What is a normal stool in a person. Stool color in adults: causes and treatment

Frequent stools in a newborn baby are a sign of health. As a rule, the child poops with mushy masses, while the color of the feces is yellow or green, you can observe the presence of particles of processed milk or a mixture. Such a picture is a common occurrence and parents should not worry. If the baby poops with increased frequency or does it very rarely, experiencing discomfort from bloating or colic, gaining weight poorly and eating without appetite, this is a signal to go to the pediatrician for a consultation.

Age norms for stool frequency

For breastfed babies

Let's talk about what are the norms of defecation in a newborn. Young parents should be aware that the color, texture, and amount of breastfeeding baby's bowel movements are not always the same.

The quality of the chair is influenced by many factors: the amount of water and the type of food, the time of day and the characteristics of the child's body. The emotional background and physical condition of a nursing mother also affect the number of bowel movements.

Features of the chair of children up to 2 months

We list age-related changes in stool frequency:

1 day. Meconium - the original stool, tarry and black, is characteristic of all newborns. Children on the first day of life may defecate one or even more than six times a day.
2-7 days. Meconium may have already stopped, but its presence is also quite normal. The original feces accumulate in the children's intestines during the period of prenatal development. He needs to completely go out in order to be replaced by ordinary feces. For this age, stools in the amount of one to three per day are characteristic.
2 weeks (we recommend reading:). For a newborn during this period, an irregular bowel movement is quite acceptable (more details in the article:). The number of bowel movements for each baby will be individual, depending on the lactation of the mother. The constant change in the composition of breast milk during the first month due to the establishment of lactation affects the quality and quantity of the baby's stool. At this age, the baby may begin increased gas formation and colic may appear.
3-5 weeks. Mom's milk acts as a laxative, so frequent stools are often observed - up to 10 bowel movements per day. The number of bowel movements directly depends on the number of feedings. A small number of bowel movements in 1 month (less than 4 times) indicates that the young mother does not have enough milk.
Starting from the sixth week. During this period, parents may notice a sharp decrease in the number of bowel movements. Lack of bowel movements can be observed for a day, two or even three. What is the reason? The enzyme crisis is to blame. The renewal of breast milk provokes the appearance of new enzymes, to which the small organism is now getting used. The process of adaptation can take up to several weeks - during this period, you can notice both an increase in the desire to suck on the breast, and the rejection of mother's milk.

After 6 weeks, children have an enzyme crisis - the baby's gastrointestinal tract is completely rebuilt for mother's breast milk, in connection with which new enzymes are produced

Number of stools after 2 months to a year

We continue to study the change in defecation:

2 months. The individual rhythm of the gastrointestinal tract begins precisely from this age. Bowel movements at this age are no longer so frequent. Pediatricians note that each two-month-old child may have its own characteristics and the amount of stool: some poop once or twice a day, while others do it still intensively - up to six times. Both options are considered normal.
6 months. The prepared body of a 6-month-old baby and a large number of enzymes allow you to start introducing complementary foods. The quality of the stool changes even before the start of complementary foods: the appearance of a specific smell is noted, the density of the feces increases, and the number of bowel movements decreases.
A one-year-old baby can poop one to three times a day.

There are no clear norms for the number of bowel movements for infants. The presence of a chair after each feeding is a completely normal picture. A child who poops a lot can be weighed more often, starting from the second week, since the first week of life is characterized by weight loss, and the second - the beginning of a set of treasured grams. No matter how many bowel movements a day your baby has, a weekly increase of 150 g is a sign of normality.

By the year the child's stool is set at a frequency of about 1-3 times a day, its consistency and smell also change. This is due to a change in diet and the beginning of the use of "adult" food.

For formula-fed babies

It is noted that artificially fed babies can poop with the same intensity as babies, but still, in most cases, an artificial baby poops less often. This difference is associated with a longer absorption of the adapted mixture compared to mother's milk:

Number of feedings = number of bowel movements. For a child on an artificial type of feeding, the same principle is characteristic as with breastfeeding. The baby receives the mixture every 3.5 hours, which means that the number of bowel movements will also decrease.
Thickness of feces. The feces of formula-fed babies are denser, which affects the different times of bowel movements and their regularity. The long passage of feces through the intestines leads to its hardening and possible constipation.
Stool retention. A sign of stool retention in an artificial baby is the absence of defecation during the day, which would be quite normal for a breastfed baby.

The baby may experience constipation or suffer from frequent loose stools due to an improperly selected mixture. Consulting with a pediatrician will help solve this problem. Choosing the right mixture together and smoothly transitioning to it will help to establish a chair.

Frequent change of the adapted mixture is harmful to the child's digestive system. A small body must get used to the new composition of the mixture, and a frequent or abrupt change in food provokes an increase in the frequency of stools, or vice versa - greatly reduces it.

Get rid of constipation in 4 steps

This article talks about typical ways to solve your questions, but each case is unique! If you want to know from me how to solve exactly your problem - ask your question. It's fast and free!

