light coloured stool

Light-colored stool If your stool is pale in color or white, it usually means that bile isn’t moving through your GI tract

. This would mean that there’s an obstruction of the bile duct that isn’t letting the bile flow into the intestine. Sometimes, the color can be from large doses of medications. The main causes of light-colored stool include:

Full Answer

Common Causes

Light-colored stool If your stool is pale in color or white, it usually means that bile isn’t moving through your GI tract. This would mean that there’s an obstruction of the bile duct that isn’t letting the bile flow into the intestine. Sometimes, the color can be from large doses of medications. The main causes of light-colored stool include:

Related Conditions

Light-colored stools (grey or clay-colored) in adults can be caused by lack of bile in the digestive system. 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.

What does light colored stools signify?

• Red – Bright red or dark red in the stool can indicate bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. ...
• Black – Similar to red in the stool, a persistent black color in stool can indicate internal bleeding from esophageal varices. ...
• Grey, Pale, Yellow or Clay-Colored – The liver releases bile into the stool, giving it a normal brown color. ...

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What is the reason for light colored stool?

The main causes of light-colored stool include:

• Gallstones, or hardened deposits of bile that form in the gallbladder and block your common bile duct
• Pancreatic cancer
• Liver disease

What color should stool be?

What are the symptoms of light colored stool?

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 white?

When the stool is white or very light brown, this can signal a more serious problem, such as cholestasis, a type of liver disease. In newborns, cholestasis or any other problem with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas may be a medical emergency, so a caregiver should call their pediatrician right away.

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.

How to tell if you have liver disease?

In addition to pale stool, other symptoms of liver disease include: 1 nausea and vomiting 2 fatigue 3 very dark urine 4 fatty stool 5 itching 6 swelling in the ankles or legs

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.

What color should a stool be?

As mentioned, stool can come in a range of colors. Ideally, a stool should be a light brown in color. However, this is not always possible and sometimes stool due to various reasons can change its color. (2)

Why does my stool turn light colored?

Due to an inflammation of the liver with hepatitis viruses A, B, and C can lead to light colored stool. Hepatitis C is the type of viral hepatitis which often leads to liver diseases, affecting the normal function of the liver, including bile production.

What causes brown stools?

Normally, the liver produces bile which is released into the stool, giving the stool its characteristic brown color. If the liver does not produce enough bile, if the bile flow is blocked in the biliary system than normally the bile will not be able to drain into the intestines, leading to a light colored stool. (3, 4)

What does it mean when your stool is white?

A light colored stool often referred to as clay – colored or white stool is not a normal stool and it indicates a problem with the liver, pancreas, gallbladder or the biliary system. If you notice a light colored stool, seek immediate medical help.

What is the name of the stone that blocks the normal flow of bile from the gallbladder to the

Gallstones. They are stones created in the gallbladder which can block the normal flow of the bile from the gallbladder to the biliary system. In many cases, a surgical removal of these stones is needed.

Why does my stool turn green?

Green stool. Indicates that the food passes through the large intestine too quickly and the bile doesn’t have the time to completely break down as it normally should. Iron supplements, green leafy vegetables, as well as, green food coloring can lead to a green stool too.

Why is my stool black?

Black stool. Indicates a bleeding in the upper part of the gastrointestinal system, usually from the stomach. Seek immediate medical help as it could signify serious medical conditions, which when left untreated can lead to serious complications and even death. Iron supplements can lead to a black stool as well.

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, ...

Why is my stool red?

If your stool is bright red or black — which may indicate the presence of blood — seek prompt medical attention. Food may be moving through the large intestine too quickly, such as due to diarrhea. As a result, bile doesn't have time to break down completely.

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.

Why do kids have bright colored stools?

Brightly colored stools in children are usually caused by colorful foods like breakfast cereal. However, pale, white, or clay-colored stools in children can be caused by something more serious. Some of the causes are:

Why is my stool white?

Some of the causes are: a milk-only diet. barium sulfate from barium enema. antacids. blocked bile ducts or liver disease. You should contact your doctor any time your child’s stool changes color, especially if they haven’t had any brightly colored foods or if the stools are pale, white, or clay-colored.

Why do I have pale stools?

If your liver is not producing enough bile, or if the flow of the bile is blocked and not draining from your liver, your stools may become pale or clay-colored. Having pale stools once in a while may not be a cause for concern. If it occurs frequently, you may have a serious illness. You should see your doctor whenever you have pale ...

What is the best medicine for fatty stool?

Commonly prescribed medications include cholestyramine (Questran) to treat itching and ursodiol (Urso Forte), which aids in removing bile from the bloodstream. Your doctor may also suggest taking vitamins A, K, E, and D, to replace the nutrients that are lost in the fatty stools.

Why is my stool light colored?

Sometimes, the color can be from large doses of medications. The main causes of light-colored stool include: Gallstones, or hardened deposits of bile that form in the gallbladder and block your common bile duct. Pancreatic cancer. Liver disease.

