Dark mushy stool. Why mushy stools occur and how to get rid of them. What can the shape and size of feces indicate?

Every person at least once in his life noticed a mushy stool. In the event that bowel movements of this consistency appear periodically, then people should consider them as a normal physiological phenomenon. But if such a chair is observed in a person with every act of defecation, then most likely he began to develop pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract or other systems and organs. In such a situation, the only right decision would be to visit a medical institution, undergo a comprehensive diagnosis and receive medical appointments.

Classification

The process of formation of feces occurs in the large intestine. In a healthy person, stools have a dense texture. If for some reason failures occur in the body, then the stool becomes mushy. In the event that a person changes his usual diet, then his defecation processes may be disrupted for a while. When the gastrointestinal tract adapts to a new diet, the structure of the feces will acquire a normal consistency. But if mushy stools are observed for a long time, and at the same time such a change is not associated with an error in the diet, then a person should think about the reasons.

Modern medicine classifies mushy stools as follows:

1. A mushy stool with flatulence in an adult has been observed for a long time. This condition is accompanied by various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Frequent bowel movements, the number of which can reach three times a day.
3. A mushy stool with nausea in an adult in the morning can be accompanied by various disorders of the digestive system.
4. There are fragments of mucus in the stools.
5. Muddy feces contain particles of undigested food.

Causes of mushy stools in adults

Mushy stools can appear in an adult audience of people for the following reasons:

Mushy stools can be provoked by the following pathologies:

1. different forms of tuberculosis.
2. Violation of the thyroid gland.
3. Malabsorption syndromes.
4. Severe forms of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. stressful situations.
6. Avitaminosis.
7. Allergies, etc.

Diagnostics

If a person has rumbling in the intestines and a mushy stool is observed, then he needs to contact a medical institution for advice. A specialist, before diagnosing a patient and prescribing a drug course of therapy, must conduct a series of diagnostic studies:

1. First of all, the doctor patient questioning. He should learn about his diet, lifestyle, taking medications.
2. The patient will have to submit all basic analyzes: feces, urine, blood.
3. FGDS is carried out. Thanks to the examination of the gastrointestinal tract through an endoscope, specialists are able to assess the condition of the mucous membranes and identify pathologies. If necessary, the diagnostician collects biological material, which is transferred for histological examination.
4. The patient is performing colonoscopy. During this diagnostic procedure, a specialist inserts a probe into the rectum, which makes it possible to identify pathologies of the intestines, both small and large.
5. Performed ultrasound procedure. The diagnostician assesses the condition of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Medical therapy

After the specialist manages to identify the cause of the change in the structure of feces, he will prescribe the patient a course of drug therapy, which may include the following groups of drugs:

1. Group of enterosorbents. The pathological condition is eliminated by means of "Polysorb", "Smecta", "Filtrum", "Activated or white coal", "Polifepan".
2. A group of antisecretory drugs. Such a category of patients can be prescribed tablets "Emanera", "Omeprazole", "Omez", "Nolpaza".
3. group of prebiotics. Patients can normalize the digestive processes with the help of "HalikForte", "Bifiform", "Bifikola", "Lizobact", "Riolaflora Balance", "Lactobacterin".
4. A group of carminative medicines. Patients are prescribed tablets "Kolofort", "Espumizan", "Motilium", "Pepsan-R".
5. Antispasmodic group. If the process of defecation is accompanied by discomfort and pain, then patients can be prescribed tablets "Spazgan", "Take", "Papaverine", "Drotaverine", "Galidor", "No-shpy", "Duspatalin", "Bruscopan".
6. A group of medicines that can normalize intestinal peristalsis. Sick specialists can prescribe tablets "Nitrofungin", "Fthalazol", "Intetrix", "Enterofuril", "Trimedat", "Imodium", "Enterol", "Furazolidone", "Sulgin".
7. group of antidepressants. If the violation of the structure of feces is associated with stress or constant psycho-emotional stress, then specialists prescribe medications to patients that have a sedative effect. For example, Fevarin, Sertalitin, Fluoxetine, Amitriptyline, Imipramine tablets.
8. Group of dietary supplements. Biological additives contribute to the normalization of digestive processes. People are shown the use of Gastrofilin, Litovit, Nutrikon, Bifidophilus, Loklo.
9. In case of serious pathologies, specialists can supplement therapy regimens with corticosteroids, antifungal drugs, sedatives, pancreatic enzymes, and antibiotics.

