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What are the causes of yellow stool? Can the yellow color of stools be related to a disturbed pancreatic function? Should additional ultrasound examinations be performed? What tests should be performed? The question is answered by the drug. Anna Mitschke.
What causes my stool to change color?
Hello. I am 36 years old and for some time I have not been able to determine from what point I have noticed that my stool has a different color, it is much lighter, even yellow. Which means yellow stool? I would add that my diet is unchanged, I eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, but they have been solid ingredients for a long time, so I don’t think that the yellow stool in my case is the result of the diet.
Half a year ago, during a routine ultrasound, she was diagnosed with me a cyst on the pancreas approximately 5 centimeters in size, but the gastroenterologist in charge of me said that it was not a life-threatening condition and that the change should only be monitored. Can yellow stool be symptom of a disturbed pancreatic function? Should I do another ultrasound or ask my doctor to refer you to other specialized tests, e.g. gastroscopy, or maybe a stool analysis is enough?
In addition to yellow stool, I sometimes experience constipation, sporadically stomach pains, especially after a heavy meal. I do not take any medications on a permanent basis, apart from vitamins and herbal teas for digestion. I am asking for a reliable answer.
The doctor indicates possible causes of yellow stool
Stool properly it has a semi-soft consistency, does not contain any undigested food residues, and is brown in color. Its appearance largely depends on the type of food consumed, the amount of fluids consumed, the time the stool remains in the digestive tract, and bacterial fermentation. In the feces there are, among others Digested food debris, water, bacteria, bile pigments, dead cells that line the intestinal walls. The stool may contain pathological admixtures, e.g. mucus, blood or parasites.
Assessment of the appearance of the stool can be an important clue in the diagnosis of many diseases. The rhythm of bowel movements is also important. Bright yellow stool is seen in cholestasis. Then, bile produced in the liver is impeded in its flow into the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. An obstacle in the outflow of bile may be cholelithiasis, obstruction of the bile ducts, their congenital anomalies, obliterative cholangitis, tumors oppressing the bile ducts, e.g. cancer of the small intestine, Vater’s wart, or any cysts in that area.
These causes are responsible for extrahepatic cholestasis. Other symptoms commonly seen in cholestasis include generalized itching of the skin, dark urine, and jaundice. We also distinguish intrahepatic cholestasis, which is caused by various liver diseases. They include, among others viral hepatitis, sepsis, metabolic disorders, congenital genetic syndromes. The list of causes is very long. White stool is observed after contrast examination of the gastrointestinal tract.
Loose, greenish stool is observed in intestinal infections. Black feces, tarry means the presence of blood in it, which most often comes from the duodenum or stomach. I suggest you visit your GP, who will decide on the necessary diagnostics, if necessary, refer you to a gastroenterologist and implement the necessary treatment. It is necessary to collect a complete history and examine the patient to decide on the further procedure.
— Lek. Anna Mitchke
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