Constipation in children who eat mother's milk is a rare phenomenon. You don’t have to worry if the baby poops on its own every three days, this indicates the correct assimilation of mother’s milk. A chair even once every 5 days for infants is considered the norm by pediatricians, provided that the child feels well.

If a mother notices frequent whims, increased gas formation, colic or refusal to eat, it is worth resorting to auxiliary means:

Lactulose syrup (we recommend reading:). Milk sugar - lactulose helps the active work of the intestines. Such a safe laxative can be purchased at any pharmacy without a prescription. Pediatricians advise keeping it in an individual baby. Of the side effects, there may be an increase in the amount of gases in the first days of taking the drug. It is necessary to start treatment with small doses, exceeding the amount is not permissible.
Children's glycerin suppositories (we recommend reading:). Such candles should be placed only when necessary. One candle, as a rule, solves the problem. Irregular stools and the inability of the child to poop on their own, the need to regularly resort to the help of candles is a signal to seek help from a pediatrician.
Enema or gas tube. These procedures are not recommended to be performed regularly. They should be used only as a life-saving remedy for severe bloating and the absence of stools for several days. About that, and an enema, read our article.
Gymnastics and tummy massage. Such physical activity will help the intestines to start working. In this case, there will be an active promotion of fecal masses and the discharge of gases.

Glycerin suppositories are an emergency remedy that allows you to quickly solve the problem of childhood constipation (for more details, see the article:

There are topics that are taboo in our society. One of these topics is the frequency of stool in an adult.

How many times a day do they go to the toilet?
What should be the feces?
What consistency?
What to do if you suffer from constipation?

Surely, each of you at least once in your life asked such questions. But not the fact that he found answers to them.

So, we eat at least 3 times a day, but how many times a day do we empty our intestines? While each of you is thinking about the correct answer to this question, I will allow myself a small lyrical digression. This spring, while on a trip to India for a health program, some of our group had a colon cleanse.

Several days have passed since its completion, and one of the girls says to me: “Something I go to the toilet for the most part after every meal. Maybe I should drink some fermented milk products with probiotics? I ask: “Why? It's great - a normal frequency of stools when there is no constipation. She answered me: “Well, it’s all somehow inconvenient. Just ate and immediately run to the toilet. I'm afraid I won't make it."

Do you understand WHAT kind of beliefs sit in the minds of our fellow citizens? Frequent stools (if they are not liquid, if you do not have diarrhea) are perceived as something abnormal! I specifically climbed into the Internet now to read what they write on its open spaces about how often you need to go to the toilet. And she was horrified: sites, whose expert opinion, apparently, people should listen to, assure them that going to the toilet more than once a day is a reason to see a doctor.

For some obese people with excess weight, these experts even allow them to go to the toilet for the most part 2 times a day, without scaring them with pathology and dangerous diseases. In other cases, people are sent to see a psychotherapist!! Can you imagine?! No, I am a psychotherapist myself, and I am not against new clients, but it seems to me that someone here is going too far or deceiving.

So, back to a more mundane topic: slim women can go to the toilet once a day, fat women - 2 times a day. And that's all ... Cases when a person without signs of diarrhea walks more often are not even considered and described. Apparently, this is some kind of rarity that should be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Yes, of course, we all understand that the main thing is a chair at least once a day. And when you go to the toilet less often, then you definitely have constipation, and something needs to be done about it. Change your diet, do special breathing exercises to massage the intestines, lead an active lifestyle.

But why does almost no one think about where the food eaten goes if we eat 2-3-4-5 times a day, and visit the restroom once a day? If you just think logically, then bowel movements should not be once a day at all. And exactly as much as how many times you ate.

Do you remember babies, especially infants or children, who are fed with raw vegetables, fruits and berries in the summer season? Even if you don't have children, you've probably heard that baby's stool goes something like this: eat - poop - eat - poop.

Again: I'm talking about babies whose mothers are more or less properly fed, who have a vegetarian menu as a priority, and not dairy and meat products. Children of fans of the theory that "without protein, the baby will not survive" have been familiar with all kinds of laxative-enema-probiotic frauds in the ass since childhood.

Can you boast of a normal stool frequency?
How often do you suffer from constipation?
Is the problem relevant for you: “I can’t go to the toilet at least once a day”?

I assure you that it is easiest for vegans, vegetarians, and especially raw foodists to answer these questions. Most of the time they don't have these problems. For example, I have more raw, unprocessed food in my diet. But in the spring in the Moscow region, I have an extremely difficult time with these “quirks” of mine: there is a catastrophic shortage of vegetables and fruits (seasonal, farmer's). Not the most “lively” diet of the beginning of the Moscow spring is reflected in the chair: going to the toilet more than 2 times a day is not very successful. But already in early June, my son and I moved to the Krasnodar Territory for the whole summer and lean here on fruits, berries, vegetables, greens.

