Change in stool color during pregnancy: reasons

Causes of diarrhea

Loose stools appear due to disturbances in the digestive system, and many reasons can contribute to this:

1. Viral or bacterial infections.
2. Spoiled food containing pathogenic bacteria can cause food poisoning.
3. An unbalanced diet, causing a lack of important elements for the body and disruption of metabolic processes and the functioning of internal organs.
4. Binge eating.
5. Polluted water.
6. Nervous shocks, stress, depression.
7. Taking certain medications, especially diarrhea, is often caused by antibiotics, which disrupt the balance of microflora and lead to dysbacteriosis.
8. Eating plenty of foods containing fiber, sources of which are vegetables and fruits. Fiber increases intestinal contractility, causing diarrhea.
9. Poorly washed fruits, vegetables, and herbs can cause intestinal poisoning.
10. Allergy.
11. Diseases of the digestive system: colitis, gastritis, hepatitis, colitis, etc.
12. Chronic diseases.
13. Poisoning with toxic substances. These can be poisonous plants or mushrooms, chemicals.
14. Climate change.
15. Enzyme deficiency, that is, intolerance to certain foods.
16. Presence of parasites (worms).

Treatment of diarrhea in adults

Only those who can clearly determine its nature and mechanism of occurrence can treat diarrhea correctly and effectively. The table below should help you navigate these issues a little.

Related article: How to stop diarrhea at home?

Source: www.ayzdorov.ru

Types of diarrhea

Depending on the causes, there are several types of diarrhea:

• neurogenic in nature;
• infectious;
• nutritional diarrhea occurs when you are allergic to foods or have an unbalanced diet;
• toxic diarrhea, the causes of such diarrhea are poisoning with chemical elements;
• dyspeptic diarrhea is called when there is enzyme deficiency of the pancreas, liver, stomach, intestines;
• medicinal, the causes of which are drugs;
• exudative - occurs as a result of diseases of the digestive system.

The nature of the stool depends on the type of diarrhea and the reasons that caused it. This means that loose stools vary in consistency, smell and color, and may contain various impurities such as mucus or blood particles. That is, the color of the diarrhea depends on the root cause.

Other symptoms of diarrhea (diarrhea) that may indicate

Depending on the nature of the pathological process, an adult with watery diarrhea experiences a complex of other symptoms:

1 loose stool with water often accompanies an increase in body temperature;

2 the appearance of unpleasant belching;

3 attacks of nausea, sometimes ending in vomiting. Often diarrhea with copious discharge, dark brown diarrhea indicates the development of congestion in the intestines, which is why nausea, nausea and even vomiting appear. As the body’s reaction to toxins and waste that poison the body from the inside;

4 abdominal pains of varying intensity and character, from nagging, spreading throughout the entire abdominal area, to sharp and spasmodic colic, which subside slightly after bowel movement.

Painful sensations in the abdomen, severe pain in the peritoneum are one of the indicators of irritation of the intestinal mucosa. They can be paroxysmal or aching. If increased fermentation processes begin in the body, then food is very poorly digested and belching appears. For example, the rotten smell of belching indicates the development of secondary digestive disorders. It will not be possible to cope with such a complex of disorders on your own; the disease will progress, so it is necessary to consult a doctor as quickly as possible.

Diarrhea with water is a common occurrence in adults who enjoy active recreation with frequent travel and spend little time on the quality of their diet. There is even a special term to describe this condition - “traveler's diarrhea.” The reason is simple - eating new, unfamiliar foods, penetration into the body of bacteria to which resistance has not been developed due to a weakened immune system. If your diet includes foods that have undergone insufficient heat treatment, this can cause digestive upset, accompanied by watery diarrhea.

Orange loose stools

Often the color of stool depends on what kind of food a person ate. Loose, orange-colored stool may occur from foods containing beta-carotene (vitamin A). Beta-carotene is found in large quantities in berries, vegetables and fruits in orange, red and yellow shades. There is a lot of it in carrots, pumpkin, apricots, melons, plums, nectarines, mangoes, cherries, as well as cauliflower, lettuce, and beet tops. This means that stool can acquire an orange color after eating food containing a huge amount of vitamin A, an overdose of which causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal colic and itching. Orange diarrhea can also be caused by the use of certain medications, such as rifampin.

In addition, orange diarrhea can mean some pathological conditions in the body:

• inflammatory processes in the digestive tract;
• stomach ulcer;
• colitis;
• hormonal disorders;
• pancreatic diseases;
• hepatitis and other liver pathologies;
• diseases of the biliary tract;
• stones in the biliary tract;
• cystitis;
• lung diseases.

