What causes green stool in an adult? Why does green stool appear? Malfunction of the body

Green stool in an adult occurs for various reasons. Feces change color when there are threats to human life or diseases develop in the early stages, and also provoke disorders in the functioning of the system and organs. Sometimes the cause of this problem is an incorrect diet. To understand the real cause of the pathologies, it is imperative to undergo all the necessary tests.

Reasons for green color

The main reason for the change in the usual color of stool is the fat-soluble compound bilirubin, which is part of the main structure of bile and penetrates into the gastrointestinal tract.

At a normal rate of passage of food through the intestinal tract, bilirubin begins to oxidize, which also pigments and gives the stool a brown color.

If there is a digestive disorder or processed food moves very quickly through the intestinal tract, then bilirubin does not have time to oxidize and, when emptying, it comes out natural, not oxidized, that is, the feces become green.


There are also many other reasons why green feces appear. Another common reason is the content of inorganic iron compounds in foods and medications.

Such products include:

  • red fish and meat;
  • red bean varieties;
  • foods and drinks with food colorings;
  • sweets based on licorice syrup;
  • dietary supplements with iron;
  • medicines containing seaweed;
  • drugs that replace iodine;
  • sugar substitute.
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What does the color of stool mean?

Normally, stool should be brown in color due to the yellow pigment. The color range of feces completely depends on the concentration of pigment - it will be light, green or even black.

When examining a problem, you need to know its true cause in order to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

If you eat foods that contain a lot of iron, your stool will turn green. When taking carbonated water, jelly, pastry cream with an abundance of dyes, a similar situation will eventually occur.

Green stool in pregnant women

The reasons for changes in stool in pregnant women can be very different factors. One of them is women's diet, which directly affects the color and consistency of feces.

In order for the baby to develop well in the womb and for the woman to feel normal, it is necessary to monitor and consume all the necessary components.

There are situations when an expectant mother tries to eat as many green foods as possible. But it is these plants that have the maximum amount of chlorophyll. When ingested (especially in large quantities), feces become dark green in color. Women should understand that this condition is in no way a pathology.


Green foods may cause colored stools

Many pregnant women take vitamins to develop the fetus and support their body. Calcium and iron, which are included in vitamins, may not be completely absorbed. The remains are passed out along with the feces. This is another reason for green stool.

If a woman has irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease during pregnancy, the intestinal walls will become inflamed. Read more about IBS.

When processed food passes through deformed tissues, it merges with bile. As a result, we have black-green stool.

Doctors do not recommend taking antibacterial drugs during pregnancy. But there are times when they are simply necessary. In such a situation, a woman produces stool with a green tint.

After the course of treatment is completed, the color range of stool will return to normal.

When does stool turn green?

Doctors identify a number of diseases due to which stool is forced to change its normal color. The patient also develops other symptoms that are characteristic of certain problems.

If it is an intestinal infection, the patient will feel pain in the abdomen. Green feces can lead to nausea, vomiting, fever, and loss of strength.

If there is dysbacteriosis, then the microflora of the digestive tract deteriorates, and as a result, almost all beneficial bacteria die.

Then leukocytes collect in the intestines, and the food is not digested, rots and begins to ferment. During this period, the stool changes color.

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Green stool with mucus

Green mucus in feces can be caused by many factors:

  1. Various intestinal infections are often accompanied by mucus and a green tint in the stool.
  2. Doctors distinguish three types of hemorrhoids, which form with a green tint and accumulate near the anus.
  3. Tumor-like neoplasms that are located in the intestines can manifest themselves as yellow or green discharge through the anus with mucus.
  4. Another cause of mucus is congenital intestinal fermentopathy or hereditary pathology in the structure of the upper intestines.
  5. Lactic sugar intolerance.

Treatment

If you have at least one of the above symptoms, you first need to determine the cause. If you feel normal, there are no more changes, you need to go on a diet and temporarily not take any medications.

If an infant has such a problem, the woman needs to reconsider her diet.

In any situation, you cannot make decisions on your own; you need to undergo diagnostics and receive a full recommendation from doctors.


The normal color of stool is brown. They are colored this color by bile pigments. A dark green tint can be caused by foods that a person consumed the day before. Changes in the color and consistency of fecal matter indicate possible pathological changes in the body.