In the morning we have freshly squeezed juices every day, and the blender makes wonderful green smoothies, like that pot of porridge from a fairy tale. I use the stove here only for heating water for healing herbal infusions.

Sugar and sweets from it in our diet are absent as a class. Poor ice cream producers can't make money on us at all: we only eat cold treats of our own preparation (only from berries and honey).

And what can I say? For the most part, I can go to the toilet without problems and constipation.. Do you know how many times a day? 3-4 times a day for sure. Always upon waking, after breakfast and after every meal of live, unprocessed food.

So, the frequency of your stool directly depends on the mode and quality of your diet. The more living, vital food gets into your body, the more your intestines work with pleasure. If you indulge yourself with a green leaf of parsley only on big holidays, and you get carbohydrates not from fruits grown on a tree, but from store-bought "ice cream cakes", you should not be surprised at the poor performance of the peristilium: intestines clogged with feces and stones will be your norm.

Alena Grozovskaya

The most natural process in human life is the daily self-emptying of the intestines. In the absence of any pathologies, this process does not cause any discomfort. In order for the chair to be daily and painless, it is enough to eat right. Malfunctions in the intestinal tract occur for a number of reasons. For example, the presence of chronic diseases, surgical interventions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, nutritional errors. In cases where deviations in the quantity and quality of bowel movements are present without the reasons described above, this should be alarming. Further in the article, in detail about what a normal stool should be in an adult, when the color of feces or impurities in it can indicate health problems, be symptoms or signs of the development of various kinds of diseases.

Standard, normal stool in an adult

The body of each person is individual. What is considered pathological for one person is considered normal for another. Normal bowel movement in an adult depends not only on his eating habits, but also on the metabolic processes in the body. Therefore, the color of the stool, the consistency of the feces in an adult can differ significantly from the type and quality of the food consumed, the presence of diseases or other features of the person's state of health.

Most people have a bowel movement every day in the morning. For them, this process is the norm. However, if this process is disturbed, these people start to panic. Such people should remember that self-emptying of the intestine once every 2 days or 2 times a day is also considered normal. The feces should be sufficiently thick in consistency and should not contain any impurities such as mucous, blood, foamy discharge. Even when the daily stool in an adult has changed a little and the intestines are cleared once every two to three days, there is no need to sound the alarm. The problem of irregular or frequent stools may be a violation of the diet. In such cases, first you need to normalize the diet, and only if this measure does not bring relief, you need to consult a doctor.

Frequent stools, frequent urination, causes of diarrhea

Along with infrequent bowel movements (1 every two to three days), a person can be disturbed by stool, which is repeated up to five times a day. If the feces are quite dense in texture and do not cause any problems, then eating foods that help speed up digestion may be a possible cause of frequent stools. You need to worry only in those cases when the feces with frequent stools become liquid and contain foam, mucous or spotting. At the same time, the stomach is quite painful and the body temperature is higher than normal. Urgent measures should be taken to prevent complications of well-being.

Liquid stools, loose stools in an adult

Not always the cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by liquid stools, indicates problems with the digestive tract. If the stools are liquid, as with diarrhea, are not strong and do not cause pain in the abdomen, then they may be of a natural nature. A factor influencing the liquefaction of feces and the onset of diarrhea may be food eaten before. Eating kefirs, yogurts, milk, certain vegetable products and fruits in large quantities contribute to the appearance of liquid stool masses. Also, such loose stools in an adult can be preceded by alcohol consumed in huge portions, namely beer and wine. With the help of a strong bowel movement, the body tries to free itself from alcohol poisoning.

Adult frothy stool

With the appearance of loose stools, diarrhea with foamy contents, do not panic. You should know that fermentation processes are caused by an excess of carbohydrates in the human body, which have accumulated for a long time. In this regard, it is recommended to exclude from your menu sweet fruits, certain types of vegetables, soda, alcohol, which causes gas formation. Liquid cereals should be introduced into the daily menu with foamy and frequent stools in an adult. They help to strengthen the contents of the stomach and improve its work.

Stool with mucus in an adult, causes of stool with mucus impurities

In adults, the feces may contain a small amount of mucus due to the consumption of food that promotes the formation of mucus. Therefore, a stool with an admixture of mucous secretions is not surprising if a person’s daily diet consists of mucous cereals, dairy products, fruits, and berries. In this case, additional discomfort is also possible in the form of bloating, diarrhea, pain in the abdominal region.

Quite often, liquid stools containing mucus appear during long-term antibiotic therapy. Also, fecal masses, liquid in form with foam, are characteristic of violations of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, chronic inflammatory processes in the stomach, ulcerative colitis, intestinal fissures, the presence of Escherichia coli and other infections.

Feces with blood, causes of blood-stained stools, causes

Many people in vain do not pay attention to the stool with single blood blotches. A change in the color of feces and the presence of blood impurities is evidence of quite serious pathologies. If the blood in the stool is bright scarlet and is located on top of the stool, then the reason most likely lies in the fact that there are anal fissures.

