Common Causes
- not eating or drinking items that may cause GER, such as greasy or spicy foods and alcoholic drinks,
- not overeating,
- not eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime,
- losing weight if you’re overweight or obese,
- quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke,
- taking over-the-counter medicines, such as Maalox, or Rolaids.
Related Conditions
Very dark brown stools are often caused by dark foods, food pigments, or medications. However, almost black stool can be a sign of bleeding inside your gastrointestinal tract. Dark-colored foods such as blueberries, blackberries, plums, …etc. Iron-containing foods such as spinach, red meat, …etc.
What foods can cause light colored stool?
Gray or pale stools represent a cascade of medical conditions originating from the biliary system. When there is not enough bile in your stools, it will present with a pale gray discoloration. Read more to figure out what conditions could be causing this.
What can cause very dark brown stool?
Pale stool: Causes and treatments
- Causes of pale stool. Consuming fatty foods may make a person’s stools pale in color. ...
- Pale stool in children. Breastfed babies will generally have light-colored stools. ...
- Pale stool during pregnancy. ...
- When to see a doctor. ...
- Summary. ...
What does grayish stool mean?
What causes pale stools and how is it treated?
What does grey stool mean?
Don’t be afraid to check your stool color every now and then; grey means you must see a doctor. Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Can you have gray stools?
Yes, you should worry if your stools are gray. Gray stools are concerning. Sometimes when doctors talk about grey stools, they use the terms “clay colored” or “pale.”. However, “clay” can bring up images of bowel movements that are the color of the standard clay pot that people plant flowers in: a dull or salmon-like orange.
What causes gray stool?
Biliary problems: Stool can be gray or clay-colored if it contains little or no bile. The pale color may signify a condition ( biliary obstruction) where the flow of bile to the intestine is obstructed, such as, obstruction of the bile duct from a tumor or gallstone in the duct or nearby pancreas.
Why is my stool tarry?
When blood is denatured by acid in your stomach, as from ulcers, stools will turn tarry ("melena"). Blood may also be ingested from nose bleeds, bleeding gums. Silver-colored stool suggests bleeding from the biliary tree. Get checked.
What does it mean when your bile is pale?
The pale color may signify a condition ( biliary obstruction) where the flow of bile to the intestine is obstructed, such as, obstruction of the bile duct from a tumor or gallstone in the duct or nearby pancreas. Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers — it's anonymous and free!
Why does stool color change?
Only rarely does stool color indicate a potentially serious intestinal condition. Stool color is generally influenced by what you eat as well as by the amount of bile — a yellow-green fluid that digests fats — in your stool. As bile pigments travel through your gastrointestinal tract, they are chemically altered by enzymes, ...
What does it mean when your stool is red?
Consult your doctor if you're concerned about your stool color. If your stool is bright red or black — which may indicate the presence of blood — seek prompt medical attention.
What does it mean when you have no bile in your stool?
A lack of bile in stool. This may indicate a bile duct obstruction. Certain medications, such as large doses of bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate, Pepto-Bismol) and other anti-diarrheal drugs. Excess fat in the stool, such as due to a malabsorption disorder, for example, celiac disease.
Does bile break down?
As a result, bile doesn't have time to break down completely. Green leafy vegetables, green food coloring, such as in flavored drink mixes or ice pops, iron supplements. A lack of bile in stool. This may indicate a bile duct obstruction.
Why does stool change color?
Causes. In children. During pregnancy. When to see a doctor. Summary. Many things can change the color of stool, including vitamins, infections, and certain foods. Some underlying medical problems, such as gallbladder and liver disease, can also change stool color.
Why does my stool look pale?
Diseases of the pancreas can make it hard for this organ to secrete pancreatic juices into the digestive system. This can lead to the food moving too quickly through the gut, causing a pale and fatty-looking stool.
Why is my stool pale after taking pain pills?
A person who notices a pale stool after taking a new medication or after taking OTC pain relievers for a long time or in excess of the correct dose may have medication-related liver damage. It is best to stop taking the drug, if it is not a prescription medication, and see a doctor as soon as possible. 4.
Why is my stool not bile?
Problems with the gallbladder, pancreas, or liver are reasons why stool may not contain enough bile. People who have consistently pale stools may want to talk to a doctor about conditions that affect these organs.
What does it mean when your poop is white?
Pale stool, especially if it is white or clay colored, can indicate a serious health problem. When adults have a pale stool with no other symptoms, it is usually safe to wait and see if the stool returns to normal. When children and babies have very pale or white poop, a doctor should see them as soon as possible.