Nutrition rules

To normalize the consistency of feces, patients must follow a special diet. First of all, they need to limit the amount of plant foods in the diet, as it accelerates peristalsis.

The patient's menu should contain the following products:

1. Bakery and pasta.
2. Cereals in the form of cereals, for example, rice, buckwheat.
3. Cookie.
4. Potato.
5. Persimmon, bananas.

Folk recipes

As an addition to the drug therapy prescribed by a specialist, a patient can also use the time-tested "grandfather" methods to normalize the consistency of stool masses:

1. You can make a decoction of chicory. To do this, several branches of the plant should be placed in a deep bowl and pour boiling water (350 ml). After that, the container is moved to the stove, and its contents are boiled over low heat for 10 minutes. After cooling and filtering, the liquid must be drunk for five days, 15 minutes before meals.
2. You can swallow 10 black peppercorns. This method is used to eliminate diarrhea.
3. You can make tea from mint and St. John's wort. To do this, 0.5 tbsp. dry raw materials should be poured into a thermos and pour boiling water (400 ml). The contents of the glass flask should be infused for 25 minutes. After filtering, the liquid should be drunk 25 minutes before meals. The course of therapy is 10 days.
4. You can cook rice water, which holds the stool together. To do this, boil water (0.5 l) in a saucepan and add rice (1 tablespoon) to it. Cooking cereals should be until the state until the water becomes cloudy. After filtering, the broth should be drunk during the day.

Complications

If a person has a mushy stool that is not accompanied by additional symptoms, then a diet and some medications are usually enough to normalize its consistency. In the event that such a condition is accompanied by serious complications, for example, the development of pathologies in the pancreas, the patient will have to face very unpleasant and dangerous consequences. It is also worth noting that with mushy stools, liquid is excreted from the human body. If this condition lasts for a long time period, then the patient may experience dehydration.

Preventive actions

In order for the process of formation of fecal masses to occur without violations, people should adhere to the following recommendations:

1. You need to lead an active lifestyle.
2. People should eat regularly.
3. The daily diet must be properly balanced. From it it is necessary to exclude dishes that contain dyes, trans fats and other harmful additives.
4. People should consume enough fluids.
5. With the manifestation of primary symptoms indicating the development of intestinal, gastric and other pathologies, you should immediately undergo an examination and take the medicines prescribed by specialists.

Diarrhea can be a sign of almost any disease and disorder that has appeared in the human body. So the human body gives a signal about the emerging danger. If, after taking several tablets of activated charcoal, no effect is observed, then you should immediately pay a visit to the doctor by contacting the clinic at the place of residence.

Porridge-like morning stool is a consequence of the following reasons:

1. tuberculosis of various forms
2. intestinal infections
3. thyroid disorders
4. dysbacteriosis
5. various forms of tuberculosis
6. malabsorption syndrome
7. diseases of the digestive organs in severe forms
8. oncological diseases of the rectum
9. excessive intestinal motility
10. malnutrition
11. kidney disease
12. inadequate digestion of food
13. constant stress
14. allergic reactions
15. avitaminosis.

Of course, there could be many more reasons. But in any case, you should not let the situation take its course when there is no effect from activated carbon. It is important to immediately contact a specialist.

Mushy stool in an adult

Many diseases change the frequency and nature of stool. During defecation, pain, burning sensation may be observed. There is often a feeling of incomplete emptying and blood in the stool.

We can talk about frequent stools if defecation continues more than 3 times a day. At this time, in an adult, the mass and volume of feces increases, their consistency and color begin to change.

If all this happens, then soon an adult will have a mushy stool. The appearance of diarrhea eloquently indicates serious malfunctions in the functioning of the intestines.

In other words, this means that there is difficulty in absorbing fluid in the large intestine, so dehydration of the blood stream can occur.