The black tint of the stool indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The black color of the feces is due to the fact that in the process of moving through the intestines, the blood has already coagulated. A sign of the opening of an ulcer is considered to be a small amount of feces with a sufficiently large amount of blood discharge. If you find such dangerous symptoms as feces with blood, you should immediately consult a doctor.

How to understand that the color of the stool indicates disease?

Also, other shades of fecal stool indicate the presence of pathologies. Light gray or white feces indicate the presence of Crohn's disease, rotavirus infection, malignant or benign neoplasms, kidney stones, and dysbacteriosis. The shade of feces depends on changes in the diet and on the stage of chronic diseases.

Adult black stool

The black color of feces in the stool is possible in cases where the day before a person consumed foods that contribute to the color of feces, as well as in the presence of internal bleeding of the upper intestine. After taking or while taking certain medications, bowel movements may also turn black. For example, medicines for anemia, activated charcoal and a number of other medicines that contribute to the appearance of black stool.

Green stool and its causes

The green hue of feces indicates that there are fermentation processes in the body, the causes of which can be either overeating foods containing large amounts of carbohydrates, or the development of bacterial infections. Quite often, green feces are associated with large impurities of mucous secretions. Along with the unusual green color of the stool, mild pain, flatulence, and bloating appear.

Yellow stools, causes of yellow stools

A bright yellow hue of feces means that there are pathologies with the gallbladder in the human body. If, with this color of feces, a bitter taste is also felt on the lips and in the mouth, then there is no doubt that there are problems with the bile ducts. Disorders of the pancreas, due to which a large amount of bile secretion simply does not have time to break down, are the cause of the yellow color of the stool. Also, a yellow stool in an adult may indicate diseases of the digestive tract and the presence of kidney stones. With urolithiasis, yellow stools will be observed for a long time.

Causes of gray stool in an adult

A grayish stool with a very strong, offensive odor indicates a clear sign of malabsorption. When a person abuses fatty foods, his pancreas does not have time to cope with it, which leads to colorless feces.

White stools, causes of white stools

A light shade of fecal discharge in an adult may indicate hepatitis or pancreatitis. A white stool in an adult mainly indicates obvious pathologies of the bile ducts, or the impossibility of outflow of bile secretions. In such situations, certain difficulties may be hidden in the appearance of stones or in the presence of neoplasms in the form of tumors. A white shade of stool in an adult is also possible as a result of dysbacteriosis, which causes constant discomfort.

Throughout the life of an adult, fecal masses can undergo significant changes. In this regard, what is considered normal at fifteen or twenty years old, after the age of forty, may be the first "beacon" to the appearance of pathology. Therefore, experts recommend that you be more careful about your health, monitor the slightest changes in your body, and if you suspect any disease, do not self-medicate, but be sure to consult a doctor.

How many times a day should a person walk on the big one?

There is no definite norm how many times a day and in what quantities an adult needs to defecate. However, a certain standard is the amount from three times a day to once in three days. On average, a person walks about once every 24 hours and produces 28.35 g of feces per 5.443 kg of body weight. Based on this norm, the feces of a man or woman weighing 72.6 kg are equated to 454 g of feces daily.

Frequent stools (more than four times a day) that are rare and watery are called diarrhea. This definition is appropriate when it is not a symptom of any more serious illness (the exception is circumstances in which the fluid from the body comes out only with diarrhea). There are three types of diarrhea: acute, persistent and chronic. The first category occurs after infection and quickly stops. Chronic diarrhea may last for more than two weeks, but chronic diarrhea lasts for months. The causes of diarrhea are usually infections, medications (particularly antibiotics), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and nutritional problems (not digesting any foods, which happens due to physiological characteristics).

Different people have different stool frequency. As noted earlier, the norm is a bowel movement from three times a day to one bowel movement in three days. There are many factors that have a certain effect on intestinal motility (gastrointestinal movements), because of which you should not worry. The motility of the gastrointestinal tract is affected by: changes in diet, medications, moving and traveling, sleep, sports, hormonal surges, tension and stress, diseases, operations, childbirth and much more. It is also necessary to monitor how the processes of emptying the rectum and bladder occur. A clear signal of the existence of problems with the human body are too strong attempts to defecate and urinate.

What should be the daily amount of feces?

With a varied diet, the daily rate of defecation is considered to be the amount of feces in the range of 150-400 g. If plant foods predominate in a person's diet, then the abundance of stool increases. In the case of the dominance of food of animal origin, the frequency of bowel movements is much less.

Too much and active excretion of waste products from the body for three days or more (polyfecal matter) may be a harbinger of an ailment of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and its tracts, pancreas, or the loss of one or many nutrients entering the digestive tract due to their insufficiency. absorption in the small intestine (malabsorption). Constipation can sometimes be a consequence of a decrease in the amount of feces and the frequency of emptying. This is due to the prolonged retention of body waste in the colon and excessive absorption of fluid, due to which the volume of bowel movements decreases. It can also be the predominance of food that is digested too quickly.

