It may be tawny or clear in color, and a person is unlikely to notice it. When stool has visible mucus, it can be a sign of other health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis (UC), or Crohn's disease.
The presence of mucus in stools can be common. When you're generally healthy, mucus is typically clear and appears in such small amounts that it's often difficult to notice.
Mucus in stool is normal but when you see a lot of white or yellowish mucus, it means you may have a GI problem, like a stomach bug, IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac, or other issue.
A layer of mucus lines and protects the inside of your large intestine (aka your colon). If this layer gets damaged, you'll see a lot more mucus in your stool. If you have diarrhea with mucus, inflammatory bowel disease or an infection could be to blame. It can be accompanied by blood and fevers.
Enemas are gaining popularity for the removal of mucoid plaque because they are believed to remove toxins from the colon. During an enema, a tube is placed in your rectum, and water and possibly other substances are flushed through the colon.
Larger amounts of mucus in stool, associated with diarrhea, may be caused by certain intestinal infections. Bloody mucus in stool, or mucus accompanied by abdominal pain, can represent more serious conditions — Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and even cancer. Elizabeth Rajan, M.D.
A major function of the intestinal mucus layer is to form a barrier between the intestinal epithelium and the luminal content to protect the intestine from pathogenic invasion.
Seek medical care if mucus happens along with abdominal pain, blood in your stool, vomiting, and diarrhea or constipation. You may need tests, including stool cultures, blood tests, imaging studies, or endoscopy to get a proper diagnosis and begin effective treatment.
Common Causes & More Explained. Anal mucus discharge may be caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or an inflammatory disorder like colitis. It can also be caused by food poisoning or a stomach flu, so it's important to look at other symptoms to get the right diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms of diverticulitis
Abdominal pain, many times in the lower abdomen, more often on the left side, but can be present on the right side as well. Fever and chills. Diarrhea or constipation, can have blood or mucous in the stool.
Most people with polyps won't be aware of them as they produce no symptoms and are often discovered by accident. However, some larger polyps can cause: a small amount of rectal bleeding (blood in your stool) mucus to be produced when you open your bowels.
You may think of mucus as the slimy stuff you cough up when you're sick. But it can also show up at the other end: in your poop. Many parts of your body make mucus, including your intestines. It lines your digestive tract, creating a protective layer against bacteria.
Food intolerances and allergies to food containing lactose, fructose, sucrose, or gluten, for example, can cause inflammation of the intestinal walls. This can increase mucus production, which will cause mucus to be seen in the stools.
This is a swelling of the inner lining of your colon and rectum (also called your large intestine). It damages the lining, causing it to bleed or ooze mucus or pus.
Probiotics boost mucus production and change the consistency of mucus. This leads to a thicker mucus layer in the gut, which can offer protection from invasive bacteria. Probiotics cause the mucosal immune system in the intestinal tract to produce protective immunoglobulins and other protective substances.
While the stomach mucus layer is approximately 1mm thick in humans, the mucus layer is thinner in the intestinal tract, with an average thickness of 100–150μm in the colon and rectal region.
Symptoms and Causes
Bleeding after sex. Abnormal vaginal bleeding, like between periods or after menopause. Foul-smelling or pus-like white or yellow vaginal discharge.
Changes in Bowel Movements – Sometimes colon polyps can lead to constipation or diarrhea that persists for longer than a week, as well as general changes in bowel habits. Changes in Stool Color – Blood can wind up in your stool, often causing your stool to appear black or much darker in color.
Some patients see gobs of mucous in the stool and become concerned. Mucous is a normal secretion of the bowel, although most of the time it cannot be seen. IBS patients sometimes produce large amounts of mucous, but this is not a serious problem.
What causes mucus discharge from your anus? If your internal haemorrhoid becomes inflamed, it can leak mucus. This is what causes the feeling of dampness and can cause staining to your underwear.
While there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to hemorrhoid odors, a good rule of thumb is that odors caused by mucus have a fishy smell, while odors caused by infections have a rotten or foul food smell. And the smell of an unclean anus is just the smell of poop.
Diverticulitis stool characteristics
Color: The stool may be bright red, maroon, or black and tarry, which indicates the presence of blood. Stools may contain more mucus than normal. Odor: The stool odor may be increasingly foul compared to the typical smell.