Diagnostics

The presence of orange stool is not a sign of an infectious disease unless it is accompanied by other symptoms. Diagnostics is recommended if two or three indicators are present and the color of the biomass changes.

You should not delay going to the doctor, as the cause of the disease can be stones in the gall bladder. Solving the problem requires surgical intervention.

Diagnosis of any disease begins with the donation of urine and blood. This is necessary to determine the level:

• leukocytes and ESR - an increase in the level of these indicators indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the body;
• hepatic transaminase - an increase in this indicator indicates disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas and liver;
• bilirubin - an increase in the content of this direct component indicates a disruption in the activity of the bile duct. The presence of indirect bilirubin is typical for people with blood pathologies and problems with liver activity;
• amylazine with lipases and trypsins - an increase in these enzymes is a sign of acute pancreatitis;
• total protein - a decrease in its norm in the blood indicates an inflammatory process in the pancreas.

A method called coprogram will help you find out why your stool is orange. This advanced stool analysis helps put the whole picture together and make the correct diagnosis.

The use of ultrasound examination of the gastrointestinal tract is also practiced.

If Gilbert's disease or celiac disease is suspected, additional instrumental diagnostics are performed.

Loose brown stools

Normally, the color of human stool varies from brown to dark brown and has a dense consistency. The color of the stool depends on what foods were eaten. Liquid brown stool may indicate a bacterial or parasitic (worm) infection. The waste products of pathogenic organisms irritate the intestinal walls and poison the body, which is why diarrhea occurs. Allergies to food or medications can also cause diarrhea. The shade of diarrhea depends on the diet. The dark color of the feces means that the menu contains more meat products. A lighter brown color appears when there is a predominance of plant or dairy foods. But the most alarming thing is the light brown, almost beige color, which indicates disturbances in the production of liver enzymes or narrowing of the bile ducts.

How to treat orange stool

Treatment for orange-colored stool begins with nutrition and eliminating foods that are high in beta-carotene, such as carrots or sweet potatoes. Then replace these products with others and observe the effect. Typically, excess beta-carotene has a temporary effect on the intestines and does not require treatment.

If medications may turn stool orange and cause other symptoms. If you are taking a course of antibiotics, make an appointment with your doctor to change your medication. If you do not observe any other symptoms other than a change in color, then wait until the end of the course with the drug to see if the stool returns to a brown color.

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Gray loose stools

Gray stool in an adult may indicate the presence of liver pathologies, such as hepatitis or cirrhosis. Gray diarrhea means that there are disturbances in the bile ducts, which lead to their blockage and disruption of the flow of bile to the intestines, and diseases such as:

• inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis);
• hepatitis;
• Crohn's disease;
• inflammatory diseases of the pancreas, for example, pancreatitis;
• stones or tumors in the gallbladder and bile ducts, liver, pancreas.

In addition, gray liquid stool may have an unpleasant rotten odor caused by:

• disruption of the production of digestive enzymes;
• decreased stomach acidity;
• inflammation of the colon mucosa.

In addition, the formation of gray feces can be affected by an abundance of fatty foods, taking antimicrobial and antifungal drugs, contraceptives, and medications for gout. Allergies can also contribute to the appearance of gray, loose stools.

Red stool in a child

Red stool in a child

Unlike adults, children exhibit red stool quite often. And in most cases this is not a sign of pathology. In very small children (up to 1 year), redness of the stool occurs due to an ordinary banana, and it is not so important who ate it: either the child himself or the mother who is breastfeeding.

Older children are often addicted to a variety of candies and drinks with dyes, which also contributes to changes in the color of stool.

Liquid orange stool may indicate indigestion due to consumption of low-quality food. Gastric lavage (enema) will come to the rescue in such a situation, as well as taking probiotics - special means for normalizing microflora.

Children sometimes eat completely unwashed fruits picked from the garden, and this is fraught with the development of dysentery, the signs of which are an admixture of blood and pus in the stool. In this case, you should not delay contacting a pediatrician.

Loose red stools

Red, loose stools are considered one of the most dangerous, as they may indicate internal bleeding. Often this phenomenon is facilitated by: the destructive process of tumor formations of the digestive organs, inflammation that disrupts the structure of the mucous membrane. Depending on how intensely the stool is colored red, one can assume what pathological condition contributed to this. For example, a dark purple hue of diarrhea suggests that the right half of the large intestine is damaged. Bright red stools are usually the cause of pathologies in the lower intestines. Dark red diarrhea is associated with lesions in the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract - the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. A less intense red tint of stool can be expected with hemorrhoids and anal fissures. Also, the red color of stool can be caused by eating tomatoes, beets, medications containing potassium, as well as chemical poisoning and parasitic infections.