Both adults and children can have green stools. The main reason is poor nutrition. Green coloring of fecal matter occurs when eating foods containing dyes and iron. Such products are: fruit juices, sea fish, lettuce, broccoli, red beans, black licorice, etc.

When consuming some of the above foods, the color of the stool may change within 5 days. A dark green tint to stool is usually observed in vegetarians, since their diet is dominated by vegetables and fruits.

Dark green stool may indicate certain pathologies. This shade of stool appears against the background of bleeding in or. This may indicate a peptic ulcer or cancer processes in the body.Green stool may indicate the development of dysentery; treatment in this case is carried out only in a hospital.

Useful video - What green stool indicates:

Dark green stool can occur due to dysbiosis. Digestive microorganisms die in the small intestine, resulting in processes of rotting and fermentation. Typically, dysbiosis develops with long-term use of antibiotics.

Other possible causes of changes in stool color:

  • Poisoning
  • Crohn's disease
  • Inflammation
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Lactose and fructose intolerance

Additionally, dark green stool may indicate an enzyme deficiency.

Symptoms and complications

With dysentery, in addition to changes in the color of stool, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

  • Weakness
  • Nausea
  • Vomit
  • Temperature increase
  • Abdominal pain

If the color of the stool persists for several days, and the patient complains of abdominal pain and fever, then you should immediately consult a doctor. In addition to the above symptoms, stool upset, weight loss, and putrid smell of stool may be observed. In this case, you will need to be tested for the presence of E. coli, Shigella and other pathogenic microorganisms in the body.

If you experience bloating, frequent belching, or increased gas production, then such symptoms indicate dysbacteriosis.


Black-green feces in a newborn are considered normal during the first month of life. Then it should change and eventually have a light brown tint.

Color may change when switching to artificial feeding. Iron, which enters the body in excess quantities, can give the stool a green tint.If the child is breastfed, then the reason for the change in the color of the stool should be sought in the mother's diet.

A change in stool can be observed when the first teeth erupt. The baby puts everything in his mouth and many things may not be sterile. They contain various bacteria. As a result, not only the color of the stool may change, but this can lead to various diseases.

The dark green color of a child's stool may indicate the development of dysbiosis.

This is usually observed with long-term use of antibiotics, which kill intestinal microflora. This disease is characterized by green feces with a rotten smell.

There is no need to worry if your baby has loose, foamy green stools with mucus. This is considered the norm. The baby sucks out the foremilk, but cannot reach the fatty milk. If such stool has an unpleasant odor and the child is bothered by pain, then this indicates a pathology and you should contact your pediatrician and take the necessary tests.

Diagnostics

To diagnose and identify the cause of this symptom, an examination is carried out. Laboratory methods include microscopic examination, bacterial culture of stool, etc.

Coprogram is a non-invasive and informative method for examining feces, thanks to which you can study the microscopic composition of feces: crystals, etc. In addition, you can examine the chemical composition: content, fat, pigments, protein, etc.Deviations in the coprogram may indicate the degree of damage to the intestines and stomach.

Tank analysis helps to identify pathogens of intestinal infections, microflora, and bacteria. The biomaterial is placed in a special environment, as a result of which the causative agent of the disease and susceptibility to antibiotics are identified.

Features of treatment

If the change in the color of stool is associated with poor nutrition and eating certain foods, then it is necessary to exclude them from the diet and within a few days the stool will return to normal. If there are no other symptoms, then treatment will not be needed.

After diagnosis and determination of the cause of the change in stool color, treatment is prescribed.

  • To eliminate diarrhea and cleanse the stomach of toxins, Smecta, Regidron, Enterosgel, etc. are used. At the same time, symptomatic therapy is carried out. When the temperature rises, antipyretic drugs are used, and for cramps and abdominal pain, painkillers are used.
  • When intestinal infections are detected, antimicrobial drugs are prescribed. Sorbents are used to remove toxins from the body. Antibacterial drugs to suppress pathogens are prescribed penicillins, cephalosporins, tetracyclines, etc. The course of administration should not be less than 7-10 days.
  • In case of dysbacteriosis, to restore the intestinal microflora, drugs containing lacto- and bifidobacteria are prescribed: Bifidumbacterin, Bifiform, Linex, etc.
  • To boost the immune system and accelerate the restoration of intestinal microflora, the use of immunomodulators is recommended: echinacea tinctures, Dibazol, etc.

