Rebecca Smith
What Does It Mean If Your Poop Is Blue Green – Medical Review by Cynthia Taylor Chavusti, MPAS, PA-C – Jane Leonard – Updated January 10, 2023
Feces, faeces, or faeces contain waste products such as undigested food particles, bacteria, and salts. Hard, liquid, or unusually colored bowels may indicate a health problem that needs attention.
What Does It Mean If Your Poop Is Blue Green
Sometimes poop can vary in color, consistency, amount, and smell. These differences can be significant, but usually these changes are not significant and resolve within a day or two. However, other times, stool changes indicate a more serious condition.
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Read on to learn more about the different types of poop, including what’s typical and what’s not.
The Bristol Stool Chart, developed by doctors at the Bristol Royal Infirmary in England and based on the bowel movements of nearly 2,000 people, describes the different types of stool as shown above.
Types 1 and 2 indicate constipation, types 3 and 4 indicate loose stools, and types 5-7 indicate diarrhea and urgency.
Black stools, especially tarry stools, indicate gastrointestinal bleeding. Other substances can also cause black stools, such as:
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If the stool is white, gray or pale, the person may have liver or gallbladder problems, because pale stool indicates a lack of bile. Some anti-diarrhea medications cause white stools.
Spinach, kale, or other green foods can cause green stools. However, green stools may indicate too much bile and not enough bilirubin in the stool.
Red stools can be the result of bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract. A small amount of blood in the stool may indicate hemorrhoids.
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Eating beetroot or red fruits or drinking beetroot or tomato juice can also make the stool red. After these foods pass through the digestive tract, the stool should turn brown.
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However, obstruction of the bile duct or certain medications, including some antacids and the antibiotic rifampicin, can cause orange stools.
If the stool has a yellow or oily appearance, the stool contains too much fat. This can be caused by absorption problems or difficulties in the production of enzymes or bile.
Most people notice a change in the color of their stool at some point. This is usually due to diet or other minor causes.
However, anyone who has stool discoloration or red or black stool that lasts 2 weeks or more should see a doctor.
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If parents or carers notice any changes in the child’s stool, this is usually not a cause for concern, but they can contact the pediatrician for further advice.
There are a number of reasons why a person may experience unusual stools, including:
Stress can trigger and worsen digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This can affect how quickly food moves through the body, which can cause diarrhea or constipation in some people.
Not drinking enough water and other fluids can cause constipation, as the hip needs more moisture to move.
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The fiber acts as a binder to give the bedding its shape. It also helps stool move smoothly through the digestive tract. A diet low in high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can lead to intestinal problems.
People with intolerances or allergies to certain foods often experience diarrhea, constipation, or other abnormal stool symptoms when they eat the problematic foods.
For example, people with lactose intolerance often develop diarrhea when consuming dairy products, and people with celiac disease react negatively to gluten.
In addition to the above causes of constipation, they can occur as a result of changes in lifestyle or routine, such as lack of physical activity or excessive use of laxatives.
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If the stool is bright red, black, or has a resinous substance, people should seek medical attention immediately. These symptoms are signs of blood loss that can become a medical emergency if left untreated.
A healthy digestive system is essential to health and well-being. It also assumes that the person follows a balanced diet.
Constant stool disorders can cause complications. For example, prolonged diarrhea can lead to nutritional deficiencies or, in severe cases, malnutrition, while constipation can lead to intestinal obstruction.
Human stool is usually brown, soft and hard in consistency and passes easily. If someone has a change in their stool, they should monitor the changes and see their doctor if the problem does not go away within 2 weeks.
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To improve bowel function, a person should eat a high-fiber diet, exercise regularly, reduce stress, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
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Different types of garbage. And while discussing your pooping habits can be taboo, sometimes it’s necessary. The Bristol stool chart makes it easy for your doctor to describe your bowel movements (and determine if they are healthy or not). This will be helpful if you have any digestive or intestinal problems and will help your doctor correctly diagnose your symptoms or condition.
“Your bowel movements are the only true indicator of how healthy your gastrointestinal tract is,” says Anish Sheth, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Penn Medicine’s Center for Digestive Health. Knowing what’s normal for you in terms of stool shape, consistency, and consistency can help you take better care of your body and spot any changes that might indicate a bigger problem.
Season 4 Bonus Episode: What Does The Color Of Your Poop Mean? — Gutivate
If you have digestive issues, checking the Bristol Stool Chart will put you and your doctor on the same page about what goes down the toilet without having to bring in a stool sample. Here’s what you need to know about this handy guide and what your poop says about you.
The Bristol Stool Chart, also known as the Bristol Stool Shape Scale or Bristol Stool Scale, is a visual guide to the different types of stool you may have. “We use it to classify the stool and the nature of the stool,” says Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
The chart is “well-validated” and divides stool into seven different types based on consistency, “from hard and grainy to soft and slimy,” says Randall Meissner, MD, a gastroenterologist at Spectrum Health. “It describes different things that are considered normal bowel movements,” she adds.
Hard stools often clump together and can be painful to pass. If the stool has this structure (similar to stones), it indicates that it has been in the colon and large intestine for a long time. In other words, this type of stool is usually a sign that you are constipated.
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If this is what you often see in the bathroom and you don’t have another medical condition that accompanies this side effect, you may have a gastrointestinal condition called chronic idiopathic constipation, or CIC. Drinking more water, making exercise part of your daily routine, and gradually adding more fiber to your diet can help.
A hard stool that is stuck together but still lumpy can also be a sign of constipation. This means that your waste has been in your gut long enough to dry, but it hasn’t
According to the experts at UnityPoint Health, it is dry enough to break into smaller pieces. You can try eating more of these foods to help relieve constipation, but if that doesn’t work, ask your doctor if prescription medications are right for you.
If this describes what you see when you go to the bathroom, congratulations! According to the Bristol Stool Chart, which is used by health professionals and nutritionists, this is considered a healthy stool. However, the cracks indicate that you may be slightly dehydrated. Gastroenterologist Robin Karlstadt, MD, suggests drinking six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to keep your gastrointestinal health at its peak.
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Doctors consider this type of stool (think: sausage or snake-shaped) to be the gold standard, especially if it’s medium-light brown in color and stays flushed. If your poop looks like this, give yourself a pat on the back because it’s a sure sign that you’re eating well and staying well hydrated.
Medical professionals at UnityPoint Health say it’s considered slightly runny stool, but it’s normal for people who have two or three bowel movements a day, usually after their main meal. (If this is normal for you and everything is going well and comfortably, consider it good).
According to the Bristol Stool Chart, cloudy and lumpy stools may indicate inflammation of the bowel or inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease. It may also indicate a major change in your diet.