To avoid possible troubles, the body begins frequent defecation. In an adult, the restoration of water balance and intestinal microflora is easier and faster than in a child. For diarrhea that lasts more than three days, you need to see a doctor.

Mushy stool in a child

The digestive organs of a child are much more sensitive to adverse factors that disrupt the functionality of the system and create disorders, in particular, diarrhea.

In children, diarrhea can even be life threatening as it causes severe dehydration. A newborn baby may have pathogenic bacteria that do not threaten an adult in any way, but pose a great threat to the health of a child.

The main cause of mushy stools in a small child is an improper and unbalanced diet.

Medical statistics show that artificially fed children are 6 times more likely to have digestive disorders than others. Doctors explain this by the fact that mixtures with artificial ingredients are not compatible with the child's intestines.

Mushy yellow stool

Yellow diarrhea, like any other, has the function of cleaning the body of harmful microbes, which, bringing an infection, force them to fight. Simply put, the reasons here are an infection, it is also the main factor that causes yellow diarrhea.

There are situations when such disorders are provoked by the inflammatory process of the intestinal mucosa. Often mushy yellow diarrhea is caused by insufficient digestion of food, which indicates disturbances in the work of the stomach.

Rotavirus infection is one of the main causes of yellow diarrhea. It is easy to identify, because the temperature instantly rises and on the second day the stool becomes a gray mass.

This infection continues with the following symptoms:

• runny nose
• redness of the throat
• pain when swallowing.

Often all this is aggravated by a general breakdown and reduced appetite, up to its complete absence. All symptoms of the disease are included in the so-called intestinal flu, since it is often activated during influenza epidemics.

Mushy stool with mucus

Mushy stools along with mucus are a sign of serious internal disorders of the digestive system, both in adults and in children.

Symptoms may occur:

1. after eating mucus-like products or against the background of a common cold.
2. When using fermented milk mixtures, fruits, and berry cereals, you need to be prepared for the appearance of such a chair.
3. There are frequent cases when a severe runny nose, provoking changes in the nasopharynx, makes it possible to secrete mucous streaks into the esophagus. From there, they quickly enter the intestines.

Such phenomena can appear after an infection has entered the intestine, usually it is bacterial in nature. The acute form of mucus in most cases develops with dysentery.

Mushy stool in the morning

Surely, morning diarrhea is an unpleasant memory for many people. The phenomenon marks a frequent bowel movement, it is chronic and acute.

If mushy stools in the morning occur constantly, this indicates that there are chronic problems in the body, and an immediate examination by a doctor is required.

If morning diarrhea happens situationally, then the cause of its appearance can be identified independently. As a rule, the person himself is to blame for the appearance of such a chair.

Diarrhea may appear in the morning if a person is taking medications with a laxative effect. The intestine does not sufficiently absorb the active substances of these drugs, but when they are excreted, diarrhea appears. However, diarrhea with pancreatitis is also a frequent occurrence, and this disease is already quite dangerous.

Frequent mushy stools

Frequent diarrhea can indicate a variety of disorders of the digestive system. It may be that diarrhea acts as an independent disease. Frequent mushy stools, while it happens periodically, with interruptions up to 1 month. This disorder can become chronic or acute.

Acute diarrhea occurs as a result of infection with one of the intestinal infections. Poor washing of vegetables and fruits often contributes to the penetration of pathogenic microbes into the human digestive system, which gives rise to the disease.

There are several ways that lead to the formation of diarrhea:

1. Very frequent stools, which can reach the number of several dozen times a day, which is accompanied by vomiting, nausea and high fever, indicates a progressive salmonellosis.
2. With cholera, the stool is almost always not only frequent, but also watery, it quickly leads to dangerous dehydration of the body.
3. If frequent watery stools are observed, in combination with pain, mucus and blood, a medical examination is required, which cannot be postponed.

After finding out the cause of frequent diarrhea, you should immediately begin to treat the disease that caused it. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the prescribed diet, and in the future, avoid eating foods that can provoke the occurrence of frequent mushy stools.