So, the red color of liquid stool may mean that there is damage in the digestive tract, accompanied by the release of blood, most often this is facilitated by: ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, infectious intestinal pathologies.

Bloody feces during pregnancy

Feces with fresh blood can only be observed in cases where the site of internal bleeding is located near the anus - in the rectum or one of the last sections of the large intestine. In other cases, the blood will change the color of the stool and it will turn black.

The causes of bloody stool can be: hemorrhoids, fissures in the anus, malignant tumors of the rectum.

Blood in the form of clots or streaks in the stool is a sign of the development of chronic intestinal disease, for example, Crohn's disease, dysbiosis or ulcerative colitis.

Black loose stool

Black color of loose stool means that there is severe damage to the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and the presence of prolonged bleeding. Black diarrhea is characterized by damage to the upper intestines, with loose stools having a tarry consistency and a very unpleasant odor. This type of diarrhea is fraught with a huge threat; it is often accompanied by black or scarlet vomit, which means that the body experiences large blood loss, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin, pressure, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and coma. The causes of such conditions are ulcers, cancer, gastritis, esophagitis, Crohn's disease, esophageal varices, histoplasmosis.

The formation of dark diarrhea is possible after eating any red food: beets, blueberries, black licorice, prunes. In this case, the consistency of loose stool is not as tarry as with diarrhea caused by bleeding. Also, the appearance of black diarrhea can be caused by:

• excess iron in the body;
• Activated carbon;
• bismuth-based medicines;
• excessive alcohol consumption;
• medications that cause bleeding in the stomach (ibuprofen, aspirin);
• mercury poisoning.

What dangerous diseases can occur with very loose diarrhea?

The danger is caused by watery diarrhea in combination with vomiting, high fever, and severe abdominal pain. Such symptoms occur in acute intestinal diseases.

1 Cholera and frequent watery diarrhea. It is caused by Vibrio cholerae and is accompanied by symptoms such as white watery diarrhea. It does not occur very often, but if persistent watery diarrhea of ​​a pronounced yellow-green hue in combination with other symptoms should be tested, and if this pathology is confirmed, special drug treatment should be immediately started in a hospital setting. It is imperative to adhere to a drinking regime that replenishes the body’s loss of fluid in order to prevent dehydration.

2 Dysentery and very thin diarrhea. It is provoked by the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms (Shigella) into the body. Outpatient treatment is allowed for mild forms of dysentery; for complicated cases, accompanied by very high fever, severe abdominal pain and incessant watery diarrhea, hospitalization in a hospital is indicated.

3 The state of intestinal dysbiosis is often accompanied by prolonged liquid diarrhea, when there is diarrhea, gas and pain in the lower abdomen in the intestinal area. It is provoked by various reasons, when pathogenic microorganisms predominate in the intestines, destroying beneficial microflora, and as a result, watery diarrhea appears. Often occurs during antibiotic therapy. Correction of the balance of intestinal microflora is necessary, which is achieved by taking pro- and prebiotics.

Without determining the direction of the pathology, it is not easy to cope with watery diarrhea. Therefore, you need to contact specialists who will not only find out its cause, but also correctly prescribe a course of adequate therapy.

Source: neolines.ru

White diarrhea

White diarrhea means bile deficiency. This means that there is a blockage of the bile ducts, which is caused by the following diseases:

• tumors and stones in the bile ducts;
• pancreatitis;
• hepatitis;
• liver cancer;
• cirrhosis;
• Crohn's disease;
• tumor formations of the pancreas;

Often the culprit of pale stools is malignant tumors of the digestive system. You should observe the nature of the regularity of diarrhea. In oncology, it manifests itself in a chronic form, that is, constantly. In other cases, white stools are short-lived.

In addition to organ pathologies, there are other factors that can cause the formation of white, loose stool. This is an unhealthy diet, eating foods that are light in color or contain large amounts of calcium - rice, tapioca, milk, sour cream. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages also contributes to the outflow of bile and the appearance of white stool. Another reason may be taking medications for gout, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Green diarrhea

Green color of loose stool indicates intestinal infections. These diseases are characterized by disruption of the intestinal microflora as a result of the suppression of beneficial microbes in the intestine by pathogenic ones, the growth of which causes fermentation. They are accompanied by a sour, putrid odor and the presence of mucus in the stool. The causes of green feces are: violation of hygiene standards, treatment with antibiotics, consumption of spoiled food, unwashed vegetables and fruits. Feces can also acquire a green color after eating lettuce, spinach, sorrel, that is, greens.

Green stool may also indicate problems with the liver and blood.

