An adult may have green stool for various reasons. Often, stool changes color under the influence of various diseases or dysfunctions of internal organs and systems. But often feces change their color and consistency due to improper diet. To establish the exact cause of the pathological condition, it is necessary to conduct a diagnostic examination.

The composition of feces includes dying cells of the intestinal mucosa, various bacteria, remains of bile, liquid and undigested food. During the process of defecation, feces leave the human body, thereby ridding it of waste. As noted earlier, the color and consistency of stool may change depending on various factors and indicate the presence of serious pathologies.

The following factors may influence an increase in the amount of feces:

• frequent constipation;
• development of cholecystitis or chronic pancreatitis;
• inflammation of the intestines, which is often accompanied by disruption of digestive processes;
• an anatomical feature of the intestine, due to which the food mass moves through it too quickly;
• excessive amounts of fiber in the daily diet.

The density of stool and the degree of thickness may also vary depending on several factors:

• with intestinal spasms or constipation, feces are usually hard;
• liver dysfunction is often accompanied by the appearance of clayey stools;
• increased intestinal peristalsis leads to the appearance of mushy stools. This symptom also manifests itself with increased intestinal secretion;
• disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas are often accompanied by ointment-like feces;
• loose stools usually indicate diarrhea or poor absorption in the small intestine;
• excrement may also have a foamy consistency, which experts often associate with the development of fermentation processes in the intestinal cavity.

Note! The stool has an unpleasant odor caused by pathological processes in the body. If the functioning of the intestines is somehow disrupted, then under the influence of pathogenic microorganisms, insufficiently digested food rots or begins to ferment, which is accompanied by the release of hydrogen sulfide.

In the absence of health problems, feces are brown. This is due to the presence of breakdown products of hemoglobin and bilins (as bile pigments are called in medicine). Shades of brown may change when certain foods are consumed, but such color changes do not always indicate serious illness. Minor deviations are not a cause for concern, but if the feces turn green, then a doctor's help is required.

The main reasons for changes in stool color

If a person notices that his stool has an unusual green tint, especially if the stool contains mucus, then it is necessary to conduct an examination, since this phenomenon often occurs with gastrointestinal disorders. All causal factors can be divided into physiological and pathological. The first ones are more related to the patient’s life activity, and the pathological ones are more related to the course of concomitant diseases, one of the symptoms of which is a change in color. Let's look at each group separately.

Physiological factors

In such cases, the change in color of stool is influenced by certain foods that were previously eaten. Despite the fact that such changes do not threaten health, every person should still know which foods can provoke such deviations. Foods containing food colorings (such as iron) may cause green stools.

Green stool may also appear after taking certain medications and dietary supplements (dietary supplements). The most common ones include:

• pharmaceutical preparations containing seaweed;
• vitamin complexes;
• sorbitol and glucose;
• drugs containing iodine;
• various herbal preparations, for example, laxative teas.

In such cases, there is no need to fear for your health, since the use of the above medications does not lead to a worsening of the condition.

Pathological factors

Often the appearance of green feces in adults is associated with the development of certain diseases. If, along with green stool, a person’s body temperature rises, pain in the abdominal area or diarrhea occurs, you should immediately seek help from a doctor. Only a qualified gastroenterologist, having carried out the necessary procedures, will be able to make an accurate diagnosis. Below are the main pathologies that may be accompanied by green stool.

Table. List of diseases that cause changes in stool color.

On a note! If a change in the color of stool occurs quite often, but medications or food have nothing to do with it, then you need to urgently seek help from a specialist. The doctor will conduct all the necessary studies and make an accurate diagnosis. If the cause is a disease, the patient will be prescribed an appropriate therapeutic course.

When to see a doctor

If you are faced with a phenomenon such as a change in the color of stool, then you should consult a doctor in any case, even if there are no other symptoms. Sometimes it is better to be extra careful than to ignore a possible disease. Urgent medical attention is required in cases where green stools smell rotten or contain blood. As noted earlier, the stool of a healthy person should not be smelly. In such cases, the doctor will conduct a laboratory analysis of stool, thanks to which he will be able to study in detail all the components of the patient’s stool. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe additional diagnostic procedures.

If symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and, of course, green stool appear, you should immediately go to the clinic, since various pathogenic microorganisms, including salmonella, can cause such symptoms.

If the appearance of green stool is combined with other alarming symptoms, consult a doctor immediately

Diagnostic features

When green stool appears, the doctor usually prescribes the following diagnostic procedures:

As an addition, the doctor may prescribe other laboratory tests, including blood and urine tests. Based on the results obtained, an accurate diagnosis is made.

