In an adult, stool characteristics are normally quite stable. However, this is individual, and the character of excrement may differ significantly from person to person, even under normal circumstances. Fecal matter is a metabolic waste product in the digestive system. Normal stools are brown and have a moderately soft consistency. If white feces appear, it is worth wondering why this happened.

What does the change in stool indicate?

Bile is synthesized in the liver cells, then it accumulates in the cavity of the gallbladder. With each meal, a portion of bile is released into the lumen of the duodenum, which processes fats. It also helps stimulate intestinal motility and the production of pancreatic juice and gastric mucus. Lack of necessary enzymes and bile leads to disruption of the normal properties of stool. Fecal matter acquires its normal color due to bilirubin. It enters the intestines as part of bile, undergoes a series of biochemical reactions and is excreted in feces, giving it a characteristic brown color. The color of stool in adults can change for various reasons. But, unfortunately, discolored feces most often signal pathological changes in the human body:

• inflammation or sclerosis of parenchymal liver tissue;
• inflammation of the gallbladder (usually acute);
• inflammation of pancreatic tissue;
• nonspecific lesions of the intestinal tract (Crohn's disease);
• malignant neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract.

A white coating on the tongue indirectly indicates a dysfunction of the digestive system, and this symptom cannot be ignored.

Conditions requiring attention

The leading cause of stool discoloration is acute lesions of the hepato-biliary system, namely hepatitis and cholecystitis.

With these diseases, it is important to notice the pathognomonic symptoms accompanying acholic feces:

• pain in the right hypochondrium;
• yellowness of the skin, sclera, and oral mucosa;
• nausea and vomiting;
• increased body temperature;
• darkening of urine color;
• loss of appetite, distortion of taste preferences.

Colorless stool in a person in combination with these symptoms indicates the need to immediately begin treatment.

Dark urine in combination with white stool should be especially alarming.

Feces with pancreatitis are slightly different, they have a yellowish tint, are shiny, and diarrhea is more common. After removal of the gallbladder, postcholecystectomy syndrome almost always occurs: stomach pain, severe nausea, bloating, heartburn, steatorrhea to diarrhea. White stool in an adult may indicate the development of diabetes mellitus with damage to the pancreas. It is important to promptly diagnose manifestations of intestinal infection. The progression of rotavirus infection will result in loose, white stools with a yellowish tint. In this condition, the stomach hurts, vomiting appears, the temperature rises, and general weakness increases. If you start taking smecta during this period, the stool will become even more discolored. The infectious etiology of white plaque on stool is the most dangerous for infecting others.

You should urgently ask your doctor why the stool has changed its properties and undergo a series of tests (biochemical blood test for lipase, amylase, trypsin, glucose, glucose tolerance test, determination of glycosylated hemoglobin, as well as bacteriological and biochemical analysis of stool, extended coprogram).

In case of hepatitis, it is important to know the liver parameters (ALT, AST, LDH, ALP, GGTP), as well as to conduct instrumental studies to determine the condition of the organ tissues. As a result, it will be clear what kind of disease caused stool disorders. Soon after the start of therapy, the symptoms disappear, the general condition returns to normal, which means a favorable course of the disease, and is a prerequisite for a speedy remission.

Physiologically light stool

The causes of white feces are varied, sometimes it can be a physiological process. For example, when consuming butter, sour cream, meat, lard and other foods high in animal fats. A large amount of plant foods in the diet leads to excess fiber. As a result of accelerated transport of fecal matter through the intestines, stools become light in color. Acholia of feces is very likely after alcohol. In these cases, clarified stool appears once, no symptoms accompany it. However, dietary violations can also provoke an exacerbation of the chronic course of the disease.

Discolored stool may appear after taking certain medications. Antibiotics, acetylsalicylic acid, taking smecta after poisoning, anti-inflammatory and antifungal drugs, treatment of gout, epilepsy, tuberculosis can provoke the appearance of white feces in an adult. X-ray examinations are often performed using white barium sulfate as a contrast agent. In this case, feces with a white coating also appear, or it becomes completely discolored. In such a situation, people should not be alarmed if white stool persists for several days. If white stool does not return to normal within 3–5 days, you should see a doctor.