How do you know if you have giardiasis?
A person can contract this parasite by drinking contaminated water or being in close contact with someone who has the infection. Giardiasis is more common in regions with inconsistent access to clean water. The most common symptoms of giardiasis include stomach pain, headache, swollen stomach, vomiting, and fever.
How to treat pancreatitis?
Treatment for pancreatitis depends on the cause. Some people need hospitalization, fluids, or antibiotics. Surgery may treat some forms of pancreatitis. When another condition causes pancreatitis, such as gallstones, a doctor must also address that issue.
Why is my stool brown?
It is usually from a blockage in the bile ducts, either from a stone or a tumor. Bile helps digest fats and is responsible for the brown color of stool. It is produced in your liver, stored in your gallbladder, and released into your intestines. If bile is prevented from getting into your intestines, this can cause persistent pale ...
Why is my stool pale?
Much less common causes of pale/grey stool or causes where pale/grey stool is not a main symptom include certain medications and acute hepatitis.
How does bile get into the intestines?
Once bile is produced in the liver, it travels by a tube (duct) to your gallbladder, where it is stored until ready to be released into your intestines. Blockages by a tumor along the duct or the surrounding area (including the gallbladder or pancreas) will keep bile from flowing to the intestine, which can cause stool to become pale or grey (and also cause jaundice).
Why does stool look silver?
There are a few recorded cases of people having silver-appearing stool—these people all had tumors blocking the bile duct that also bled into the intestine. The combination of digested blood (black tar color) and lack of bile (pale grey color) gives a distinct silver color to the stool. —Dr. Adam Pont.
What does it mean when your stools are pale?
The pale/grey stools or progressively worsening jaundice may be the first sign that something is wrong. You may also get an infection in the blocked bile, called cholangitis. That can cause fever and abdominal pain, and in severe cases, confusion and low blood pressure.
What is the procedure to see the inside of the intestines called?
The specialist will order an imaging test (ultrasound, CT, or MRI) and perform a procedure to view the inside of your intestines and bile ducts, called ERCP , which is done under sedation. Treatment depends on what is found in the tests. 2. Obstructed bile duct from gallstones.
What does it mean when you have a yellowish rash?
Painless jaundice (yellowing of skin and whites of eyes) Pale or clay/grey colored stools. Sudden fever and abdominal pain (from infection of the obstructed bile) Once bile is produced in the liver, it travels by a tube (duct) to your gallbladder, where it is stored until ready to be released into your intestines.
Why is my stool brown?
Normal stool color is brown. This is due to the presence of bile in the stool. Normal stool color can range from light yellow to brown to almost black. If stool is red, maroon, black, clay-colored, pale, yellow, or green this may signify a problem. Some causes of stool color changes include. hemorrhoids,
Why does my stool change color?
Some causes of stool color changes include. hemorrhoids, bleeding in the stomach, bleeding in the lower parts of the intestines or colon, certain vegetables with deep colors, green foods , food dyes (especially red, green, purple), iron pills , bismuth-containing medications (such as Pepto-Bismol ),
What Causes Changes in Stool Color, Form, or Texture?
If your stool is black, the cause might be an iron supplement or over-the-counter medicine you took because your stomach felt bad.
What are the symptoms associated with stool color changes?
The symptoms associated with changes in the color of stool generally correspond to the underlying cause. In many instances, there may not be any symptoms associated with changes in stool color.
What kind of doctor treats stool color changes?
The evaluation of conditions such as intestinal bleeding or diseases of the pancreas, gallbladder, or liver, may warrant careful evaluation by an internist, a primary care provider (PCP) such as a family practitioner or pediatrician, internal medicine physician, general surgeon, or a gastroenterologist (a physician who specializes in diseases of the digestive tract).
When should I seek medical care for stool color changes?
A person should notify their doctor when there is a persistent change in the color of their stool.
What is the treatment for stool color changes?
Other more significant medical causes may require simple or extensive medical evaluation and treatment.
Why is my stool brown?
Bile is what gives stool its brown color, so if bile is not being produced or if the bile ducts are blocked, and bile isn't entering the small intestine, the result could be stool that is light. Medical causes of stool that is pale or clay-colored are usually liver and biliary issues such as: Alcoholic hepatitis: This disease ...
What causes a pale stool?