How to treat

The course of therapy will directly depend on the causative factor that provoked the appearance of green stool, and the treatment regimen should be selected on an individual basis. For example, if food products have affected the change in the color of stool, then the patient needs to reconsider his diet and, if necessary, limit or completely eliminate certain foods from it. These foods include red meat, cereals, cucumbers, and greens. It is recommended to avoid products containing food dyes. To cleanse the body of harmful substances, doctors prescribe Regidron, Smecta, Atoxil and other drugs.

If the cause of the change in stool color is infectious diseases, then self-medication is strictly not recommended. After determining the severity of the pathology, the doctor prescribes antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs. Often, a change in stool color is accompanied by severe diarrhea, which increases the likelihood of dehydration (along with feces, beneficial salts and minerals are washed out of the body, which significantly worsens the patient’s condition). To restore losses, experts recommend drinking a lot of liquid with added sugar and salt (for 1 liter of water - 1 teaspoon of salt and sugar).

Also, the appearance of green stool may be accompanied by bouts of vomiting, which indicates food poisoning in the body. In this case, it is necessary to rinse the stomach, freeing it of food. To rinse, the patient must drink a large amount of warm boiled water. It is necessary to drink until the urge to vomit appears (to speed up the cleansing of the stomach, you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate).

Video - Causes of green stool in adults

Every second complex biochemical processes occur in the human gastrointestinal tract. They are responsible for the process of digesting food and the normal functioning of the body. Liquid green stool in an adult can occur due to a significant increase in bilirubin in the stool. This may also be a warning sign of secretory diarrhea, in which a person's gallbladder does not contract properly.

Feces are the end product of food processing; normally they should have a soft, uniform consistency and brown color. Depending on the food consumed, the color and consistency may vary slightly, and this, as a rule, does not affect a person’s well-being. An exception is the consequences of diseases that affect the composition and type of feces.

Causes of the problem

Liquid green stool is a rather unpleasant phenomenon that frightens a person and makes him think about the presence of health problems. In some cases, such a change in the color of stool occurs due to eating poor-quality food or taking any medications.

At the first manifestations of loose stools that have a specific color, you should carefully observe the body:

1. Remember the foods you ate during the last 24 hours to rule out the possibility of food poisoning.
2. Make a list of medications used.
3. To measure the temperature.
4. Determine the presence and location of pain.

In some cases, loose green stool in an adult does not pose any danger to the body, and after taking antidiarrheals it disappears on its own. This phenomenon does not require complex therapy.

It is important to know: if diarrhea in an adult does not stop for several days and is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, you should immediately go to the hospital. This may be an alarming signal of a serious illness, which only complex therapy will help to cope with.

It is worth noting that stool with diarrhea in an adult can be different shades of green. This can be caused by a number of reasons:

1. There is no complete breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates, and the patient’s stool becomes greenish-yellow in color.
2. Green diarrhea can occur in an adult who prefers vegetarian food. The feces are like this due to the fact that a person consumes a lot of greens, and there is a significant increase in bilirubin in the feces.
3. Dark green diarrhea often occurs due to the use of medications containing iron.

In some cases, diarrhea may indicate the presence of serious diseases in the human body, such as dysbiosis, enteritis, blood pathologies, bleeding in any part of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dysbacteriosis

This disease is a disorder of the intestinal microflora. Pathology quite often appears due to the use of antibiotics, non-compliance with diet, and fasting. A patient with this diagnosis quite often experiences the need to have a bowel movement (3–15 times a day).

With this disease, the patient often experiences belching and a feeling of bloating. A feeling of constant fatigue is also characteristic of this condition.

Therapy should be aimed at restoring the balance of intestinal microflora. It is worth noting that an advanced form of dysbacteriosis is characterized by the appearance of diarrhea, the color of which becomes gray-green and has a specific putrefactive odor.

Enteritis

This pathology is an inflammation of the small intestine, which is closely related to gastritis and colitis. The manifestation of enteritis can be triggered by the penetration of infection into the body, as well as food poisoning and intoxication.

Among the main symptoms of this disease are diarrhea and fever, nausea, vomiting, and a constant feeling of fatigue. Convulsions may occur. It should be borne in mind that this pathology is dangerous; it is mandatory to undergo an examination and a course of drug therapy. In advanced cases, hospitalization is indicated.

Bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract

In the presence of bleeding that opens against the background of ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract or as a result of an oncological process, green loose stools may also appear. The process of staining stool is caused by a lack of iron oxidation in the patient’s blood. Against this background, chronic diarrhea often occurs, which is accompanied by pallor of the skin, weakness and exhaustion.