During treatment, you should avoid eating “harmful” foods: smoked and pickled foods, fried and fatty foods, mushrooms, potatoes, pasta, etc.

It is also not recommended to consume foods that increase gas formation: white bread, milk, bananas, sweet and flour products. This will reduce the load on the intestines. After the course of treatment, a repeat stool test is taken.

When visiting the toilet, not every person pays attention to the result of their efforts. Do not immediately turn away from the toilet rim when pressing the flush button. It is necessary to pay attention to the color of feces; it often signals the general condition of the human body. Green feces in an adult are a sign of the development of a pathological process; such a warning from the body should not be ignored.

Often problems in the large intestine provoke the appearance of such a pathology.

When a person undergoes a general examination for the presence of any diseases, one of the tests on the list is stool. This is an indicator showing whether everything is in order with your health.

An unpleasant odor or unusual color may indicate a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract in both adults and children. But green stool is not always a sign of a serious illness.

Its color could be affected by a person’s daily menu, but when such a symptom appears, it is better to analyze the foods previously eaten and observe the person’s well-being.

Green stool is often observed during the summer season, but this does not mean the onset of any serious infection. In the summer, a person allows himself to eat a lot of greenery, which colors the stool in the appropriate color. Green stool often indicates the development of diseases of internal organs, food poisoning or an infectious disease.

Green feces are a signal of a disruption in the functioning of internal organs or evidence of the development of infectious processes. Therefore, only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis.

What causes stool to be stained?

Normally, the color of human stool is brown and has a medium consistency. If green stool appears, in the absence of any other alarming signals, it is worth reviewing your previous food menu. Some foods have a high iron content and discolor stool.

The color of feces is affected by eating the following foods:

  • Greens - parsley, green onions, lettuce, dill, spinach, green peas.
  • Desserts with a high content of green food coloring: marmalade, jelly, caramel.
  • Seaweed and other foods high in chlorophyll.

Even after stopping eating such foods, the green tint of stool can persist for three to five days. But at the same time, a person should not be bothered by other alarming signs:

  • frequent, foul-smelling stools;
  • severe pain;
  • temperature increase.

Many doctors observe the appearance of green stool in vegetarians and people following a strict, uniform vegetable diet.

Another option is multivitamin complexes. In this case, people observe black-green feces. This happens against the background of a high concentration of iron or when a person eats food fortified with iron at the same time as taking medications. Then you need to either change your daily diet or change your vitamins.

Green feces appear after uncontrolled use of antibiotics as a result of self-medication. In such a situation, consultation with a specialist is necessary; he will select the correct recovery therapy.

The appearance of green stool in pregnant women

A common reason for the appearance of green stool in pregnant women is the abuse of healthy foods.

The expectant mother, taking care of the child’s health, tries to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, especially greens.

Trying to saturate their body with useful substances, women end up with dark green stools. This condition is not pathological, provided you feel well.

If you give up some foods high in iron and chlorophyll, the color of your stool will return to normal.

Vitamins prescribed by a doctor for the normal development of the fetus can affect the change in the color of excrement. Often multivitamin complexes for pregnant women are saturated with calcium and iron; these minerals are not fully absorbed by the body, giving the stool a green tint.

Green stool in pregnant women signals the onset of intestinal diseases or Crohn's disease. A change in the color of feces occurs when antibacterial therapy is prescribed, but after its completion, the color of the stool returns to normal.

List of pathologies causing green stool

If avoiding certain foods does not return the brown color to the stool, then the real cause of green stool is a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, or internal bleeding.

A person should be attentive to himself and, if he suspects the development of a stomach disease, consult a doctor for advice, since green stool can be a harbinger of the following diseases:

  • Enteritis – characterized by inflammatory processes in various parts of the intestine. Associated symptoms are frequent, loose stools.
  • Bleeding in the stomach and intestines.
  • Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or the development of peptic ulcers.
  • Dysbacteriosis - healthy microflora is disturbed, so that the condition does not become chronic, it is necessary to consult a doctor.
  • Dysentery.
  • Salmonellosis.
  • Gastrointestinal diseases - Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis.
  • Food poisoning.
  • Allergic reactions to products containing lactose.
  • Thyroid dysfunction.
  • Diabetes.
  • Liver dysfunction.

