White feces in a small child, as a rule, indicates the onset of a disease. Often this symptom indicates a serious disturbance in the digestive tract. If white stool appears regularly, you should consult a doctor.
This symptom can manifest itself as a reaction of the body of the baby, who is on artificial feeding, to individual mixtures for baby food. White stool often appears during the introduction of complementary foods, as well as teething. In older children, such a manifestation may be a sign of excessive ingestion of calcium, which is present in dairy products. White feces also appear in many cases after consuming carbohydrates. This is due to the fact that the child’s body is not able to process them until a certain period. Thus, various causes can cause white feces. All of the above factors are not classified as dangerous.
However, as practice shows, many parents with the appearance of white feces in the baby, primarily suspect hepatitis. At the same time, they begin to look on the baby's body for other characteristic manifestations of jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin). It should be noted that these symptoms do not always immediately accompany the ailment - they can appear much later. And about hepatitis, in this case, only the white color of the feces will speak. However, hasty conclusions should not be drawn. An accurate diagnosis is made only by the doctor after carrying out the necessary studies.
In addition, white diarrhea can indicate a violation of the functioning of the gallbladder, more precisely, partial or complete obstruction in the bile ducts. Feces become white due to bile. If its outflow does not occur, then the masses brighten.
Feces can become white under the influence of certain medications or due to dehydration. Also, a symptom is characteristic of rotavirus infection. However, vomiting, fever, sore throat and redness of the mucous membrane become concomitant manifestations.
White feces in an adult often indicate serious illness. In this case, of course, you should pay attention to what a person ate the previous three days.
Very common causes of stool staining white are problems with the liver, bile ducts, or pancreas. According to some experts and some adult patients, the condition manifests itself after eating butter, sour cream, fat and other foods with a high fat content. In addition to a liquid consistency and white color, such a chair has a very unpleasant odor. It should be noted that in such cases, as a rule, pancreatic diseases are diagnosed. In any case, to clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct certain laboratory tests.
When using medicines, both in children and adults, feces can turn white. The drugs that provoke this symptom primarily include anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, as well as drugs whose action is aimed at combating gout and others.
With the initial detection of white feces, one should not immediately panic. Experts recommend observing its consistency and color for a while. As a rule, five to six days is enough. However, the normal color of the stool appears after two to three days. With a prolonged course of the condition, consult a doctor. If the condition is a consequence of the development of any disease, it will persist for a long time. In this case, self-medication is unacceptable. Qualified assistance is needed.