White specks in the stool may be the result of undigested food, pill casings, or a parasitic infection. Changes to diet and medication types can treat these cases, while simple medications can treat parasitic infections. Anyone that suspects they have an intestinal parasite should seek medical assistance immediately.
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.
Causes of anal discharge
Mucus-based discharge may be caused by: Infection due to food-poisoning, bacteria or parasites. An abscess due to infection or an anal fistula – a channel that can develop between the end of your bowel and anus after an abscess.
Pale or white poop: Chalky is not a good look on poop. It may mean your body isn't producing bile. It could be that you have an infection or that your bile duct is blocked. Pale poop could also be a side effect of medicines, including some used for diarrhea.
It's important to note that aside from shape and texture, the presence of white or cloudy mucus in your stool may also point to IBS. But here's what's not associated with IBS: Blood in your stool. IBS-like symptoms accompanied by a fever.
Dehydration and constipation can cause mucus from the colon to leave the body. This gives the stool the appearance of increased mucus. Increased mucus can also be a sign of illness, especially if inflammation occurs and the mucous membrane breaks down.
The large intestine, or colon, produces protective layers of mucus, a network of proteins rich in sugars added through a process called O-glycosylation. Previous studies suggested that this mucus plays a role in maintaining a healthy relationship between intestinal tissues and gut bacteria.
Eating gluten causes an immune reaction, inflammation, and damage to the small intestine. As a result, more mucus in stool can occur, among other symptoms.
This inflammation can result in mucus discharge from the anus, which will usually be a clear fluid slightly thicker than water. Discharge may also be somewhat yellow if pus is present from an infection or slightly red due to blood from inflamed veins inside the anus.
In IBS, there's a breakdown between how your brain and gut talk to each other. When you have this condition, certain foods, stress, or changes in your hormones can make your colon spasm. This pushes food too quickly through your system and causes it to come out as watery or mucus-filled diarrhea.
Shigellosis is a bowel infection caused by Shigella bacteria. Common symptoms include diarrhoea that may contain blood, mucus or pus, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.
With a yellow coating
Having mucus in the stool is a possible symptom of Crohn's disease. The mucus may appear as streaks on the stools or cover them completely. It may be white or yellow. If the mucus in the stool does not appear alongside new symptoms, it is no cause for concern in people with Crohn's disease.
Patients with IBD exhibit a dysbiosis of gut microbiota, characterized by mucus heavily loaded with bacteria in the intestine, some of which adhere to, or even invade, the epithelial surface [54,55].
small, white worms in your poo that look like pieces of thread. extreme itching around your anus, particularly at night.
Diarrhea. Nausea or vomiting. Gas or bloating. Dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus)
A small amount of mucus in a baby's poop is not usually a problem unless other symptoms are present. However, a lot of mucus, mucus in several stools in a row, or mucus with diarrhea may indicate an allergy, infection, or other problem.
Without treatment, symptoms may persist and get worse, and inflammation may spread within the colon. There is also a risk for further damage to the lining of the colon with every flare-up. This can make it harder for a person to manage the condition, going forward.
If your poop is light-colored, yellow, clay-colored, or very light brown, this may be a sign of: An infection or inflammation (swelling) in your gallbladder, liver, or pancreas.