Loose stools, but not diarrhea in an adult: causes and treatment

Frequent, loose stools that pass more than 3 times a day can be cause for concern. Regular loose stools, but not diarrhea, in an adult are usually a sign of disease, especially if there is blood, mucus or fat in it. In such a situation, you should abandon home treatment and consult a doctor as soon as possible. Check what diseases the above symptoms can indicate, what are the reasons for frequent urination.

Causes of loose stools

Loose stools for a long time may be accompanied by chronic diarrhea. In this case, free (semi-liquid) impurities of large volume are observed, containing traces of blood, pus or mucus, they occur more often than 3 times a day.

A characteristic feature is the constant feeling of the need to defecate. Such a disease can alternate and be a symptom of many serious diseases.

A factor in the development of loose stools in the morning and after each meal can be a disease:

• Irritable bowel syndrome.

This is a chronic disease - its symptoms can persist throughout life. The presence of blood is rarely observed, and there is also unexplained weight loss (despite the use of a balanced diet) and a feeling of fatigue. Often the need to defecate appears at night.

During the disease, changes occur within the cells of the colon mucosa. A loose stool appears, which may contain an admixture of blood (as a result of bleeding from the tumor). Often the only symptom of developing cancer is a change in the rhythm of the stool: diarrhea and constipation. It is worth knowing that the symptoms of rectal cancer are diverse and depend on the location of the tumor.

The disease is a chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the rectum or colon. Its symptom is, in particular, frequent urges, which look like loose sediments mixed with blood. The disease is very dangerous, because its complications can be liver failure, colon perforation and even cancer.

• Crohn's disease.

This is an inflammatory disease of the colon of unknown etiology that leads to destruction of the intestinal wall. The inflammatory process initially includes the mucous membrane, eventually occupying all layers of the colon wall. Symptoms of the disease are often loose stools, weight loss and changes in the membrane (ulcers, abscesses, fistulas).

Celiac disease is an inflammatory disease of the small intestine, the essence of which is gluten intolerance. In people who struggle with this type of malabsorption, inflammation occurs as a result of exposure to gluten supplements. The consequence is slow damage to the mucosa of the small intestine. A characteristic symptom of the disease is loose, pale, admixture with a strong pungent odor. It is excreted from the body in a large volume of loose stools.

• Hyperthyroidism.

Excessive production of thyroid hormones causes an acceleration of the patient's metabolism, resulting in frequent urination, diarrhea. At the same time, there is a decrease in body weight, despite the fact that the patient's appetite does not decrease.

This is a disease that can be contracted during a stay in tropical countries. It is caused by bacteria from the genus Salmonella. In the first week, fever and abdominal pain appear. In the second, severe headaches and a dry cough are observed. Only in the third week does loose stool appear.

Urination freely, severe diarrhea immediately after eating with a strong smell is one of the characteristic symptoms of this disease. From the gastrointestinal tract, other symptoms also appear: an increase in the volume of the abdomen and blockage of the salivary glands with thick, viscous mucus.

Other causes of frequent diarrhea and dysbacteriosis:

• medications - many drugs, such as diabetes pills, laxatives, or hydrochloric acid antacids, can cause loose stools as an unwanted side effect of taking them. If there is a suspicion that medications are the cause of diarrhea, they should be stopped and consult a doctor. Antibacterial drugs often cause dysbacteriosis;
• the use of large quantities of a sugar substitute (sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol).

Chronic diarrhea is a symptom of an illness that lasts more than 14 days. During this period, the patient gives more than 3 liters of fluid during the day. There can be many reasons, ranging from food allergies to life-threatening diseases.

What to do with loose stools in an adult

Some patients start the disease. Diarrhea can last for more than a year. In this case, there is a high risk of dehydration. With loose stools for a long time, it is important to conduct a comprehensive examination to eliminate the risk of developing a dangerous disease.

At the first symptoms and often recurring diarrhea, it is important to eliminate unpleasant symptoms. Medicines such as:

The doctor may prescribe probiotics to improve internal intestinal motility (Linex, Bifidumbacterin).

If loose stools are accompanied by vomiting, then the cause of this may be a rotavirus infection or gastroenteritis. Enterofuril tablets can help to cope with a bacterial lesion. They have antibacterial and healing properties.