If white plaque on the stool is the only symptom, then self-correction of nutrition is acceptable. In order for an adult to no longer have white feces, it is necessary to follow a diet: do not eat fats of animal origin, fried, smoked foods, foods that activate fermentation (dairy and bakery products, legumes, cabbage), exclude alcohol. Adding protein products to the diet, split meals, and a sufficient amount of still water can improve the digestive function of the gastrointestinal tract and eliminate acholic feces. If there is no positive effect, you will need the help of a specialist. If white stool appears due to medication or is accompanied by additional complaints, then you should immediately consult a therapist. It will be necessary to adjust or prescribe effective treatment, and, if necessary, resort to additional diagnostic techniques (laboratory and instrumental studies). And the feces will quickly return to their normal color.

To prevent exacerbation of alcoholic hepatitis and pancreatitis, you should strictly exclude alcohol from your life. The breakdown products of alcohols, except the gastric tract, affect absolutely all organs and systems. Quitting alcohol will help maintain your health for many years. It is important not to ignore recommendations for diagnostic procedures. Then diagnosis and treatment will be timely, and health will be able to fully recover. Treatment must be prescribed only by a doctor; taking medications at your own discretion is unacceptable.

An adult may develop light-colored stools for many reasons. The main ones are: errors in nutrition, taking certain medications, as well as the development of pathologies in the body.

To eliminate the unpleasant symptom, first of all, it is necessary to adjust the diet, eliminating fatty, spicy, salty and fried foods. If this does not help eliminate the lightening of the feces, then you need to visit a doctor.

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Causes

The color of a person's stool depends on the food consumed in the last few days.

In a healthy body, the color of feces varies from light brown to dark brown. The consistency of stool is dense, there are no foreign impurities or a specific odor.

If light-colored stool appears for the first time in an adult and/or the phenomenon is one-time in nature, then in most cases this is due to errors in nutrition.

Isolated situations where light-colored stools occur are most often not considered a serious symptom.



Physiological reasons

Lightening of the stool (acholic stool) does not always indicate the development of any pathological condition. In some cases, stool changes its color due to non-compliance with a healthy diet, for example:

• from monotonous food;
• from one-time consumption of fatty foods (lard, sour cream, butter, cream, desserts, chocolate);
• after drinking alcohol.

Light yellow stool may appear when eating large amounts of plant foods. This is considered the norm.

If the appearance of light-colored feces is not accompanied by additional symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, pain, then it is enough to reconsider your diet. In the event of physiological disruptions in connection with nutrition, when food intake is normalized, the alarming symptom in the form of light-colored feces should disappear.



Medicines that affect the color of feces

The color of stool may become light when using certain medications:

• antibiotics;
• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• medicines for gout.



Diseases

The manifestation of changes in stool color may be associated with the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and/or pancreas.



If the stool becomes light-colored as a result of exposure to any pathology on the body, then the following characteristic symptoms occur:

• increased body temperature;
• dark colored urine;
• nausea;
• vomit;
• flatulence;
• pain in the abdomen;
• general weakening of the body;
• yellowing of the eye sclera and skin;
• loss of appetite;
• weight loss;
• skin rashes;
• noticeable enlargement of the abdomen.

Hepatitis

Inflammatory liver disease that occurs as a result of toxic, alcoholic or infectious poisoning. Accompanied by aching pain in the right side, stomach upsets, and yellowing of the skin. Light-colored feces and dark urine are signs of an acute form of hepatitis. Without treatment, the disease eventually causes cirrhosis of the liver.

Cholecystitis

An inflammatory process in the gallbladder, accompanied by acute pain in the abdomen, lack of appetite, nausea and fever. In addition to lightening, cholecystitis causes loose stools with remnants of undigested food.

Pancreatitis

Inflammation of the pancreas, which develops as a result of poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, infectious diseases of the organs, and taking medications. The acute form of the disease is accompanied by diarrhea, cutting pain in the abdomen and vomiting.

Crohn's disease

Chronic pathology of the digestive system caused by allergic reactions, psychosomatic and/or infectious diseases. Simultaneously with acholic stool, vomiting, increased body temperature, and blood in the feces appear. The feces become yellowish-gray or have gray patches, accompanied by a strong unpleasant odor.



Intestinal infection

The bowel movements are accompanied by white or yellowish mucus. Characterized by fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Kidney stones

This phenomenon can provoke compression of the bile ducts, which leads to disruption of the release of bilirubin and lightening of the stool.

