Various dyes can be released with stool, coloring it completely or slightly changing its shade. Even natural dyes can have a constructive effect on the color of feces. For example, beets give a pronounced beetroot or even red tint. It is enough to eat a couple of tablespoons of boiled or steamed beets to notice radical changes. Blood or blood sausage can darken stool to a dark red or even red-black color. Therefore, if the color of the stool has changed, it is important to remember the entire diet over the last 2 days.
A sharp increase in the consumption of dairy products causes a significant lightening of stool.
Yogurt and kefir help digest food, but milk and cottage cheese in large quantities may not have time to be digested without adding acidity. In this case, the result is often light yellow stool. If you temporarily exclude dairy products from your diet, you will notice changes and the color of your feces should be restored.
Diagnostics
To assess the condition of the digestive organs and identify the reasons why mucus comes out along with feces, an examination is prescribed. Depending on the history and characteristics of the clinical picture, it may include:
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
- video colonoscopy;
- FGDS;
- stool tests for mucus and occult blood;
- fecal tests for helminthiasis;
- blood tests (clinical, biochemical, coagulation factor, etc.).
The totality of the results obtained allows us to determine the cause of mucus in the stool and formulate a treatment package.
The First Family Clinic uses modern professional equipment for diagnostics, which ensures high accuracy and information content of all data obtained.
Causes
Depending on the mechanism of development, diarrhea is divided into:
- to osmotic (in the intestinal lumen the content of electrolytes increases and water rushes along the concentration gradient). Develops after taking laxatives or antacids containing magnesium, consuming xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, certain medications, as well as enzyme deficiency. Stool normalizes after two to three days of fasting;
- secretory (the secretory function of intestinal epithelial cells increases significantly). Non-infectious develops due to the use of laxatives or certain medications, intoxication, and also as a result of the production of secretion stimulants by a hormone-producing tumor. Infectious secretory diarrhea develops when the mucous membrane is exposed to infectious agents (Vibrio cholera, E. Coli, Helicobacter jejuni, Yersinia enterocolitica, Clostridium difficile, Staphylococcus aureus);
- exudative (as a result of damage to the intestinal epithelium, water, electrolytes, proteins, as well as erythrocytes and leukocytes leak into the lumen from the blood and lymphatic vessels). Develops due to exposure to pathogenic bacteria (Shigella, Salmonella, Yersinia, Escherichia, Aeromonas), viruses and protozoa. Non-infectious diarrhea occurs with nonspecific ulcerative colitis. With this mechanism, blood is noticeable in the stool;
- diarrhea that occurs against the background of impaired intestinal motility (develops due to a weakening or strengthening of intestinal motor activity, which leads to accelerated passage of intestinal contents).
The color of stool depends on the food prevailing in the diet. If a person eats a lot of meat, the feces become black-brown; plant foods give a light brown tint. A dairy diet results in light yellow stool. With increased fermentation of carbohydrates, feces have a greenish-yellow color. Based on the color of the stool, its consistency and the presence of foreign impurities, one can make an assumption about the cause of the symptom.
So, if the inflammatory process is more pronounced in the small intestine, then the discharge is abundant and watery, may be foamy and interspersed with undigested food particles. If the large intestine suffers more, then there is a frequent urge to defecate (sometimes false), and the stool is not abundant, but with mucus. If the functions of the pancreas are impaired, the stool is fatty (steatorrhea), and if the liver is damaged, the stool is white.
Yellow diarrhea in an adult appears due to a lack of bile enzyme or as a result of accelerated passage of feces
Treatment of mucus in stool
Treatment is determined individually; in each individual case, the data obtained during diagnosis is important. Depending on the reasons why stool comes out with mucus or why blood and mucus are observed in the stool during bowel movements, treatment tactics may vary significantly.
Thus, in the treatment of infectious lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, in which blood mucus appears in the stool, the main goal is to suppress the activity of pathogenic microorganisms and restore the intestinal microflora. If the stool with mucus is dark or light, this is probably the result of a tumor disease of the intestine, during the treatment of which a proctologist, oncologist or other specialist in the relevant field is involved. Inflammatory processes in the intestines, which are indicated by an increased level of leukocytes and other examination data, require, in addition to drug treatment, adherence to a special diet, which is discussed with the patient separately.
Yellow feces: reasons
Changed color of stool may indicate problems in the body
Several reasons why feces turn yellow:
- binge eating;
- a large amount of milk in the diet;
- liver dysfunction;
- insufficient bile production;
- poor pancreas function;
- too much fat in the diet.
Yellow feces usually appear in cases of incomplete digestion of food. Consuming huge amounts of food adversely affects processing. Most of it comes out undigested, so it has an uncolored color.
With a slight disorder, you can even notice a greenish tint. But bright yellow feces, like egg yolk, for example, are almost never found.
An exception is Gilbert's syndrome. In this case, the feces may even take on an orange color. But this is not scary, because the syndrome is congenital, such a range of shades is accompanied throughout life, starting from birth. Doctors can monitor increased bilirubin production to avoid ongoing problems.
Liquid yellow stool
When diarrhea begins and the color of the stool is very light, it is important to pay attention to other symptoms as well. The usual frustration will soon pass. But if it does not stop within 6-12 hours, you need to consult a doctor.
You also need to monitor the consistency of the stool; its transformation into liquid indicates a sharp change in the intestinal microflora. If foaming follows, then the disorder is due to bacteria.
It is important to drink a lot of liquid at this time, but not dairy products, but strong sweet tea or warm water. If vomiting begins, you cannot restrain it, but rather stimulate it. And then continue to drink liquid.