Medical causes of stool that is pale or clay-colored are usually liver and biliary issues such as: 1 Alcoholic hepatitis: This disease of the liver occurs after overexposure to alcohol. 2 Biliary cirrhosis: This is a type of liver disease where the bile ducts are damaged. 3 Birth defect: Some people are born with a problem in the biliary system. 4 Cysts: A cyst may block a bile duct. 5 Gallstones: These calcium deposits in the gallbladder could block bile ducts. 6 Hepatitis A, B, or C: Infectious liver diseases that may cause a lack of bile. 7 Infection: Certain types of infections could affect the biliary system. 8 Sclerosing cholangitis: This is a disease that can cause a lack of bile production or a blockage in the bile ducts. 9 Side effects of medication: Overuse of certain medications could cause drug-induced hepatitis. These drugs include non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, hormonal birth control, and certain antibiotics. 10 Strictures: A narrowing of the intestine could block the flow of bile. 11 Tumor: A tumor could block the flow of bile.
Why do my bowels look like clay?
Stools that are pale, white, or look like clay or putty may be the result of a lack of bile or caused by a blockage in the bile ducts. Stools that are light in color or look like clay can also occur after a test in the colon that uses barium (such as a barium enema ), because the barium may be passed in the stool.
What does it mean when your stools are acholic?
The medical term, " acholic, " refers to light-colored stools that result from a lack of bile.
What causes a lack of bile?
Hepatitis A, B, or C: Infectious liver diseases that may cause a lack of bile. Infection: Certain types of infections could affect the biliary system. Sclerosing cholangitis: This is a disease that can cause a lack of bile production or a blockage in the bile ducts. Side effects of medication: Overuse of certain medications could cause drug-induced ...
What does it mean when your urine is clay?
Concerning Symptoms. Clay-colored stool that is caused by certain medical conditions may be accompanied by a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes ( jaundice) or darkened urine. If signs of jaundice occur, a physician should be consulted immediately.
What to do if you have unusual stools?
If you notice unusual stools more than just occasionally, or you are concerned about the size, shape, or color of stools, contact your healthcare provider.
Why is my baby's stool gray?
Gray stool can be caused by a few factors. In many cases, a baby’s stool changes colors because of dyes in his food or a change in diet. Gray stool can occur if a baby begins eating more dairy products, such as when you wean him off of formula and onto dairy milk. This change in color can also be the result of taking antacids, which doctors sometimes prescribe for babies who suffer from severe heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
What to do if baby poop is gray?
When to Call the Doctor. If your baby has one instance of gray stool but seems otherwise fine, something in her previous meal may have simply caused the change. Call the doctor if her stools remain gray over the course of a day, or if the change in appearance begins just after she begins taking a new medication.
What does it mean when a baby has dark urine?
If your newborn appears jaundiced and has dark colored urine in addition to gray stool, these may be signs of a liver problem. Call the doctor immediately.
What is the next step after biliary atresia?
In the case of biliary atresia, the next step after testing is surgery to confirm the diagnosis and attempt to replace the damaged bile ducts. References.
Why is my stool green?
3 Iron supplements and food coloring, including green, purple, and blue dye, can also turn feces an emerald color. Conditions that speed up intestinal activity, such as a bowel disorder or food poisoning, can also lead to green stool.
Why is my stool dark?
This type of stool is often dark because it stays in the intestines longer.
Why does my stool float?
However, stool that consistently floats may be a sign that your body is not absorbing fat properly. When this happens, you may have steatorrhea. What It Means When Your Stool Floats.
What is the name of the stool that is excreted in small pieces?
Stool excreted in small pieces is sometimes called pebble or pellet stool. 6 Fiber forms a gel in the intestines when it is fermented by bacteria in the colon and combined with water. If there is a lack of fiber holding stool together, it may be shaped like small pebbles.
Why is my poop red?
Bright red stool can be caused by beets, cranberries, tomato juice or soup, or products containing red food coloring, like Kool-Aid or red licorice. Red medicines, such as amoxicillin, may also turn stool red. 14
How long does diarrhea last?
Loose stool (diarrhea) lasting a couple of days or less is common and usually isn't serious. It can be triggered by a number of different foods, supplements, and medications. For example, consuming too much fructose—a sugar found in honey and many soft drinks and processed foods—can cause loose stool. 7
How do you know if your stool is off?
Although you may not pay much attention to your stools, inspecting them regularly will give you a sense of which colors, shapes, and textures are typical for you. That way, you will know when something is off and when you should contact your healthcare provider.