What should be the density of feces?

The normal composition of feces is 70% water and 30% food that has undergone the process of processing by the body, dead bacteria, as well as exfoliated particles of the gastrointestinal tract. The product of defecation most often has a cylindrical shape, and in structure it resembles a soft round sausage. However, the high content of vegetable components in the diet contributes to the thickening of feces. A favorable indicator is the absence of bloody clots, mucus, pus and parts of incompletely digested food.

The deviation from the standard is mushy feces. This happens with a rapid contraction of the walls of the small intestine, as well as with an increased secretion of intestinal juice. Too thick defecation products occur with difficulty in emptying, inflammatory infections and convulsive contractions of the colon mucosa. Ointment-like waste occurs with complications in the functioning of the pancreas, a rapid decrease in the flow of bile into the intestines. More rare bowel movements occur when food is difficult to process in the small intestine, improper absorption and extremely rapid passage of feces. Foamy stool occurs in case of development of fermentative dyspepsia. With this disease, fermentation processes in the digestive tract occur more often and longer than any other. Tape feces occur when a patient has a persistent narrowing of the lumen or a prolonged spasm of the colon, as well as in cancer of the final part of the digestive tract. More liquid and frequent bowel movements are called diarrhea. Muddy, fluid stools occur when large amounts of fluids are consumed. Foamy stools are a sign that the food or drink you have eaten has been high in yeast. Thin feces can signal ailments of the colon, namely, neoplasms or polyposis.

What should the stool smell like?

The standard is considered not very pleasant, but not too irritating smell. This is influenced by the food that enters the body. The reason for a sharp darling can be meat, sour - food of dairy origin. Also, the smell directly depends on the manifestation of the processes of fermentation and decay in the organs. Acid is felt in fermentative dyspepsia. Causes her frequent consumption of carbohydrates (baked goods, sugar) and carbonated liquids in large volumes. Pronounced stench occurs in case of problems in the functioning of the pancreas (its inflammation), a decrease in the flow of bile into the intestine (cholecystitis), hypersecretion of ions and any liquid into the intestinal lumen. This also occurs due to an excessive amount of bacteria. Some of them produce hydrogen sulfide, which has a characteristic rotten smell. Feces smell of rottenness with problems in the process of digestion of food, putrefactive dyspepsia, which is associated with the frequent use of protein and its slow absorption. Also, the causes of this smell can be granulomatous enteritis or ulcerative colitis. A mild aroma is characteristic of difficult emptying of the gastrointestinal tract or too rapid evacuation of food through it.

What should be the shape of feces in an adult?

A thin stool (pencil) indicates interference in the lower half of the digestive tract or an external onslaught on the large intestine. If these symptoms appear, a colonoscopy should be done in order to rule out the development of cancer. Small and hard stools are clear signs of difficult bowel movements, namely constipation. This may be due to missing fiber in a person's diet. It is necessary to increase the content of dietary fiber in the diet, perform more sports exercises, use psyllium and flaxseeds to improve intestinal motility.

Too soft stool that sticks to the toilet means your body is not absorbing oils the way it should. Sometimes essential drops float directly in the toilet. With these symptoms, there are also disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas, so it is very important to immediately contact a specialist in medicine for diagnosis. The presence of mucous clots in the feces is a common occurrence. However, if excessive mucus is seen in the stool, there may be some kind of inflammation in the body, granulomatous enteritis or ulcerative colitis.

Gases in the intestines, what is the norm in an adult?

Gases are produced due to the functioning of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. During defecation and in a calm state, from 0.2 to 0.5 l of gas is excreted from the body of an adult during the day. The standard is to fart about 10-12 times a day (preferably less). More frequent emission may be the result of the presence of the following foods in the diet: carbonated drinks, foods containing carbohydrates, fiber, yeast, and lactose.

stool color- an indicator that can depend on many factors. Among these are the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, the composition of the microflora, nutrition and lifestyle of a person. The appearance of an incomprehensible shade of feces usually occurs for physiological reasons, but may also indicate the development of gastrointestinal pathology.

What does the color of stool mean?
Stool coloring	Symptoms	Causes	Actions
Very light, milky, light green, clay, straw	Constipation, loose stools	Fatty foods, liver disease, gallbladder disease, bowel dysfunction, malabsorption, hepatitis, rotavirus	Change of nutrition, cleansing the liver and gastrointestinal tract
Black, sometimes purple with blue veins	Abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness	The use of dark-colored foods (prunes, blueberries), drugs (activated charcoal), vitamins, large amounts of alcohol. Gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, liver cirrhosis	Refuse alcohol, reduce the intake of iron supplements, consult a specialist
Burgundy, brick, raspberry	diarrhea, weakness

Dark green, gray-green or olive color indicates colitis, irritable bowel syndrome. Feces turn yellow or yellow-brown in violation of the absorption of fats in the body, pancreatic cancer. A sandy shade is a common occurrence for vegetarians. If the feces are red, this most often indicates the presence of hemorrhoids, anal fissures. The color of feces in colorectal cancer of the intestine varies from bright red to beetroot. In this case, the patient has constipation and sharp pain during bowel movements. Scarlet heterogeneous stools may indicate the presence of diverticulitis, intestinal infection, inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. With such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo a complete medical examination. Orange color of feces is an indicator of diseases of the biliary tract.

