It is relatively common for poop to turn yellow, but this can be due to various types of problems, from an intestinal infection to a high-fat diet.
As it can have several causes, after identifying the presence of yellowish stools, it is very important to confirm other characteristics, such as shape and odor, to help your doctor diagnose it more easily.
Here are some of the main causes of yellow trash
Eating too many fats, such as frying, processed products or salty sausages, makes digestion difficult and accelerates intestinal transit, especially in people who normally eat a balanced diet, in these cases in addition to the yellowing of the stool can also become more watery due to the speed with which they pass through the intestine.
What to do: reduce fats and processed products, as this will help regulate the color of the stool, this should improve at 2 or 3 days, however, if the problem persists, other causes should be investigated.
Another common cause of yellowish stools is an intestinal infection, however, other symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, also common.
In these cases, it is common for stool to appear yellowish because the intestine is inflamed by infection and therefore does not adequately absorb fat from food. The main cause of this problem is E, which can be ingested in undercooked meats and contaminated food.
What to do: drink plenty of water and eat easy-to-digest foods, such as fruits, boiled white rice, fish and white meats, avoiding red meats, as well as fried and processed foods.
Diseases such as hepatitis, cirrhosis or gallstones cause bile, which is the substance responsible for helping digest fats, to reach the gut in less; In addition to changing the color of stool, these diseases can also cause abdominal pain and yellowing of the stool. eyes and skin.
What to do: If these symptoms appear, consult a family doctor or gastroenterologist to confirm the diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment.
Changes in the pancreas can lead to poor digestion, becoming whitish or yellowish, as well as floating and looking frothy. The main problems affecting this organ are pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis or pancreatic canal obstruction.
Pancreatic problems can also cause abdominal pain, dark urine, poor digestion, nausea and weight loss.
What to do: If these changes occur, especially if they are accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea and loss of appetite, consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment.
Giardiasis is an intestinal disease caused by the giardia parasite and can cause symptoms such as watery and explosive diarrhea accompanied by bad odor, nausea, headache, dehydration and weight loss.
What to do: If these symptoms appear, consult a doctor, pediatrician, or gastroenterologist for a stool test to confirm the presence of this parasite in your intestine and begin appropriate treatment, usually done with antibiotics.
Celiac disease is a severe gluten intolerance that causes inflammation and intestinal malabsorption when ingesting foods containing wheat, rye or barley. These foods cause stools to move faster in the intestines and more fat in the stool, making them yellowish.
People with coeliac disease often show an improvement in their symptoms when they follow a gluten-free diet.
What to do: It is important to consult a gastroenterologist to confirm the diagnosis of the disease and start a gluten-free diet.
Weight loss medications, such as Xenical or Biofit, work by reducing fat absorption in the gut and can also cause changes in stool color and increase intestinal transit.
What to do: If you take any of these medicines, talk to your doctor who prescribed it for advice on proper use and possible side effects, or to replace them with another medicine.
In most cases, yellow appears after eating high-fat foods and usually improves in less than a week; However, talk to a doctor if it takes more than a week to disappear or if other symptoms appear, such as fever, abdominal pain, weight. loss, swollen stomach or blood in the stool.
Stool is mainly water and, to a lesser extent, bacteria of the intestinal flora, liquids that help digest food, such as bile, and foods that have not been digested or absorbed, such as fiber, cereals and seeds.
Thus, changes in diet, medication use or certain intestinal problems can lead to poor digestion, preventing fat absorption from the diet and making stool yellow.