The disease causes accelerated death of red blood cells and excess hemoglobin. This pathology requires a thorough examination of the patient and his hospitalization.

Treatment in most cases is based on the use of antibiotics, as well as drugs that protect the liver and gallbladder. After getting rid of the underlying disease, the color and consistency of stool are restored on their own.

Treatment

What to do if you experience diarrhea that has a specific green color? It should be noted that if this phenomenon does not disappear for a long time, and other symptoms intensify, there is a need to seek medical help. Because a problem in the form of loose stools that are green in color can be a clear sign of serious problems in the body.

If diarrhea does not cause any particular concern and does not provoke unpleasant symptoms, the first thing the patient should do is start following a drinking regime. During the process of diarrhea, water and a huge amount of microelements necessary for the normal functioning of the human body are lost. It is recommended to use not ordinary water, but a special solution that can be purchased at a pharmacy.

It is impossible to get rid of diarrhea without following a special diet. The patient in the acute period is advised to completely abstain from food. The next day, you can introduce rice water, rice porridge without meat, and unsweetened crackers into your diet. Gradually supplement the diet with boiled vegetables and meat. Such methods do not always help to get rid of diarrhea; drug therapy is often required, the use of sorbents, enzymes and probiotics is prescribed.

In a healthy person, the stool has a brown tint, but green stool in an adult is not always a sign of a serious illness. The fact is that the brown color of feces is given by the substance stercobilin, which is formed as a result of pigment metabolism. But this process itself is influenced by both medications and food taken. And often after giving up certain foods or pills, everything returns to normal.

When should color changes not be a concern?

If color changes are one-time in nature, then they are due to the characteristics of the diet. People who prefer meat to vegetables may have dark brown stools. Those who eat more plant foods may have lighter-colored feces, often with a yellowish tint. This also applies to dairy products if there are a lot of them in the diet. Blueberries and blackcurrants give stool a black-brown color, while beets and raspberries can turn stool reddish-burgundy. Stool with a greenish tint appears after excessive consumption of sorrel and spinach. If you exclude them from the diet for some time, then everything will return to normal.

The abundance of grains in the diet also gives a green tint to the stool. The fact is that most cereals have a double protective shell. To break it down, the body needs to produce more bile. And as a result of this, the color of the stool changes. A green tint can appear when a person’s diet contains a lot of red meat or legumes. Then the stool takes on a black-green hue due to the large amount of iron contained in the listed products. Sometimes a green tint to stool indicates that a person eats a lot of sweets like jelly or marmalade, for which food dyes of the appropriate color are used.

In all these cases, changes in the color of the stool occur without diarrhea. After giving up the listed products, the color will normalize, but it still takes 3-5 days for this to happen; this does not happen right away.

A greenish-black color of feces is also observed after taking certain medications, mainly those containing iron. Interestingly, after studies for which the patient takes a radiocontrast agent, the stool becomes grayish. Moreover, this situation continues for several days, and then everything goes away without human intervention. But if such studies have not been carried out, and the stool has a gray-white tint, this is already an alarming sign, since it may indicate blockage of the bile ducts and impaired liver function.

Green stool is a sign of disease

Changes in stool color can also occur due to the development of certain gastrointestinal diseases.

It can be:

1. 1. Dysbacteriosis. Although this is not so much a disease as a condition associated with a lack of beneficial microorganisms in the intestines. With it, processes of rotting and fermentation of undigested residues occur in the gastrointestinal tract, since there are no bacteria that would participate in the digestion process.
2. 2. Dysentery. An intestinal infection, which also causes other symptoms - pain in the abdomen, attacks of vomiting and nausea, high fever, weakness.
3. 3. Malignant tumors of the intestinal gastrointestinal tract and complications of peptic ulcer. In such cases, the stool becomes green due to the fact that iron, which is part of the red blood cells, is oxidized.
4. 4. Salmonellosis, which belongs to the group of infectious intestinal diseases. It develops due to eating contaminated dairy products, meat, eggs and even some vegetables that have not been cooked. This disease is characterized by high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea. Loose stools can lead to diarrhea over a short period of time.
5. 5. Diseases of the circulatory system. The change in stool color in this case is due to the fact that due to the breakdown of red blood cells, the body converts hemoglobin into bilirubin in increased quantities. When this compound enters the intestines, it gives the stool its corresponding color.

Six-month-old children also have green stools, since bilirubin enters the intestines of a baby of this age in an unchanged state. If there is no abdominal pain, fever or other alarming symptoms, this situation does not require treatment, since the problem will resolve on its own. But in adults, such a situation should be a reason to consult a doctor.