Norm and pathology

In normal condition, feces are a small sausage, the size of which can vary from 10 to 20 centimeters.
The stool should be uniform brown in color and soft in consistency. There should be no blood or pus in the stool, but mucus in small quantities is considered acceptable. Deviations from the norm are considered to be the presence of impurities such as blood, pus, and foam in the stool. A sharp change in the color of stool and its consistency may indicate the development of a pathological process in the body.

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While the baby lives and develops in the mother's womb, meconium accumulates in his intestines. It is a homogeneous tar-like mass of dark olive, almost black color, practically odorless. It consists of condensed cells of the intestinal mucosa, amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby, etc.

Normally, meconium begins to be released from the baby’s intestines after birth and is therefore also called primordial feces (sometimes meconium is released in utero: in the event of an unfavorable course of labor or at the very end of pregnancy, oxygen starvation of the fetus causes premature bowel movement, in this case meconium enters the amniotic fluid and turns them green).

The baby's stool is usually represented by meconium in the first two or three days, that is, until the mother produces a large amount of milk. Sometimes it happens that after the bulk of the meconium has passed, say, during the first day, until the mother’s milk arrives, the baby may not have any stool at all.

After the mother has established active lactation, the baby’s stool gradually becomes mature, usually passing through a transitional stage. Transitional stool is a stool that combines the features of original stool and mature stool; it has a pasty consistency, a yellow-green color and a sour odor. Mature stool is distinguished by a pure yellow color, a homogeneous mushy consistency (it is often compared to thin sour cream), and the smell of sour milk.

Gradually, stool is reduced to approximately 1-3 times a day, but there is a rare variant of the norm when mother’s milk is so completely absorbed by the baby’s body that almost no undigested residue accumulates in his intestines. In this case, bowel movements can occur once every few days, sometimes even once a week.

the frequency of stool once every few days can be considered normal only if three conditions are met: with completely natural feeding (that is, the baby does not receive anything other than breast milk), at least 1.5 months of age and the absence of any signs of ill health - pain and bloating in abdomen, discomfort and difficulty in bowel movements - that is, when the baby eats well, gains weight correctly and nothing bothers him.

Stool during formula or mixed feeding may be no different from normal mature stool during breastfeeding, or it may have a more “adult”, putrid smell, a thicker consistency and a darker, brownish color. Bowel movements during mixed or artificial feeding should occur at least once a day; anything else is considered constipation.

Now that we have become familiar with the “ideal” process, it is necessary to become familiar with possible deviations from this.

Diarrhea Treatment Methods

The main rule in treating diarrhea is to drink plenty of fluids. Frequent bowel movements dehydrate the body, so fluid should be replenished regularly, every half hour. But you should not use carbonated drinks or raw water. It is best to drink herbal infusions, decoctions and jelly, which have astringent, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. The following are suitable for this: St. John's wort, rose hips, chamomile, blueberries, bird cherry, apples, pears, lingonberries, etc.

To remove toxins from the body, you should take drugs that have adsorbing properties - carbon tablets, Smecta, Enterosgel. Salt solutions, for example, Regidron, help replenish the water balance. Until it is known what causes the diarrhea, you should not take drugs to consolidate the stool. First you need to undergo an examination. You should also consult a doctor if diarrhea does not go away for more than a day, is accompanied by abdominal pain, fever, or impurities in the form of blood and mucus in the stool.

In case of stool disorders, it is necessary to adhere to dietary nutrition. In the first hours after the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, or better yet for a day, it is better to refuse food, using only drink. The diet should contain food that helps restore the digestive tract. If vomiting is present, a decoction of rice is suitable. You can eat:

• rice or oatmeal;
• crackers;
• soft-boiled eggs;
• boiled meat or fish (but low-fat varieties);
• low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir;
• boiled vegetables;
• baked apples;
• bananas.

It is important that the food is pureed. You should avoid fatty, spicy, smoked, cold and hot foods so as not to irritate the intestines.

Prevention

Prevention of intestinal disorders involves:

• compliance with hygiene rules;
• Thorough hand washing after going to the toilet, visiting public places (especially during infectious diseases), before preparing food;
• washing dishes and kitchen utensils with hot water and detergent;
• separate placement of raw and cooked food;
• storing perishable food in the refrigerator;
• monitoring the expiration date of products;
• thoroughly frying and boiling food.

Orange diarrhea is an abnormal phenomenon that definitely needs to be paid attention to. Even if there are no other symptoms, it is worth seeing a doctor to find out the cause of the disorder. Prescribed therapy, a recommended diet and adherence to a drinking regime will help you cope with unpleasant symptoms quickly and without complications.

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