Fermentative dyspepsia

A disease in which plant fibers entering the stomach are not digested, since the processes of normal functioning of the organ are disrupted. This disease causes light-colored and light-yellow stool.

Diabetes

If you experience weakness, frequent urination, dry mouth, itching of the genitals, nausea and vomiting, the development of diabetes should be excluded.

Dysbacteriosis

A large number of harmful bacteria in the intestines leads to malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract, which causes a change in the color of feces. Diseases that cause narrowing of the bile ducts and/or malfunction of the liver (cholangitis, biliary dyskinesia, kinking of the gallbladder, and others). With such pathologies, the production of bilirubin, a bile pigment - a product of hemoglobin catabolism, is disrupted. Such failures are indicated by the appearance of beige-colored stool.

Feces are an indicator of the normal functioning of the digestive and excretory systems. In scientific language it is often called the result of defecation or emptying the rectum. Viscous, homogeneous yellow feces in a child and an adult are an indicator of the healthy state of the 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. It is possible that inflammatory processes are occurring in the body. Very light-colored stool may also indicate the initial stage of a serious illness.

Anyone can submit a stool test to the laboratory. But deciphering the meaning of the analysis is not an easy task. But any experienced doctor can help with this. Let's see what the patient's stool norm looks like through the eyes of a specialist:

1. Quantity per day. For an adult – 100–250 grams, for small children – from 30–50 grams.
2. Consistency. In adults - formed discharge, in children - viscous, mushy.
3. Weight, contents. It must be free of impurities, bloody discharge, and mucus.
4. Smell. Fecal, not sharp. In children, the odor is sour; in bottle-fed infants, it is putrid.
5. The color is brown in adults; in children, not too light yellow or yellow stool is allowed. Discolored feces indicate problems with the body.
6. The enzyme responsible for turning stool brown is stercobilin. It is formed on the basis of bilirubin, which is produced in the liver.
7. pH level indicator. In children - 4.8. In adults – more than 7.
8. Ammonia. It appears only in older children and adults.
9. Neutral fat, fatty acids and muscle fibers are present only in the feces of babies.
10. Leukocytes are single.

If you change one of the parameters, you should consult a doctor. Perhaps the cause of stool discoloration, dark or other uncharacteristic shade, is food, medications, poor lifestyle or illness:

1. Black. Indicates bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract, consumption of berries - currants, blueberries, taking drugs Bisal, Vikalin, Activated carbon.
2. Red. It is observed with ulcerative lesions and lesions of the duodenum, after eating beets and tomato juice.
3. Dark brown. Signs: constipation, colitis. Increased consumption of protein foods.

Let's look at some more features of the color change in the product of defecation. 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 a person’s discharge and what should you pay attention to if light-colored feces appear periodically? There are several shades that need to be remembered.

What happens in the body and why unusual white stool appears. If symptoms such as weakness, nausea, bloating, light-colored stool and dark urine appear, an accurate diagnosis of the health condition is needed. 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, the stool is light;
• pancreatitis. Serious inflammation of the pancreas, in which enzymes and toxins enter the bloodstream and affect organs;
• cholecystitis. Impaired bile outflow and formation of cholelithiasis;
• oncological neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract.

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

• taking medications;
• 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. Reasons:

1. Teething.
2. Breast milk.
3. Feeding with artificial formulas.
4. A large amount of sweets in the diet.

In young children, the color of stool may change depending on the food: red from beets, orange from carrots. If a nursing mother has eaten a lot of meat, the color of her bowel movements may also change.

Greenish stool

Why might light green stool appear? What is the reason for this and should I 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-colored bowel movements in an adult are signs of:

1. Dysentery. An infection that occurs due to damage to the intestines by bacteria. Signs: rumbling in the stomach, migraines, stool with blood, mucus and pus.
2. Dysbacteriosis. Disturbance of the natural intestinal microflora. Characterized by bloating and diarrhea.
3. Internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, ulcerative lesions.
4. Salmonellosis. A disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella. Symptoms: nausea, loose stools, fever, rash.
5. Diabetes. Metabolic disorders, damage to blood vessels and tissues.
6. Food poisoning.
7. Problems with the thyroid gland.
8. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics.

These disorders can provoke accompanying symptoms such as fever, weakness, severe acute pain in the stomach, and decreased hemoglobin. Arrhythmia, pale skin color, and rapid breathing often occur.