In addition to those listed, there are other diseases, the symptom of which is green stool.

This:

1. 1. Food poisoning and allergic reactions, due to which bile moves through the intestines very quickly and does not have time to change its color. As a result, the stool turns green.
2. 2. Celiac disease, that is, intolerance to gluten contained in white bread and pastries. If this is the reason, the stool will not necessarily be loose. With the disease, constipation is also possible.
3. 3. Lactose intolerance, in which the human body lacks the enzyme necessary to digest dairy products. Therefore, when consuming even a small amount of milk, loose stools of a characteristic color appear.
4. 4. Disorders of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis).
5. 5. Other intestinal pathologies. Sometimes gastrointestinal bleeding can trigger the color change. Many believe that in this case the stool becomes black, but the color may also be dark green due to the reaction of hemoglobin and gastric juice. In such a situation, blood pressure decreases, weakness appears, and the pulse quickens.

It is important to determine the reason why the stool has changed its color, since the treatment strategy depends on this.

Features of treatment for dysentery

When green stool appears, accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting and fever, experts suspect an intestinal infection. Treatment depends on what kind of infection caused the disease. And for this it is important to diagnose it correctly. For example, dysentery has characteristic symptoms that can be used to make a diagnosis, although additional tests are usually prescribed anyway.

So, this disease is characterized by loose stools, which only initially have a fecal character. Then the amount of mucus in it increases, in which, over time, streaks of blood or admixtures of pus may appear. Doctors often use the term “rectal spit” in relation to such stool. The frequency of bowel movements reaches 10 times a day. This process is always accompanied by nagging pain, quite strong and painful.

In severe cases of the disease, therapy is carried out in a hospital setting. But sometimes treatment at home is also possible - subject to strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations. There is no need to refuse food. But you need to follow a special therapeutic diet - table No. 4 according to M. Pevzner. This diet involves the consumption of low-fat soups, dietary meats and fish. Bread is excluded from the diet, but you can eat wheat crackers. Steam omelette is prepared from eggs.

Pureed porridges cooked in water are recommended. You can eat vegetables, but not raw, but boiled. You can drink green and black tea, rosehip decoction. Almost all dairy products, pasta, pearl barley and millet are excluded from the diet.

For dysentery, antibacterial drugs are not always prescribed (for the gastroenteric form of the disease there is no need for this). But sometimes the doctor still prescribes ampicillin or tetracycline antibiotics. In this case, after completing the course of their use, you need to take drugs that normalize the microflora, otherwise dysbacteriosis will develop. And this in itself causes changes in the color of the stool.

When treating dysentery, antispasmodics are used to relieve pain, immunomodulators, synthetic enzyme complexes and drugs like Festal and Mezim-Forte.

Treatment of other diseases that cause changes in stool color

Dysbacteriosis is a fairly common disease, but this does not mean that you can cope with it on your own. To begin with, you should remember that many of its symptoms are nonspecific; they are also characteristic of other gastrointestinal diseases, which are much more dangerous. Therefore, if you simply take medications on your own to normalize the microflora, without first consulting a doctor and without knowing the diagnosis, you can seriously harm the body.

It should be remembered that probiotics will not be enough, because you first need to eliminate the cause of this disease. And it consists of both bacterial and fungal infections. Dysbacteriosis can be a complication of other pathologies, so additional examinations are necessary. If the cause of this disease is bacterial, you should take antibiotics to destroy pathogenic microflora. If dysbacteriosis has revealed the presence of pathogenic microflora of a fungal nature, the doctor prescribes antifungal drugs. And after completing the course of taking them, you can drink probiotics to populate the intestines with normal microflora.

If a person is suspected of having salmonellosis, they should definitely consult a doctor. This disease is dangerous because dehydration occurs very quickly. Therefore, you need to take some measures even before the doctor arrives. A person should be given plain water to drink. Some people advise giving mineral water, but it is not recommended for everyone.

At the same time, the patient is given drugs from the group of sorbents. This is not only activated carbon, but also a more effective modern medicine - Enterosgel.

If you suspect gastrointestinal bleeding, you should immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, the person must be provided with peace. It is advisable for the patient to lie on the bed, it is recommended to put a pillow under his head, and cold on his stomach - in the epigastric region (you can take a bag of frozen vegetables from the refrigerator, wrap it in a thin towel and hold it like that for some time). Cold causes a slight constriction of blood vessels, and this will help slightly reduce the amount of blood loss.