Soft stools after each meal are more likely to develop dehydration. Be sure to drink sweet tea or salted water in small portions. There is a special drug Regidron, which helps to cope with dehydration with rapidly developing diarrhea.

If an adult has loose stools, but not diarrhea, which bothers you for a long time, then you should definitely undergo an examination. It will help identify triggers. You should not self-medicate. After all, the disease can lead to intoxication of the body, significant weight loss and appetite.

It is important to take immediate action to eliminate diarrhea. Now there are different pills for this.

Which? Like the Smecta, they only make things worse. I've been suffering for a week

Have you tried going to the doctor? If sorbents do not help, it may be a violation of peristalsis, diagnostics are necessary

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Stool quality in normal and pathological conditions

Feces (stool or feces) is the end product of digestion, which is formed due to complex biochemical processes in the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted from the body during defecation. The main properties of feces are its quantity, texture, shape, color and smell. Changes in these indicators may indicate various diseases. In this article, we will consider the quality of the stool in normal and pathological conditions.

1. Number of bowel movements

Normal bowel movements occur 1-2 times a day without strong straining and painlessly.

In pathology, there may be a lack of bowel movements for several days - constipation, there may also be too frequent stools (up to 3-5 times a day or more) - diarrhea or diarrhea.

2. Forms of feces

For a convenient classification of feces in England, the "Bristol scale for the shape of feces" was developed. According to this scale, 7 main types of feces are distinguished.

Type 1. Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass) - characterizes constipation.

Type 2. Sausage-shaped, but lumpy - characterizes constipation or a tendency to constipation.

Type 3. Sausage-shaped, but with cracks on the surface - a variant of the norm.

Type 4. Sausage-shaped or serpentine, smooth and soft - a variant of the norm.

Type 5. Soft lumps with clear edges (easily passing) - a tendency to diarrhea.

Type 6. Fluffy torn pieces, porous feces - typical for diarrhea.

Type 7. Watery, without solid pieces, entirely liquid - characteristic of severe diarrhea.

Using this scale, the patient can roughly assess whether he currently has constipation or diarrhea. Unfortunately, in people with chronic diseases, this scale does not always give an accurate result, so it is not recommended to self-diagnose yourself without consulting a doctor.

3. Amount of feces

Normally, an adult excretes approximately one gram of feces per day.

Reasons for a decrease in excreted feces:

• constipation (if the feces are in the large intestine for a long time, there is a maximum absorption of water, resulting in a decrease in the volume of feces);
• the diet is dominated by foods that are easily digestible;
• reduction in the amount of food eaten.

Reasons for an increase in excreted feces:

• the predominance of plant foods in the diet;
• violation of the processes of digestion in the small intestine (enteritis, malabsorption, etc.);
• decreased function of the pancreas;
• malabsorption in the intestinal mucosa;
• decrease in the flow of bile into the intestines (cholecystitis, cholelithiasis).

4. Consistency of feces

Normally, there is a softish consistency, a cylindrical shape. In pathology, the following types of feces can be noted:

1. Dense feces (sheep) - the cause of such feces can be:

• dysbacteriosis;
• staphylococcus;
• peptic ulcer;
• irritation of the walls of the colon;
• colitis;
• violation of blood circulation in the walls of the intestine;
• syndrome of insufficiency of motor and reflex function of the gastrointestinal tract;
• nervous system disorder, stress;
• insufficient fluid intake;
• recovery period after surgery;
• sedentary lifestyle.

If you have such bowel movements, you need to contact a specialist, because if you continue bowel movements of this nature for a long time, your well-being may significantly worsen. There may be a headache, irritability, intoxication of the body begins, immunity decreases. Sheep feces can cause cracks in the anal canal, can provoke prolapse of the rectum, cause the formation of hemorrhoids. Regular constipation requires a mandatory consultation with a specialist.

There can be many reasons for loose stools. If you have a similar stool, and there is also an increase in the number of bowel movements (more than 3 times a day), contact a specialist for a diagnosis.

Mushy yellow stools - the cause may be infections, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, disturbances in the work of the stomach (indigestibility of food), rotavirus infection.