Causes of discoloration of feces

Despite the fact that the color of feces is normal in children and adults is considered brown, temporary changes in shade should not be a concern if there are no symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders. The reasons for changing the color of bowel movements in men, women and children can be varied, from harmless to dangerous to health:

insufficient secretory activity of the pancreas;
cholelithiasis, inflammation of the bile ducts;
oncology, HIV, diabetes;
dysbacteriosis;
pancreatitis, chronic cholecystitis, gastritis;
cholera, rotavirus infection;
appendicitis;
allergies, poisoning with toxic substances;
biliary dyskinesia;
jaundice.

The color is also affected by the use of alcohol, medications and products containing dyes. Experienced stress is also capable of changing the color of feces in a healthy adult at any age.

Physiological causes: food, drugs

The use of vitamins or tablets can change the color of feces to an unusual and uneven one. The most common drug that affects this indicator is activated charcoal. Iron preparations (Sorbifer, Creon) are also among the drugs that can color stools.

Darkening of faeces is also possible under the action of bismuth derivatives. Blackening of stools also occurs after eating foods such as blueberries, cherries, carrot juice, coffee drinks, and in rare cases, tomatoes or tomato paste.

It should be borne in mind that the coloring of the stool or the presence of multi-colored inclusions in its composition should not be accompanied by pain, the presence of mucus, diarrhea, constipation, fever.

With such symptoms, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor who will prescribe tests and make a diagnosis.

Symptoms of diseases by the color of feces

The reason for the release of feces, resembling potassium permanganate in color, most often, are streaks of blood in their composition. This indicates hemorrhoids, anal sphincter fissures. Such injuries appear after difficult childbirth, sexual contact, operations to remove hemorrhoids.

Black (hypercholic) stools may indicate bleeding. This is a sign of a stomach or duodenal ulcer. The most dangerous diagnosis in this case is colon cancer. With it, the patient has:

admixture of blood in the stool;
change in shape - the stool is thin, like a thread;
feeling of empty bowel.

Hypocholic, i.e. pale feces, appear after eating a large amount of rice, potatoes. The reason may also be in tumors of the bile ducts. With pancreatitis, the shade of feces also becomes pale. Absolutely white stool (acholic) occurs when the bile ducts are blocked.

When the stools turn ocher in color, then the cause lies in pancreatic insufficiency. If the stool becomes green, earthy, mustard, or clay-colored, it indicates hepatitis.

In the case when a change in the color of feces is accompanied by pain, it is important to seek medical help as soon as possible, according to the results of the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe the optimal treatment. Eliminate the symptoms will help taking medications such as Almagel, Bifidumbacterin, Omez, Pancreatin, Allochol, Nemozol and Papaverine, Enterofuril.

Change in stool color during pregnancy

Deviations in the properties of feces from the norm in pregnant women, especially in the early stages, are not uncommon. Usually the cause is not a disease, but physiological factors. Women during the period of bearing a child take a lot of iron-containing drugs and multivitamins (for example, Elevit), so the usual color of feces may change to black or green. Sometimes this phenomenon is facilitated by the use of blueberries, currants, cranberries, buckwheat, black pudding. If a woman did not eat such foods, did not take vitamins, she should immediately take a stool test to determine latent blood in it and undergo other diagnostic procedures as prescribed by a doctor.

The reason for the greenish tint of stool lies either in the use of a large number of leafy vegetables, or in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, rotavirus, dysbacteriosis. In the case of pathology, additional symptoms appear, such as persistent diarrhea. For treatment, the doctor prescribes drugs such as Enterosgel, Mezim, Enterol, Smecta, Phosphalugel.

Normal stool in a child

In newborns, in the first two days of life, feces are black, dark green or green in color. With GV (breastfeeding), the stool has a golden, yellow tint, sometimes pearlescent. By 4–5 months, this phenomenon disappears. If the baby is on artificial feeding with mixtures, his feces become thicker, the smell is sharper, and the color brightens.

If a nursing mother notices that the baby's feces have become watery and yellow (red or lemon), then you should not worry, because. this is affected by changes in the fat content of breast milk. When feeding with poorly diluted cow's milk, the feces begin to silver, air bubbles are observed. If the child is malnourished, then the stools become dark, earthy. This is also observed in children under one year of age with the introduction of complementary foods consisting of green fruits and vegetables. In this case, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician and adjust the child's diet. With dysbacteriosis or other gastrointestinal problems, the doctor prescribes the drug Enterofuril or Essential forte.