Problem during pregnancy

Expectant mothers often suffer from exacerbations of chronic diseases. But green stool during pregnancy is often associated with more harmless reasons. Many women try to provide their body (and fetus) with folic acid and eat a lot of leafy vegetables, leaning on spinach and broccoli. But these foods contain a lot of chlorophyll, which turns feces green.

Another common cause is prenatal vitamins. Such complexes usually contain a lot of iron and calcium. Excess iron is not absorbed by the body, but is excreted along with feces. Sometimes the color change is caused by activated carbon, which is prescribed to expectant mothers for increased gas formation. There is nothing dangerous in this, this drug is not absorbed into the blood, and it cannot harm the child.

Many expectant mothers are afraid of internal bleeding. But during pregnancy, in this case, the stool always takes on a tar-black hue.

There is another reason why pregnant women's stool turns green. This is dysbacteriosis, which often occurs during pregnancy. In this case, based on the test results, the doctor may prescribe medications that will remove toxins that have accumulated as a result of digestive disorders. This is Smecta or Imodium. You will need to follow a certain diet, eat whole grain porridge cooked in water, and more low-fat fermented milk products. Green tea and rosehip infusion are usually recommended for drinks, but herbal infusions should be used with caution - they are not as harmless as they might seem.

Many believe that the healing mineral water of Essentuki, which is used in the treatment of diseases of the biliary tract, will be useful in this case. But doctors do not have a consensus on whether it can be drunk during pregnancy. You need to consult a specialist before deciding whether to drink such water or not.

Our digestive system is somewhat reminiscent of a traffic light; digested food is formed into feces, which for some reason can take on different colors, including green, which we will talk about in this article. True, the color signals of feces have slightly different meanings compared to a traffic light. At the same time, their similarity is not only in color, but also in the fact that both of them tell us certain information to which we need to react. The appearance of green feces is not the norm; as a rule, such a symptom indicates a disruption in the functioning of our body. So let's figure out what caused the green poop?

Green feces - the reasons for its appearance

In almost all cases, green feces are associated with a violation of the digestive processes, have a liquid consistency, as well as frequent bowel movements. In order to determine the cause of liquid green feces, you need to understand the process of formation of the color of poop. To fully present the entire clinical picture, we will analyze everything in order.

Everyone knows the fact that the normal color of poop is brown. But few people have any idea why. The main role in the coloring of shit is played by bile, or rather stercobilin.

ON A NOTE!

Stercobilin is a coloring pigment that, as a result of metabolic processes in the intestines, becomes brown and colors poop. You can read more about these processes in the article about possible ones.

Therefore, for some reason, the natural process of coloring the poop does not occur or something tints it, changing the color to green. There are a lot of these reasons, and to identify the real cause, a comprehensive medical examination is necessary. Let's look at the main ones.

Pathological processes that cause green and dark green feces

Various types of inflammatory processes in the digestive system can provoke a change in the color of poop to dark green, as a result of which a large number of leukocytes die, they can give the poop a greenish tint. In this case, feces are accompanied by mucus and pus. Additionally, symptoms such as pain and cramping in the abdominal area and diarrhea may occur.

Liver dysfunction also causes changes in the color of stool. In this case, the characteristic color of the feces follows the massive breakdown of red blood cells, which provokes excessive production of bilirubin. Due to too many of these elements, the bilirubin does not have time to go through the complete breakdown process, which leads to green stool.

Dark green color of stool also occurs in the presence of bleeding. Diseases such as ulcers are quite capable of leading to this process. The green color of stool is due to the iron contained in the blood.

Disruption of intestinal microflora contributes to disruption of normal digestion of food in the intestine. This provokes the processes of rotting and fermentation of food, resulting in the formation of substances that contribute to the color of stool green. Dysbacteriosis can be triggered by taking antibiotics, stress and poor nutrition, or a sudden change in diet. An additional sign of dysbacteriosis is the smell - the poop smells like foulbrood.

Also, a change in the color of poop to green is often a sign of dysentery. In this case, there are accompanying symptoms of an infectious disease, such as fever, vomiting and nausea, abdominal pain, general weakness and malaise.

Green stool – as a result of pancreatic dysfunction

Quite often, liquid green feces are a consequence of a lack of pancreatic enzymes. It plays a very important role in the digestive chain. In the stomach, food undergoes primary processing, and then enters the duodenum, where further food processing processes already take place. The pancreas releases its enzymes, which dissolve food compounds into simpler components, which in turn allows the intestinal walls to absorb nutrients. When this process is disrupted, food is not digested. Due to the fact that the intestines cannot obtain nutrients from food, it soon begins to get rid of it, which leads to the fact that feces do not have time to form and are excreted in liquid form - diarrhea. Diarrhea acquires a green color for the same reason, since all processes of substance formation do not have time to fully occur.