Treatment results for mucus in stool
- Normalization of stool.
- Restoring normal digestion and absorption of nutrients.
- Elimination of the negative consequences of intestinal dysfunction (anemia, deficiency of nutrients and bioactive substances, abdominal pain, etc.).
- Prevention of relapse of the identified disease.
To make an appointment with the specialists of the First Family Clinic, contact us by phone or online to choose a date and time convenient for you to visit the doctor. Gastroenterologists of our clinic provide consultations in multidisciplinary centers in St. Petersburg, at the following addresses: Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, 16 (Gorkovskaya metro station, Petrogradskaya metro station, Petrogradsky district), Kolomyazhsky 36/2 (Pionerskaya metro station, Udelnaya metro station, Primorsky district), Bela Kuna, 1 building 2 (metro station Mezhdunarodnaya, Frunzensky district).
Accompanying illnesses
With diseases of the digestive tract, the processes of fermentation and decay intensify in the intestines, therefore the color and smell of feces change. A sour smell appears if there is increased fermentation in the intestines. With pathology of the digestive system, regardless of the food consumed, the stool changes color and can become green, yellow, bright yellow or black.
Activated charcoal for diarrhea in adults
Green diarrhea indicates the development of an intestinal infection (dysentery, salmonellosis, dysbacteriosis), liver dysfunction and blood diseases.
Black stool appears due to bleeding in the upper digestive tract, and may also be a result of taking medications containing iron, bismuth, activated charcoal, and multivitamins (the condition does not worsen).
And if black or green feces with diarrhea can scare, then yellow feces are often considered sick variants of the norm and they are in no hurry to see a doctor. In most cases, yellow stool in adults appears due to serious illnesses that require medical intervention. Yellow color of stool during diarrhea occurs under the following conditions.
For infectious enteritis (escherichiosis)
The disease manifests itself as nausea, vomiting, pain and gurgling in the abdomen, diarrhea, headache, and fever. Stools up to 10–15 times a day, watery, profuse. With prolonged diarrhea, dehydration develops.
Salmonellosis
When the disease occurs, the body temperature rises, symptoms of intoxication appear, the patient is bothered by spasmodic pain in the upper abdomen or umbilical region, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The stool is watery, foamy, foul-smelling, dark yellow in color, sometimes with a greenish tint. If the bacterium is also in the large intestine, then by day 2–3 of illness the volume of bowel movements decreases, and blood and mucus are noticeable in the stool.
Rotavirus infection or intestinal flu
It is considered a disease of dirty hands because the infection enters the body through unwashed hands or food. When the disease occurs, body temperature rises, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, flatulence, and rumbling appear. The stool is copious, watery-foamy, often yellow-green or bright yellow, and then becomes gray-yellow, with a pungent odor, usually without noticeable impurities, but sometimes with mucus.
In case of infectious diseases, defecation can be up to 20 times a day, diarrhea persists from 3 to 7 days
Dysentery
Acute infection causes an increase in temperature to febrile levels, symptoms of poisoning, cutting pain in the right iliac region or lower abdomen, sometimes nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea can occur up to 10 times a day, the discharge quickly becomes scanty, blood, pus, and mucus are noticeable in it. The urge to defecate is very painful, sometimes false.
Ulcerative colitis
The stool becomes light yellow and may contain pus and blood. Abdominal pain is severe, cramping, and its localization depends on the location of the intestinal lesion (lower abdomen, left iliac region).
Pancreatic diseases
With pathology, the stool is mushy, yellowish in color with a greasy sheen, since it contains a large amount of undigested fats. With this pathology, patients suffer from belching, constant nausea, vomiting after eating, and girdle pain in the abdomen.
Liver pathologies
When the gland is inflamed, the stool takes on a shade from light yellow to gray, since bilirubin, which gives the stool a light brown color, does not disintegrate and is not excreted from the body, but continues to circulate through the bloodstream, causing itching, rashes, yellowing of the skin and sclera.
Changes in hormonal levels
Liquid yellowish feces in an adult may appear when hormone levels change (during pregnancy, menopause). It often appears in diabetes and thyroid diseases.
Long-term drug therapy
Antibiotics can cause changes in the consistency and color of stool. Medicines affect the composition of the intestinal microflora, which leads to dysbiosis. Most often, loose yellow stools appear due to an inflammatory process in the intestines, dysbiosis or pancreatitis (a violation of the liver and pancreas is indicated by a yellow coating on the tongue).
But the color of stool also depends on the foods consumed; for example, yellow diarrhea in an adult is observed if a person is on a strict dairy diet or eats only carbohydrate foods. When a symptom appears, you need to pay attention to your general health and if it is satisfactory (no abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting), then you should change your diet and adhere to a rational diet.
No drug treatment is required if diarrhea occurs after overeating, stress or climate change
Important! If inclusions are visible in the stool (food particles, blood, mucus, pus), there are symptoms of intoxication, or yellow water comes out during bowel movements, then you should urgently seek medical help.
How to identify hologenic diarrhea?
Treatment of the disease depends on the symptoms of biliary diarrhea. Severe disturbances in the functioning of the gallbladder are indicated by:
- yellow or green liquid stool;
- stabbing pain in the right hypochondrium;
- pain during defecation;
- nausea, weight loss;
- heat.
If symptoms persist for several days, you should immediately consult a specialist. Otherwise, the disease threatens severe dehydration!
With dysbacteriosis, pathogenic microorganisms affect the function of the gallbladder, which leads to secretion entering the intestines. In this case, the patient’s condition is accompanied by bloating, bad breath and a general deterioration in health against the background of a weakened immune system.