Diet and prevention of possible pathologies

If the stools began to darken or lighten, a person must figure out what influenced this. To accurately determine the causes, research and the help of qualified specialists will be required.

To prevent the development of pathologies, it is important to follow the principles of proper nutrition.

To do this, you need to give up too fatty and spicy foods. Another contraindication is the abuse of alcohol and fast food. Vegetables and fruits must be washed well, milk must be boiled. In addition, it is important to take general tests every six months, to conduct ultrasound of the abdominal organs and the genitourinary system. The work of the digestive tract is improved by constant physical activity, including the performance of various gymnastic exercises, running, Nordic walking.

Feces, feces or feces is a by-product of digestion. Food mixtures with bile from the liver and digestive enzymes from the pancreas provide the possibility of enzymatic breakdown (digestion) of proteins, carbohydrates and fats of food in the composition of the suspension. The suspension passes through the small intestine, where the absorption of nutrients and a significant part of the water into the blood takes place. Liquid waste is fed into the large intestine. In the large intestine, some more water is absorbed and feces are formed. Normal stool contains bacteria, undigested food, cellulose from undigested plant foods, and bile.

More than 900 ml of liquid - saliva, gastric juice, gallbladder, pancreas and intestinal secretions - enter the gastrointestinal tract daily. About 500-1500 ml of this fluid reaches the large intestine, and only about 150 ml is excreted in the stool (faeces). Water and electrolytes are absorbed in both the small and large intestines. The large intestine can only absorb about 300 ml, if the amount of water exceeds this volume, then the feces become liquid, diarrhea. Figure 1 shows the volumes of fluid secreted and absorbed by individual organs of the gastrointestinal tract during the day. There is no single definition of normal feces. There is a whole range of what can be considered normal, the regularity of emptying each person is very individual. There are, however, a few signs that feces are no longer in your personal normal range and should be discussed with your doctor.

Many people think that a normal bowel movement is one bowel movement each day, but this is not the case for everyone. There is no rule for the frequency of bowel movements, the general range is from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Less than 3 bowel movements per week indicates constipation, while more than 3 times a day and watery stools indicate diarrhea.

Size and shape of feces

For self-orientation about the state of the gastrointestinal tract, English gastroenterologists proposed a scale table of feces (stool) forms - the Bristol scale of feces forms - is a self-diagnostic chart that helps patients characterize their bowel movements without embarrassment or embarrassment. The Bristol Stool Scale is currently used worldwide as a tool for assessing the bowel and digestive system.

Based on the Bristol Stool Shape Scale, normal stools should be soft and easy to pass, although some people may have harder or softer stools than others. The stool should be brown or golden brown in color, well formed, have a texture similar to peanut butter, and be the size and shape of a sausage. In many cases, if the feces change slightly from what is described, there is no reason to worry, especially if this is an isolated case. But if your feces suddenly change and differ significantly from the usual, this is a reason to visit a gastroenterologist.

Macroscopic analysis of feces can be of great help in the diagnosis of certain diseases, but not sufficient to make definite conclusions about the presence or absence of some disease of the digestive system.

Some changes in the characteristics of stool are common to various diseases: colitis, tumors, benign polyps, hemorrhoids, malnutrition, functional diseases. This means that the detection of an abnormal fecal value should be considered in the context of the patient's clinical condition and the final assessment should be made by a physician who, if necessary, will refer to the appropriate subspecialists.

Indicators that should be considered in the macroscopic analysis of feces.

Composition of feces

Feces are 75% water and 25% solids. The dry residue of the solid fraction is highly variable and consists of residues (fiber) of undigested cellulose. Fiber is very hygroscopic and is what retains water in the stool, which is why low-protein diets produce soft, bulky stools, while high-protein diets that are deficient in fiber (fiber) cause constipation. 30% of the dry mass of feces are bacteria of the intestinal microflora, 15% - inorganic substances (calcium and phosphates), 5% - fats and their derivatives. There are also small amounts of desquamated (desquamated) intestinal mucosal cells, mucus, and digestive enzymes.

Thus, a significant part masses of feces of non-food origin and feces are formed even during fasting.

The mass of feces depends significantly on the nature of the diet, and, in particular, on the content of fibers in it. With a normal diet, the normal value of the mass of excreted feces in adults is 150-300 g per 24 hours. Higher values may be with a vegetarian diet.

stool color

The normal color of stool varies from light brown to dark brown. This is due to the chemical conversion of bile bilirubin and its metabolite stercobilin into urobilinogen by intestinal bacteria and enzymes. Bile is formed in the liver and released in the intestines, where it is involved in the digestion and absorption of food fats.