Some people manage to endure such illnesses for several months. But this does not lead to anything good. Since the body loses a lot of fluid and receives practically no nutrients. This leads to a general deterioration in health, dehydration and weight loss.

When is green poop not a cause for concern?

As you can see, green poop is not so harmless. But in some cases they do not indicate the presence of an illness.

• Food contains a lot of dyes that color stool. You may have eaten a lot of food that contained green dyes. This could be soda, sweets, etc.
• Did you happen to be drinking the other day? Drinking alcohol, especially in large quantities, causes the shit to change color to green. In particular, this is due to the fact that it affects the functioning of the liver and pancreas. If you nevertheless abused this harmful product the day before, it could cause temporary dysfunction of these organs.

ATTENTION!!!

Alcohol doesn’t just color your stool; along with the green shit, you’re wiping out your own brain cells! It has a detrimental effect on human brain activity, and also destroys internal organs, causing addiction and human degradation. We strongly recommend that you avoid this product completely!

• Eating vegetables and fruits rich in chlorophyll or a vegetarian diet will camouflage your poop and it will be almost invisible in the grass. With vegetarian diets, feces usually take much longer to form than usual.

If the stool has acquired color as a result of the influence of the above factors, then your health should be within normal limits and the stool will acquire a normal color immediately after changing your diet.

Green stool in pregnant women

Now let’s look at why green stool occurs during pregnancy. Any mother wishes her child happiness and health. During pregnancy, her goal is to give birth to a healthy baby. For this, the body requires a large amount of nutrients and vitamins. Therefore, a pregnant woman’s diet contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals coming from plant foods and vitamin complexes. Excessive amounts of vitamins and minerals are not absorbed by the body and are excreted along with feces, which is what gives poop its green color. Please note that there should not be any other symptoms indicating the presence of pathology.

Green feces in a child - what's the matter?

Green poop is most often observed in infants. In most cases, this does not indicate the presence of pathology, but is a natural process of development of the infant’s body.

Let's consider the options and reasons that cause green feces in infants:

• In the first days of life, poop may have this color because it contains amniotic fluid and mucus. On the 4th day of life, this should pass.
• In the first month, green stool occurs in a newborn due to adaptation of the digestive system. This is also a temporary effect.
• When teeth begin to cut, saliva is produced in large quantities. This increases the release of bile, which gives the characteristic color. It is also possible to have stomach colic and fever. Just in case, it is better to consult a pediatrician, since ailments may also indicate some kind of abnormality in the functioning of internal organs or a disease.

If the cause of green stool in an infant is an illness, then accompanying symptoms in the form of deterioration in well-being should be shown.

In older children, the appearance of green feces can be caused by the same reasons as in an adult. We talked about them above.

The green signal of our body has a dual character: on the one hand, it is a sign of pathological changes, on the other, a change in diet. Our body immediately reacts to these processes and informs us so that we are aware and take action if necessary. Remember the main thing is that our stool should be brown in color. The green color of stool, along with other changes, in most cases is a sign of organ dysfunction and the presence of a disease. We specifically do not give any advice on possible treatment options so that you do not self-medicate over the Internet. Such actions do not lead to anything good. Doctors exist to establish the true causes of abnormal behavior of the body. And if you suspect something is wrong, then contact them. To make a correct diagnosis, a comprehensive examination is required.

Keep a close eye on your bowel movements. We wish you brown. Relief!

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There are norms for physiological secretions of the human body. In particular, feces are assessed by consistency, color, smell, and composition. In healthy people, feces have a shaped appearance, a soft consistency, and a brown color ranging from light to dark brown.

If green stool is noticed, it often becomes a frightening factor and forces people to look for pathology. We will look at the causes of green intestinal discharge. To do this, let us first briefly recall what determines and how the color of stool is formed.

Why is stool brown?

The color of stool is formed mainly due to bile pigments, which are formed in the liver cells and then enter the intestines with bile. They are a product of the processing of the iron-containing part of erythrocyte hemoglobin (heme) and myoglobin in muscle tissue. In addition, the spleen takes part in the breakdown of red blood cells. Old blood cells are disposed of, unnecessary substances are sent to waste.

Similar pigments are found in mammals, lower vertebrates and invertebrates, in bright green plants and red algae. The biochemical reaction goes through the stage of formation of greenish-blue biliverdin, yellow-orange bilirubin. Bacteria act on bilirubin in the intestines. Their enzymes convert biliverdin into stercobilinogen (up to 280 mg per day).