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 tests are prescribed, which are also associated with a complete study of stool:

• • biochemical blood test. Search for discrepancies in the number of leukocytes and hemoglobin;
  • coagulogram. Study of blood clotting rate;
  • coprogram. Examination for hidden blood, mucus and pus in bowel movements;
  • 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 discoloration of stool.

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 the supervision of a specialist. Taking medications and restorative therapy are mandatory.

A change in the usual brown shades of stool to lighter ones makes us think about digestive disorders. Why did the stool become lighter? Is yellow stool serious or not? Let's talk about this in more detail.

What determines the color of stool?

The color of stool is largely due to the presence of bilirubin, which is part of bile. It is released in the liver during the destruction of red blood cells, from where it enters the duodenum in the form of bile. The bolus of food moves through the small intestine, where food is absorbed. In the colon, water is absorbed, bilirubin is oxidized to stercobillin (it is what causes the darkening of stool), and formed stool is obtained from food debris, digestive enzymes and fragments.

By the color of stool you can judge what exactly a person ate and how well the digestion process went. The appearance of yellow stool in an adult is possible in the following cases:

• eating certain foods;
• taking certain medications;
• violation of the motor and excretory functions of the intestine;
• metabolic disorder;
• after alcohol;
• diseases of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas.

Color variations in adults also vary, depending on the specific cause - from white-yellow shades to rich golden or bright orange.

Yellow stool without complaints

If you notice lightening of the feces without any deterioration in your health, remember what exactly you ate 1–2 days ago. Eating a variety of foods requires long-term processing, and dark brown feces are released.

If your diet is characterized by a predominance of products of plant or dairy origin, this is always reflected in the color of the stool. The main foods that can turn stool yellow are:

• orange, carrots, melon, dried apricots, yellow apples, persimmons, pear (feces become orange);
• dairy products in large quantities (light brown feces);
• peas;
• bakery products for gluten intolerance (celiac disease).

If you have not had an addiction to such foods in recent days, then perhaps the yellow color of your stool is due to some medications. Yellowing of stool, as a side effect, is observed when taking antibiotics, anti-tuberculosis drugs, laxatives (Magnesium Sulfite, Senade), birth control pills, anti-gout drugs (Allopurinol), anti-inflammatory drugs, Fortrans.

The appearance of yellow stool in an adult is associated with the rapid passage of food (stressful situations, neuroses, depression) or a large amount of feces passing through the intestines per day.

In this case, a relative deficiency of the coloring pigment bilirubin occurs and yellow feces are released, sometimes with a greenish tint.

Fortrans is prescribed before the colonoscopy procedure. Yellow color of stool is normal. This drug has an enema effect when taken orally with large amounts of liquid. Gradually, the stool becomes lighter, and at the end yellow water is released.

Digestive difficulties: causes and treatment

If, along with the appearance of yellow stool, you have a stomach ache, or have complaints such as flatulence (boiling in the intestines), diarrhea or difficulty defecating, poor appetite, bitterness in the mouth, then this means the presence of serious disorders. It is especially dangerous if the pain is paroxysmal. Often these symptoms occur after eating fatty foods and alcohol.

A number of possible reasons for such complaints:

• hepatitis of any origin;
• fermentative dyspepsia;
• gallbladder diseases;
• compression of the bile duct,
• biliary dyskinesia;
• pancreas pathology;
• chronic constipation;
• metabolic diseases.

The liver is considered the laboratory of our body. It not only synthesizes various necessary substances, but also neutralizes toxic wastes and substances (for example, alcohol).

When it is damaged or overloaded, one or several functions may suffer.

Problems with the liver disrupt the processing of bilirubin, and it enters the intestines unprocessed. Such bilirubin is a bad dye, so light yellow, loose feces can often be released after alcohol.

Poorly digested - a common occurrence in people who eat very fatty meat products (usually men) or starchy carbohydrate foods (usually women). This disorder is called dyspepsia. Putrefactive dyspepsia is a “failure” in the breakdown of proteins. Carbohydrates that have not undergone the necessary enzymatic treatment cause fermentative dyspepsia. Fermented or rotten substances are absorbed in the intestines and have a toxic effect on the entire body. The cause of this disorder may be related to any digestive organ.