Consider what color feces can be colored and why

Green feces

Gives green color to stool biliverdin , a precursor of bilirubin, which enters with bile and, with rapid transit through the intestines, does not have time to complete its metabolism by the intestinal microflora. For this reason, with diarrhea and the use of laxatives, the stool has a greenish color.

We find the green color of feces with the predominance of leafy vegetables rich in chlorophyll (green plant pigment) in the diet - spinach, arugula, parsley, green beans, etc.

The green color of feces comes from supplements containing chlorophyll and antibiotics.

orange feces

The color of feces is determined by food and some drugs. In the presence of foods rich in beta-carotene that have yellow-orange hues (carrots, pumpkins, apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, etc.), stool becomes orange. Supplements containing this antioxidant pigment and the consumption of drugs based on rifampicin have the same effect on stool color.

Gray-white feces

The predominance of rice and other light-colored cereals in food, potatoes, taking antacids (based on aluminum hydroxide), can give feces a white tint. In accordance with the generally accepted concept, the color of feces is determined by the presence of bilirubin and its metabolites. Fecal hypochromia may reflect a violation of the flow of bile into the intestine (biliary duct stones or cancer of the head of the pancreas), diseases of the liver or biliary tract and pancreas, in which there is a decrease in the content of bilirubin (cirrhosis, hepatitis and liver cancer).

Pale, shiny, and greasy stools are typical of steatorrhea. Steatorrhea is excess fat in the stool caused by intestinal malabsorption. Such feces are a symptom of celiac disease.

Yellow feces

Yellow stool is a sign of the presence of fat in the stool. Fat in the feces can be associated with a disease of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis) and a deficiency of the enzyme lipase, which breaks down fats. Fatty stools are yellowish with a strong unpleasant odor.

Red feces

The red color of the feces is a warning to the patient that he is bleeding.

However, such red foods (tomato juice and tomatoes, red fruits and beets) can give the stool its characteristic color. However, red stools are an alarming symptom of some sort of intestinal bleeding. In this case, the following options are possible.

The streaks of bright red blood that surrounds the stool, does not mix with the stool, indicates bleeding from the rectum in the anus (such blood is visible on toilet paper). The reasons may be: hemorrhoids or anal fissures, but a malignant tumor in the last section of the intestine is not excluded.

If the color of the blood is dark red, the blood is mixed with feces, then this is an indicator of bleeding at the level of the large intestine. This kind of bleeding is observed in polyps, cancer, diverticulitis, inflammatory and vascular diseases.

Gray and black feces

Dark gray stools may indicate the presence of metals such as iron (such as with excessive consumption of chocolate and/or meat) or bismuth. Tarry black stool indicates the presence of partially digested blood (melena), which appears in the stool when bleeding from the upper digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, duodenum). Even small bleeding from the small intestine and caecum of the large intestine can turn stools blackish.

With black feces, it must be remembered that activated charcoal, licorice, blueberries and black olives, red beets, red and black grapes, red wine, etc. can color feces blackish and black. Unlike melena, such feces do not have a fetid, nauseating odor.

Constipation is usually associated with dark stools due to the longer stay in the colon, while diarrhea is associated with light stools.

Smell of feces

The smell of excrement is associated with putrefaction of proteins and the metabolism of amino acids that are not absorbed in the small intestine by bacteria in the large intestine. As a result of the action of intestinal bacteria, indole, skatole, putrescine, cadaverine, etc. are formed, which give an unpleasant odor to the feces.

Malabsorption manifests itself in celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, intestinal infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, diseases of the liver and biliary tract, etc. In some diseases, the digestion of especially sugars and starches is disturbed, which reach the large intestine and are fermented by the local flora with the formation of gases.

The smell of feces is determined to be related to food and the health of our intestines. A balanced diet, eating in small portions and with care to avoid introducing carbohydrates and proteins at the same time ("dissociated diet"), helps to regulate digestion. This reduces bloating and flatulence and the feces retain their "distinctive" odor.

Mucus in stool e

Mucus in the stool is not always a pathological phenomenon. Mucus is secreted by the large intestine, and its function is to lubricate the feces, making it easier to slide through the anus. The color of the mucus is whitish or yellowish white, the consistency is similar to gelatin.

An increase in the presence of mucus in the feces is an indicator of such pathological conditions as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, bacterial colitis. In these cases, the mucus is accompanied by diarrhea and often bleeding. An increase in mucus can be found in irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, allergies or food intolerances, and changes in the intestinal bacterial flora as a result of poor eating habits.

Excess mucus is present in polyps (especially the hairy type) and in tumors of the colon. In the latter case, the mucus is bright and/or mixed with traces of blood.

"Floating" feces

This phenomenon occurs when there is a fair amount of gas and fat inside the stool, the fat makes the gas less dense and the stool sticks to the walls of the toilet. This feature of the feces is characteristic of diarrhea and, in general, for all situations with malabsorption, with fermentation and the formation of gas in the intestines.