Under the influence of light, stercobilinogen excreted in feces is oxidized into stercobilin with a brown color reaction. In addition to natural pigments, coloring substances of undigested dietary fibers, waste products of bacteria, and processed residues of medicinal substances are excreted in feces. Therefore, the color is unnatural.

What is normally associated with green stool in an adult?

It is important to consider that deviations in stool color or consistency always have their own explanation. It is not necessarily associated with a pathological process. The causes in an adult can be divided into physiological (nutritional) and pathological.

The nature of digestive disorders is judged by the shade of stool.

Physiological ones include:

• Eating foods containing chlorophyll. It is a green pigment found in plants. The highest concentrations are found in leafy vegetables, green peas, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and parsley.
• Chemical dyes are specially added to some products (sweets, cocktails, marmalade, fruit and berry jelly). An example is blue Curacao, an intense blue color (included in cocktails). But if a person has consumed a salad of carrots and beets along the way, then the “output” is a mixed color of light green or yellow-green.
• Stools may turn dark green after eating food dyes due to functional constipation caused by stress. The stool takes on a hard consistency.
• On the contrary, with diarrhea caused by anxiety, passing through the intestines at an accelerated pace, biliverdin does not have time to transform into stercobilin. Therefore, it is possible that the stool is green and liquid in appearance.
• Food products also include red meat, seaweed, seaweed, fish, and red beans. They have a high iron content. This means that during processing, excess biliverdin is formed.

One of the common causes is a consequence of taking antibiotics, ferric ferricyanide (prescribed for the treatment of heavy metal poisoning). For non-pathological reasons, the person has good general health, no abdominal pain, normal temperature.

When should you suspect pathology?

Green stool is a symptom of pathology:

• for liver diseases;
• increased breakdown of red blood cells;
• celiac disease;
• enterocolitis;
• intestinal tumors;
• gastrointestinal bleeding.

Disruption of the digestive process causes a failure in the production of enzymes and juices of the organs concerned. This is reflected in the transformations of bilirubin derivatives in the intestine. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disease that destroys the villi in the small intestine by the protein gluten. As a result, atrophy of the small intestine occurs and the absorption of fats and carbohydrates stops.

The disease begins both in childhood and after 40 years

Intolerance to lactose, the enzyme that digests milk. Appears during the neonatal period. When breastfeeding begins, the baby's stool is liquid and green in color. An adult knows about his peculiarities. Does not consume dairy products. But sometimes it cannot provide for the inclusion of dairy additives. Therefore, he is not upset when he sees the changed color of stool.

In case of an inflammatory process in the intestines (enterocolitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), the green tint of stool is provided by leukocytes, pus, and rapid movement during diarrhea. Purulent discharge from an ulcer in the lower parts of the large intestine does not mix with feces, but looks like a layer or film. The patient has cramping or nagging pain in the abdomen, a fever, and weakness.

Salmonellosis is a common intestinal infection. Often occurs in the form of group outbreaks in children's institutions and food facilities. The infection comes from contaminated meat, dairy products, eggs with insufficient cooking. The source could be a sick employee. Detection of a disease is a reason for an extraordinary inspection by epidemiological surveillance authorities.

The disease has an acute onset. There is a sharp increase in temperature, nausea, vomiting, and frequent diarrhea with greenish stools. In children, fluid loss can lead to dehydration syndrome. Profuse bleeding of the vessels of the stomach or intestines in the complicated course of peptic ulcers, colitis, Crohn's disease is accompanied by liquid black tarry stools.

The color is caused by the reaction of hemoglobin in red blood cells with hydrochloric acid in gastric juice, forming hemosiderin. The color of the stool may change to black-green.

The patient’s condition is not necessarily accompanied by previous abdominal pain. Symptoms are characterized by:

• vomit the color of coffee grounds;
• increasing weakness;
• pale skin;
• weak rapid pulse and decreased blood pressure.

Diseases of the liver, biliary system, and pancreas cause obstructive jaundice by blocking the outflow of bile. Due to insufficient output of bilirubin, stercobilin is not formed in the intestinal contents. The stool turns grey-green. At the same time, the urine darkens intensely, and yellowness appears on the sclera of the eyes and skin, as the pigment enters the blood. This sign is an important symptom of viral hepatitis.

Salmonellosis is one of the pathologies that provokes the appearance of green feces

At the same time, the patient notes weakness, loss of appetite to the point of aversion to food, nausea, and bloating. Dysbacteriosis in the intestines occurs after taking antibacterial agents. The lack of beneficial flora activates rotting and fermentation. Patients experience flatulence, greenish feces, and moderate abdominal pain. In people prone to allergies, a reaction to certain foods may include diarrhea with a green tint.