Internal bleeding is very dangerous for humans. The development of pathology indicates the appearance of cancer or an exacerbation of a peptic ulcer of the intestines or stomach.

Blood contains iron, which colors stool black-green. This pathology requires serious medical treatment. The sooner the patient seeks help, the higher the degree of favorable outcome.

Dysbacteriosis is not a life-threatening disease, but it brings severe discomfort to the patient: bloating, flatulence, constant colic, discomfort in the intestines, foul-smelling stools. Very often, pathology occurs after the use of antibiotics.

- a dangerous infectious disease. In addition to green stool, the patient has a high body temperature, general malaise, severe abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, and the stool is very liquid. In advanced cases, blood may be observed in the stool. This condition requires urgent medical treatment, but in a hospital setting.

Pathology therapy

If green feces are detected, you need to analyze the accompanying symptoms and remember what you ate the day before. If the cause is overeating greens, then no additional treatment is required; you must discard the product.

Green stool can be caused by non-infectious diseases. Only a gastroenterologist can diagnose and treat them. Based on the collected tests and diagnostic examination, he will prescribe adequate treatment.

If you suspect food poisoning, before visiting a doctor, you need to take some preventive measures:

  • Take a sorbent - this drug will absorb the toxins that caused the poisoning. Patients often use activated carbon, Atoxil, Enterosgel.
  • For diarrhea and vomiting, take medications to prevent dehydration -.
  • Drink plenty of fluids.

If symptoms indicate salmonellosis, then urgent hospitalization in the infectious diseases department and appropriate therapy will be required.

If internal bleeding is suspected, the patient is treated in a hospital surgical department.

If there is a deterioration in the condition, you should not engage in self-medication and self-diagnosis. If an intestinal infection develops or profuse internal bleeding occurs, delay costs a person’s life.

When should you see a doctor?

If a person is concerned about the appearance of green stool, then he must consult a doctor, even if he is not feeling unwell. In some situations, it is better to be overly suspicious than to take a long time to treat a dangerous disease.

An immediate response is required when blood is found in green stool or it smells rotten. Human feces should not emit a stench. The doctor will ask you to bring a sample for examination. With the help of studying all the components of feces. You may have to undergo additional examination of internal organs.

If you experience frequent, loose, green stools, vomiting, or increased body temperature, you should seek help from a specialist. The patient is at risk of serious poisoning or infection of the body with salmonella or other pathogenic bacteria.

The human body is not a mystery if you listen to it and pay attention to it. He points out to a person internal problems in a way that is accessible to him. Changing the color of excrement is one such signal. Green stool is not always a pathology, but it is a reason to think about possible problems.

Video: Dark green stool, pain in the intestines

In adults, normal stool is usually brown due to bile pigments. Depending on the amount of pigments, the color of stool can vary widely from almost bleached white to black.

The color of stool may change when consuming various foods that are intensely colored. Changes in the color of stool are of great diagnostic importance, as this often occurs as a result of various pathological changes in the body.

In general, green stool is an important cause for concern. After all, feces are in many ways a kind of indicator of the body’s functioning, especially in children.

Why is stool green: causes in adults

What does this mean and for what reasons does it appear? Most often, green stool appears in a completely healthy person for the simple reason that he eats many foods that contain green dyes. Such dyes are not digested in the stomach, but gradually begin to color the stool itself dark green. And the more dye was eaten, the more intense the color of the stool will be.

This color of stool can cause:

  • green leafy crops: lettuce, dill, onion, broccoli, savoy cabbage, spinach;
  • caramel with coloring;
  • cereals and muesli;
  • sea ​​fish and red meat;
  • Red beans;
  • black licorice;
  • fruit juices;
  • vegetable purees from a range of baby foods.

However, this coloration of stool also indicates gastrointestinal diseases. Diseases of the small intestine, dysbacteriosis, and taking antibiotics for a long period of time can give green color to stool. In this case, the disease is accompanied by an unpleasant putrefactive odor.

The green tint to stool is given by dead leukocytes, which accumulate in the intestines during an acute inflammatory process. If the patient has food in the small intestine, it is difficult to digest, which leads to putrefactive and fermentative processes in it and the formation of substances that color the stool green in adults.

