The appearance of clarified feces may indicate serious diseases in the human body that are associated with the performance of their functions by the liver, pancreas or gastrointestinal tract. It’s simply impossible not to notice a change in the functioning of your body, so you need to remember other symptoms that appeared in the near future. To understand in more detail why a person has white feces, you need to consider each reason for this manifestation separately.
Causes
Do not self-medicate in any case, as this can adversely affect human health. It is most correct in this case to find out why white feces appear, and what diseases can develop in the body. Brown feces in the human body appear due to the work of the liver and bile, which produce a substance such as bilirubin. Accordingly, in the first place it will be correct to assume that pathological processes occur precisely in these organs.
If the feces have changed their color, then you should consult a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe treatment. Here are the main reasons why feces are white:
- First of all, such changes may be associated with prolonged use of antibiotics or other anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Some people only eat fatty foods all the time, which can lead to deviations like colorless feces.
- Adults can observe white feces when enough bile does not enter the duodenum.
- The shade of white can be with gastritis.
- If a person has been abusing alcohol for a long time.
- Feces can change color when chemicals enter the human body in large quantities.
- With light feces, hepatitis may be suspected.
- White stool appears if there are stones in the gallbladder.
- Oncological diseases or the formation of malignant tumors, which for a long time developed without obvious symptoms, should not be ruled out.
These are not all variants of diseases that can lead to discoloration of the stool, but they are considered the most common. It is simply impossible to ignore such a symptom, because it is dangerous when white feces occur in an adult. The reasons may be completely different, but each of them to some extent carries a threat to human life.
Symptoms
In addition to the fact that a person has light-colored stools, other symptoms may simultaneously appear that signal that a serious malfunction has occurred in the body:
- In humans, body temperature may additionally increase.
- Digestion is disturbed.
- There is abdominal pain, which most often manifests itself on the right.
- The whites of the eyes and skin may turn yellow.
- Significantly reduced appetite.
- Vomiting opens and constant nausea appears.
- General weakness and malaise.
- Urine turns dark.
- In the feces, mucus appears with white patches.
- The body weight decreases.
- In feces, small lumps of unprocessed food can be considered.
- The discharge has a pungent odor.
Along with these symptoms, there may be others that are not described above, but all these deviations indicate that unacceptable processes are taking place in the body that can be eliminated only with the help of the correct treatment prescribed by a doctor.
White-yellow feces
If there is a malfunction in the gastrointestinal tract, then most likely a symptom such as white and yellow stools will appear. In this case, the sick person himself may not observe any other symptoms. It should be noted that in itself such a pathology may not indicate a serious disease. For example, this may be directly related to the use of poor-quality food or too much fat. In this case, the diet is used as the main treatment. Before asking the question: “Why is white feces”, it is worth focusing on whether antibiotics or contraceptives had to be taken for a long time before that. But if in parallel with light feces, symptoms such as a feeling of heaviness, bloating, gas formation, upset intestines still begin to appear, then you should immediately consult a doctor.
Why white mucus appears in stool
When a person can find white mucus in the feces, then, most likely, the main problem lies in poor nutrition. A slime of this color appears when a person eats too many dairy products, as well as fruits. If a large amount of mucus appears, then in this case it is most correct to talk about pathogenic microorganisms that are in the intestine. Pale stools, almost white, may indicate:
- Food poisoning.
- On the formation in the intestines of polyps.
- For a syndrome associated with intestinal irritation.
- When a person is allergic to certain types of products.
- The formation of malignant tumors in the intestines and stomach.
- Diseases such as diverticulitis and cystic fibrosis are not excluded.
In any case, mandatory diagnosis and treatment prescribed by a qualified specialist is required.
Acholic stool during pregnancy and diarrhea
Some women face a problem and ask the question: “Why is white feces with diarrhea”, in this case it is worth determining whether pregnancy has occurred, since such phenomena can be directly related to the restructuring of the body. It is worth noting that during the carrying of a child in a woman, all organs work with double strength, therefore, digestion malfunctions can be observed. In this case, do not be too scared, but you need to contact a specialist who will determine exactly what the problem is and prescribe the right diet to normalize the stool.
White color stool in children
Many parents often look for the answer to the question: “Why is the child's feces white,” which at first glance seems completely healthy. It should be noted that most often the problem lies in dysbiosis. Infants practically cannot have hepatitis, but nevertheless cautious parents will definitely go to the doctor to rule out this disease. As a rule, up to a year in a child, white stools appear rather rarely, but you need to pay attention to the smell and its consistency, if there are pieces of undigested food left there, then, most likely, the baby has dysbiosis. It is dangerous when, along with colorless feces, the color of urine changes, for example, it becomes dark in color, in this case we can talk about liver damage.
At an older age, the causes of white feces can be hidden in malnutrition or viral diseases.
What to do when a symptom is detected?
If a person has found colorless feces in himself, then in this case it is not necessary to think why the feces are white, but you should immediately consult a doctor. The specialist will definitely appoint all the necessary tests in order to identify the problem and do everything possible to resolve it as soon as possible. It is worth remembering that even a single appearance of white stool can mean serious illness in the liver. If the patient has no other symptoms, then it is worth trying to adjust the diet, for example, to exclude fatty foods and alcohol. Naturally, the stool can normalize, but this does not mean that there are no reasons for contacting a specialist, it can also be checked as a prophylaxis.
Diagnostics
Why is white feces in an adult, any doctor can tell only after a thorough diagnosis. The main task in this case is to exclude serious pathologies that may occur in the digestive system. Only after collecting all the necessary tests, the specialist will be able to prescribe the correct and correct treatment. When it turns out that feces are discolored due to the presence of stones in the gallbladder, the organ is removed. For proper diagnosis, the following procedures are prescribed:
- The specialist should first of all exclude the exacerbation of chronic diseases and the presence of infections, for this it is necessary to pass an analysis of feces.
- When required, an ultrasound of some organs is performed.
- Often you need to take an analysis for biochemistry.
As soon as the doctor determines the reason why the feces are white, he will immediately prescribe an effective treatment that not only normalizes the stool, but also removes other unpleasant symptoms.
Treatment
If a person feces discolored for the first time, then you can try in order to normalize it, an easy diet. People who drink too much alcohol are more likely to experience changes in the intestines. As soon as the body is cleansed of alcohol, everything will immediately fall into place. If the discoloration of feces is in no way associated with poisoning or antibiotics, then the patient will need to follow these doctor's recommendations:
- Be sure to follow a diet.
- Observe bed rest.
- Try to drink fluids as much as possible.
- Do not eat fried and spicy foods under any pretext.
In most cases, experts can easily determine why the feces are white, and it should be noted that most often this happens due to infection. In this case, the following drugs can be prescribed for treatment: "Klaforan", "Cefotaxime", "Doxicillin", "Monomycin", "Gentamicin".
If cholecystitis is diagnosed, the patient may be prescribed No-Shpu to relieve spasms. For each disease, the doctor prescribes his treatment, taking into account the individuality of the body.
Diet
In order to completely recover and never again face the question: “Why is white feces in an adult, what disease should be looked for in yourself”, it is necessary to properly form your diet as a preventative measure. Each person is recommended to eat less fatty, salty and smoked foods, to the extent there are marinades and preservatives.
If, nevertheless, it did not work to maintain health, and the feces acquired a light shade, then you should not neglect visiting a doctor who will diagnose and prescribe drug therapy.