How to find out the reason

If greenish feces appeared once after eating the listed foods or drinks, then there is no reason to worry. You need to pay attention to the color after 1-2 days. Persistent changes due to the use of medications require clarification from the attending physician. Perhaps it is better to stop the individual reaction by abandoning the drug and switching to another analogue.

Severe, persistent symptoms of impaired consistency of stool in combination with a green color require diagnostic measures. First of all, you should visit a doctor and tell about all the signs. If you suspect food poisoning or infection, you need to be prepared to report the food you took the day before and where you were eating.

If you have elevated body temperature, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should call a doctor at home. If liquid black-green stool is released against the background of vomiting with dark contents, gastrointestinal bleeding cannot be ruled out. This is especially likely in patients with peptic ulcers or gastritis. You need to call an ambulance; it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis on your own.

Depending on the severity of the condition, patients are taken to a hospital, where they are examined while providing the necessary medical care. The set of diagnostic measures includes:

• a blood test with a leukocyte formula; if bleeding is suspected, a test for hematocrit, blood group and Rh factor, and electrolytes is prescribed;
• general urine test and for diastasis;
• biochemical tests for liver pathology;
• feces for scatology;
• tank sowing feces and vomit.

Only a doctor can understand the pathology of elderly people

On the first day, the patient undergoes hardware examinations;

• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
• electrocardiogram;
• fluoroscopy of the stomach with barium suspension;
• fibrogastroscopy.

If necessary:

• Colonoscopy is performed under anesthesia;
• computed and magnetic resonance imaging.

The list of studies depends on the symptoms of the disease and the severity of the patient’s condition.

Causes during pregnancy

Digestion in a pregnant woman is no different from the physiological processes of a healthy person. It is possible that sensitivity to certain foods increases due to a change in taste. Therefore, the basis for green stool during pregnancy should be sought in nutrition. Pregnant women enjoy eating: broccoli, dill, spinach, parsley. An increase in the rate of transit of such plant products through the intestines has an effect.

Some vitamin supplements containing iron also affect stool color. They are prescribed by obstetricians quite often to prevent anemia. Managing pregnancy in women with chronic diseases requires the attention of a doctor and relatives. It is impossible to predict an exacerbation in advance. Therefore, it is necessary to come early for examination if you have suspicious bowel movements.

The ban on spicy foods and pickles increases the need for fresh greens

Treatment measures at home

Treatment of diseases is carried out in the infectious diseases department or gastroenterology, depending on the diagnostic results. If salmonellosis is suspected, pre-medical care includes:

• plenty of drinking regimen, even when vomiting you should give boiled warm water to drink in small portions, the best drug is Regidron;
• taking sorbents - drugs that attract toxins in the intestines and remove them with feces; activated carbon (every 2 hours an adult should drink 4 tablets), Smecta, Polysorb are suitable.

Do not rinse the stomach, give antibiotics or drugs that stop intestinal motility. Toxic substances should be removed with diarrhea. If bleeding is suspected, the patient should be placed on his side, prohibited from getting up, a heating pad with ice or cold water should be placed on his stomach (something from the freezer, wrapped in cellophane and a towel will do), you can allow him to swallow small pieces of ice.

Treatment in hospital

In a hospital, the doctor prescribes treatment not for green stool, but for the disease that led to it. You cannot refuse hospitalization if it is suggested by a doctor. Pregnant women are admitted to the pathology department. The severity of the patient's condition can progress very quickly. It is impossible to cope with the danger to life at home.

For all infectious diseases the following is prescribed:

• intravenous administration of solutions to relieve intoxication;
• liquid diet;
• antibacterial drugs (antiviral for hepatitis);
• vitamins;
• probiotics.

The detection of blood in the stool forces one to look for the source of the bleeding. Fibrogastroscopy evaluates the size of the ulcer and the condition of its edges. Depending on this, doctors take conservative measures or prepare the patient for emergency surgery. Continued blood loss requires transfusion of blood substitutes and protein drugs.

For small mucosal defects, coagulation (cauterization) is performed using a modified endoscopic technique. Intestinal diseases come in various forms. Bleeding results from polyps, tumors, and nonspecific colitis. In each case, targeted treatment is prescribed.

It is difficult to independently determine the cause of abnormal stool color. When purchasing, we don’t know what colorings are included in caramel, fresh juices, and sparkling water. The symptom cannot be ignored. If a disturbance in your general condition, vomiting, nausea, or abdominal pain occurs, you should immediately seek medical help.