What does it mean when your poop is different colors?

What do different stool colors mean? Checking the color of your stool is a very good way to monitor your overall health. Most of the time, stool will be light to dark brown in color. But stool that’s a different color, texture, or consistency, are all signs there’s something different going on in your body.

Why is my bile green?

Bile travels through the GI tract and changes to brown when it interacts with certain enzymes. If your stool is green, it usually means that you have changed your diet slightly or your food is traveling through the large intestines faster than normal so it doesn’t have enough time to break down and change color.

Why is my stool white?

If your stool is pale in color or white, it usually means that bile isn’t moving through your GI tract. This would mean that there’s an obstruction of the bile duct that isn’t letting the bile flow into the intestine. Sometimes, the color can be from large doses of medications.

What to do if your stool color changes?

If your stool color has changed because of a change in diet and there are no other symptoms, no treatment is needed. If you are bleeding, you may need to go to the hospital, have laboratory and imaging tests, and possibly even a procedure, such as an endoscopy or colonoscopy.

Why is my stool dark?

The main causes of dark stool are: Upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding, which can be from an infection, medication, trauma (like a car accident), or lesions of the blood vessels. Stomach/peptic ulcers that cause bleeding in the esophagus.

Why is my poop yellow?

If your stool is yellow, or more likely, contains yellow droplets (seen floating on the toilet bowl), it is a sign of fat in the stool. It can also have a bad odor and a greasy texture. You may see noticeable amounts of fat in your stool when it’s not absorbed properly by the body. Yellow stool can be a sign you’re having malabsorption issues—along with other signs like difficulty maintaining or gaining weight.

1. Light brown stool is a normal variant (due to food)

As a rule, all shades of brown stool, such as light brown stools and very dark brown stools, are considered normal. However, your stool color varies according to what you eat and several other factors.

A. Large fatty meals

Too much fat in your meal can turn your stool into light brown. The more fat you eat, the more the fat content of your stool.

2 . Diarrhea (loose stool)

The normal brown color of the stool is a result of the action of gut bacteria on bilirubin (secreted in bile to the gut tract).

3. IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)

IBS is a common bowel disease that affects a large subset of people. It primarily affects the large intestine and is characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and bowel changes.

4. Gut infections

The gastrointestinal tract (gastroenteritis) infections often lead to diarrhea with subsequent light brown or yellow stools.

5. Food intolerance or allergy

Food intolerance is the inability of your digestive system to digest or absorb certain foods. It is a prevalent condition affecting up to 20% of the population. In addition, certain types of food intolerance are prevalent in the community, such as lactose intolerance (which affects about 65% of adult people).

6. Bible-related conditions

The brown color of your stool originates from bilirubin which reaches your intestine through the bile. The bile is formed initially inside the liver, stored in the gallbladder, and released into the duodenum through the bile ducts.

What causes a person's stool to change color?

When stool color changes, a person, parent, or caregiver often becomes concerned. The presence of the bilirubin in the bile (a breakdown product of the hemoglobin in red blood cells that are normally destroyed after a useful life of several weeks) is generally responsible for stool color .

Why is my stool dark brown?

Although changes in stool color or texture may be normal, most changes should be evaluated. Stool that is an unusual color may be due to diarrhea; bleeding in the intestine; intestine, pancreas, or liver diseases; and medications.

Why does my stool smell so bad?

There are a variety of reasons why stool will be yellow, greasy, and foul-smelling. It can be due to the intestine's inability to digest and absorb fat because of diseases of the intestinal lining (such as in celiac disease and cystic fibrosis) because the pancreas is unable to manufacture adequate digestive enzymes (such as with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer that blocks the pancreatic duct), or there is not enough bile being delivered to the intestine (such as in cancer of the liver or bile ducts that are blocked). The yellowness, greasiness, and foul smell are due to the undigested fat.

Why does my stool turn yellow?

Changes in the chemical structure of the bilirubin can cause stool to turn green or yellow. Yellow stool also may occur if stool is dilute or there is a reduction in the amount of bilirubin that is produced by the liver. Bacteria and digestive enzymes in the intestine can act on the bilirubin and change its color.

How many stools does a person have in a week?

Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low-fiber diets, laxative abuse, and hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.

Why is my stool black?

Black stools are a worrisome symptom because it may be due to a large amount of bleeding into the digestive system, most often from the upper GI tract including the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Red blood cells are broken down by digestive enzymes in the intestine and turn the stool black.

What color is bile?

Normally, bacteria in the intestine chemically change bile to a greenish-brown color. It takes time for the bile to be fully changed in the intestine and become brown again, and if the transit time is short, for example, when a person has diarrhea, the stool remains green colored. Green stools may be a normal variant.

What Is A Normal stool?

When to Worry About The Stool color?

Causes

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