Why is the stool green: pathological reasons

If we exclude the nutritional factor, then there are a number of other reasons why stool appears green in adults. These factors may be associated with disorders of the intestines and other related organs and systems.

The most common ailments causing dark green stool, are:

  • food poisoning;
  • food allergies;
  • disruption of intestinal innervation;
  • malabsorption syndrome;
  • internal bleeding;
  • fructose and lactose intolerance;
  • thyrotoxicosis.

Sometimes this color of stool is observed in infectious inflammations and diseases, for example, in acute enterocolitis. In this case, the patient may also have vomiting and fever.

What to do?

If your stool has changed color due to certain foods, medications, or dietary supplements, no specific treatment is required. However, in all other cases, you should consult a doctor, especially if green stool is accompanied by fever, diarrhea or constipation, weight loss and general malaise.

Greenish-colored stool can be either a symptom of an incipient disease or a temporary phenomenon. The main thing is to establish the exact cause of such a change, and, if necessary, begin to take measures to restore it.

Poor diet can lead to green stool for several reasons. Among them, it is worth highlighting as a separate group the consumption of greens, foods rich in iron and artificial colors. Green feces in children and adults can appear as a result of eating:

  • green leafy crops - lettuce, dill, onions, broccoli, spinach, savoy cabbage;
  • black licorice;
  • vegetable puree as part of baby food;
  • fruit juices;
  • caramels with dyes;
  • cereals and muesli;
  • red meat and sea fish;
  • red beans.

The dark green color of stool may persist for up to five days after consuming the above foods. Additives or artificial colors may cause stools to appear bright green.

In infants, green stool can persist throughout the first month of life. This is due to the adaptation period and breastfeeding. If the feces acquire an unpleasant, pungent odor, and the baby’s body temperature rises and loss of appetite, then an infectious disease should be suspected and medical help should be sought.

Green feces in infants are not a rare occurrence during teething. In this case, the formation of the shade is affected by excess saliva secretion. In response to this, a fairly large amount of bile is released, which can cause colic in the abdomen and green feces.

In newborns, green feces may be residual effects of the passage of original feces. But with prolonged jaundice, additional studies of liver function and Sometimes in infancy, intestinal dysbiosis and milk protein intolerance appear.

What causes green stool in an adult?

In the vast majority of cases, the green color of an adult’s stool is given by numerous nutritional supplements, which we like to take without prior consultation with our doctor. Many of them can be harmful to health. But most dietary supplements simply cause various side effects. Green stool may appear if you take:

  • iron supplements;
  • herbal laxatives;
  • seaweed and chlorophyll;
  • vitamins and minerals;
  • iodine preparations;
  • sorbitol and fructose.

Pathological causes of green stool in children and adults

If we exclude the nutritional factor, then there are a number of other reasons for the appearance of green stools. These factors may be associated with disorders of the intestines and other related organs and systems.

It is worth knowing that in its natural form, in which bile is secreted from the cavity of the gallbladder, it has a rich green color. As it passes through the intestines, it gradually changes its color, becoming dark brown. If bile passes too quickly, it retains its original color and turns the stool green.

This may be facilitated by;

  1. food poisoning;
  2. Giardia;
  3. salmonellosis;
  4. rotavirus infection;
  5. lactose and fructose intolerance;
  6. malabsorption syndrome;
  7. celiac disease;
  8. Crohn's disease;
  9. thyrotoxicosis - increased levels of the hormone thyroxine in the blood, usually due to an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland;
  10. disruption of intestinal innervation in diabetes mellitus;
  11. disruption of the absorption of bile acids in the small intestine;
  12. inflammation of the small intestine, mainly due to Crohn's disease;
  13. surgical removal of the ileum.

You should consult a doctor if your green stool is accompanied by severe pain along the large and small intestines. If your body temperature rises and vomiting occurs. If the stool is green in color for more than five days.

You should be checked for dysbacteriosis, Shigella carriage and.

What to do if you have green stool?

Green bowel movements due to food eaten or medications and supplements taken are normal and do not require any action. In all other cases, especially if symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss or general malaise are present, you should consult a doctor because you may have a serious illness.



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