency of the stool normalizes. Medications must be supplemented with a special therapeutic diet, which is selected depending on the disease. In clinical practice, drugs such as:

• Enzyme preparations . Medicines containing pancreatic extract improve the processes of parietal and abdominal digestion in the small intestine. Gray feces disappear a few days after the start of medication, the severity of other dyspeptic disorders decreases.
• Probiotics . They are a mixture of beneficial bacteria that inhabit the colon and prevent the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. In adults, they are prescribed for long-term antibiotic therapy, combined with prebiotics, which stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria.
• Cholagogues . They increase the contractility of the gallbladder and expand the ducts, improve the colloidal properties of bile, so that it is released into the intestine in the right quantities. Additionally, hepatoprotectors are recommended, which protect cells from the toxic effects of bile acids.
• Antivirals . In chronic hepatitis of viral etiology, special treatment regimens are used with interferons, RNA polymerase inhibitors. Medicines reduce the viral load in the blood, inhibit the replication of the virus in the liver cells. They are combined with detoxification agents.