Lack of digestive enzymes

Colorless or yellow-white feces are observed when the process of bile entering the intestines is disrupted. Moreover, the more serious the problem, the lighter the stool. Obstructions can be all the way from the gallbladder to the duodenum. Impaired bile expulsion occurs in the following cases:

• dyskinesia of the gallbladder (too strong or, conversely, weak contraction);
• constipation (creates tension in the intestinal wall, making it difficult to secrete bile);
• cholecystitis;
• condition after removal of the gallbladder (cholecysteectomy);
• stones in the gallbladder or its ducts;
• compression of the bile duct by the enlarged head of the pancreas (tumor, edema, inflammation) lying next door.

A characteristic combination of these disorders is light yellow stool and dark urine. This means that bilirubin, instead of entering the intestines, is absorbed into the blood and excreted in the urine.

After removal of the gallbladder, the control of bile flow is impaired, so some portions of stool may be lighter than others. With cholecystitis, as well as cholelithiasis, in addition to the discharge of yellow-white feces, sharp pain is observed under the ribs on the right side after alcohol or fatty foods.

When consuming a large amount of fats or their breakdown is impaired (decreased activity of the pancreas), we observe loose yellow feces with the presence of a gray coating. This type of fatty, oily stool is called steatorrhea. Undigested fat in the intestines envelops the food bolus and prevents enzymes from breaking down proteins and carbohydrates. Therefore, with steatorrhea, creatorrhea often occurs - insufficient digestion of muscle fibers. Feces with pancreatitis have a characteristic shade of gray-green color and are almost not washed off.

Unhealthy gut?

Among the intestinal causes that lead to changes in the color of stool in an adult, Crohn's disease stands out. This is an autoimmune disease in which ulcers form in the intestinal mucosa. Crohn's disease is characterized by yellow-gray mushy stool, often foul-smelling with white flecks. If you see balls or lumps in white stool, and the stool is formed, then the reasons for such inclusions may also be:

• inflammation of the colon (mucus with white inclusions);
• antibiotics;
• candidiasis (veins of fungal colonies resemble a whitish coating);
• dead pinworms.

Pasty stool in adults is observed with intestinal infections of viral origin. The most common causative agent of this infection is rotavirus. You can “catch” it by consuming dairy products or by contact with a sick person. Rotavirus also causes acute respiratory infections, so you can get sick by getting infected by sneezing. The disease begins as a regular flu, and then the same symptoms occur as with gastritis or enteritis. This is seething in the stomach, with pain of unclear location and varying intensity, belching. In addition, high fever occurs, and most importantly, vomiting and diarrhea.

What to do?

If the stool turns yellow due to a specific food or medication, then there is no need to worry. After stopping the course of treatment or after adding variety to your menu, the stool will return to its previous color.

If you constantly pass yellow feces after drinking alcohol, do not wait, be sure to consult your doctor.

In case of serious liver damage, the hepatoprotector Ursofalk is prescribed, which restores liver functions, dilutes bile, and improves the secretion of pancreatic enzymes. However, there is one thing. If the cause of the yellowish stool itself is not eliminated, then after discontinuation of the drug, yellow stool can be detected again.

If the cause of an intestinal infection is rotavirus, then there will be no benefit from antibiotics, so do not rush to use them. To find out whether rotavirus is specifically the cause of your illness, it is not necessary to go to the laboratory. You can perform a rapid test for rotavirus antigens at home.

But a symptom like this requires the attention of a specialist. Impaired bile flow cannot be treated at home. It is imperative to do a stool test (coprogram) and a urine test. After cholecystectomy, it is necessary to gradually train the body to a certain diet prescribed by the doctor.

People who pay attention to the color of their stool notice any changes in its color. Quite often, light-colored stool appears, which indicates various digestive problems.

Light-colored stools can have different shades:

• Green. The stool becomes light green in color if a person often eats food containing dyes or takes medications with biological additives. Light green stool can also be a symptom of certain diseases, such as: enterocolitis - inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain; - the intestinal microflora is disrupted, which leads to the appearance of loose greenish stools; gastrointestinal infections - general weakness and nausea appear, light green stool contains pus and blood impurities
• Beige. Light beige stool indicates narrowing of the bile ducts and impaired production of
• Brown. Light-colored stools with a brown tint appear after eating plant foods. To normalize the functioning of the digestive tract, it is enough to add proteins containing protein to the diet.

Reasons for appearance

Light-colored stool appears as a result of changes in the body that affect the flow of bile into the intestines. Bile contains bilirubin, which is responsible for the color of excrement.