Semicolon Stories

Poop Rainbow

Today, the blog just got bolder. But this topic often goes un-discussed and needs to be out there. So here we go.

Ever have an unusual bowel movement? Poop looking peculiar? Have a crazy color in the ca-ca? Sometimes it’s nothing, and sometimes it’s something. Although I’m not a doctor, I’m often everyone’s go-to girl when it comes to unusual poop. While this isn’t a comprehensive list, hopefuly it’s a starting point for anyone seeing some strange stool colors.

Red – If you see any red in your stool or on your TP, have a heightened awareness. If it’s bright red, usually that indicates some type of tear or hemorrhoids. NOT ALWAYS, but often. Often called “blood in the stool,” the darker the red, the more serious the problem. If you start seeing dark red on your poo, speak up and call a doctor ASAP. It could be nothing, or it could be something. Don’t play with it though. And from personal experience – cutting out tomatoes, ketchup, Twizzlers or anything else “red” won’t make it go away.

Orange – You must have eaten a lot of carrots. This one is not extremely common, but can be found based on the bacteria in your body. Also, if you’ve recently had a scan involving dye, this could impact it as well.

Yellow/Green – If your food has gone through your digestive system faster than normal, a greenish/yellowish color might be seen. Or – if you have a tiny colon and much of the digesting is done in the small intestine, this is also the case sometimes, especially when things are running through you. Also to note, corn kernels don’t break down in the digestive system. It’s normal to see a yellow kernel saying hello during your trip to the porcelain pool. A diet high in iron, and particularly leafy greens, can also cause a green poop showing.

Blue/Purple – I guess this is mostly seen in kiddos when they get sick. While it’s not extremely common it can also signal that you’ve just eaten food with a lot of blue food coloring.

Brown– This is the most common color, obviously. This is mostly due to the bile, which is produced in the liver. Sometimes it’s darker and sometimes it’s lighter, but if it’s all brown, you should be in the clear. (** Unless you have a family history of colon cancer which means you should always be inspecting your poo and keeping up on your colonoscopies just in case.)

Black– Black stool is no good. It usually signals that you’re bleeding internally. Toward the end of my strange stool sightings and right before I went to the doctor, this color was pretty common for me. Don’t mess around with black stool, as it CAN mean cancer, ulcer, or other internal problems, regardless of your age! Get it checked out.

White – White poop is uncommon, but it can be a signal that something might be wrong with the liver. I wouldn’t mess around with this one either.

It is important to note that any dramatic change in color can be a sign that something is off. Keep a close eye on it, and if it persists more than a week or two, I recommend calling your doctor or GI specialist. Sometimes what you’ve eaten is influencing your poop’s color. But sometimes it’s not. And if you’re experiencing the colors of the rainbow more often than not, don’t let it go on for a few years and then decide to speak up like I did. You’ll save yourself the trouble and possibly many feet of colon.

Sources:

http://women.webmd.com/pharmacist-drugs-medication-9/digestive-problems

http://www.heptune.com/poop.html

January 16, 2010 at 10:22 pm Danielle B 1 comment