Mushy stools with mucus - may appear against the background of a common cold, after eating mucus-like products, fermented milk mixtures, fruits, berry cereals. Often, with a severe runny nose, mucous secretions enter the esophagus, then into the intestines and can be visualized in the feces. With an infection that is bacterial in nature.

Mushy stools may appear with pancreatitis, the color of feces may become gray. This type of feces may indicate the presence of fermentative dyspepsia, chronic enteritis and colitis with diarrhea.

Diarrhea can also be caused by:

• dysbacteriosis;
• intestinal infections;
• tuberculosis of various forms;
• violation of the thyroid gland;
• malabsorption syndrome;
• malnutrition;
• kidney disease;
• insufficient digestibility of food;
• constant stress;
• allergic reactions;
• avitaminosis;
• diseases of the digestive organs in severe form;
• oncological diseases of the rectum.

3. Ointment-like feces - fatty feces are characteristic of a violation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), with cholecystitis and cholelithiasis, with liver disease, intestines with malabsorption.

4. Clayey or putty-like gray feces - characteristic with a significant amount of undigested fat, which is observed when there is difficulty in the outflow of bile from the liver and gallbladder (blockage of the bile duct, hepatitis).

• Loose, watery stools are most often a sign of infectious diarrhea or an intestinal infection.
• Liquid green stools are characteristic of intestinal infections.
• Black liquid feces - indicates bleeding from the upper or middle sections of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Light liquid feces is a sign of damage to the initial sections of the small intestine.
• Liquid yellow stool is a sign of damage to the final section of the small intestine. The chair at the same time happens 6 - 8 times a day, watery, frothy.
• Liquid feces resembling mashed peas is a sign of typhoid fever.
• Loose stools, similar to rice water, almost colorless - a sign of cholera.

Causeless diarrhea in middle-aged and elderly people, lasting more than two weeks, often with an admixture of blood, is one of the symptoms that will make it possible to suspect a tumor of the small intestine.

Constantly loose stools occur with non-specific educational diseases of the intestine - chronic enteritis, colitis, Croc's disease, after bowel resection, and so on.

The causes of diarrhea are also:

• dysentery;
• salmonellosis;
• rotavirus infection;
• helminths;
• fungi;
• nervous disorders, stress;
• with a lack or excess of digestive enzymes;
• in case of poisoning;
• after taking broad-spectrum antibiotics, iron preparations and other medicines;
• with food allergies;
• gastritis with secretory insufficiency;
• after resection of the stomach;
• stomach cancer;
• hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver;
• adrenal insufficiency, increased thyroid function, diabetes mellitus;
• hypovitaminosis, severe metabolic diseases of the kidneys;
• with systemic diseases (for example, scleroderma).

6. Foamy feces - a sign of fermentative dyspepsia, when fermentation processes predominate in the intestines.

7. Yeast feces - indicates the presence of yeast. May look like cheesy, frothy stools like rising sourdough, may have strands like melted cheese, or have a yeasty smell.

5. Stool color

Normal color can vary from light brown to dark brown. With pathology, it may be noted:

If you find yourself with almost black feces, which will have a viscous consistency, contact a specialist immediately, as this may signal the presence of blood in the stool.

6. The smell of feces

Normally, feces have an unpleasant and not pungent odor.

• A pungent odor is characteristic of the predominant meat food in the diet.
• A rotten smell - with poor digestion of food (undigested food can be food for bacteria, it can simply rot in the intestines).
• Sour - can talk about the predominant dairy products in the diet. It is also noted with fermentative dyspepsia, after drinking fermentative drinks (for example, kvass).
• Fetid - with pancreatitis, cholecystitis, hypersecretion of the large intestine, with the reproduction of bacteria.
• Putrid - putrid dyspepsia, digestive disorders in the stomach, colitis, constipation.
• The smell of rancid butter is a consequence of the bacterial decomposition of fats in the intestines.
• Weak smell - observed with constipation and accelerated evacuation from the small intestine.

Feces should gently sink to the bottom of the toilet bowl. If the stool splashes into the water of the toilet, this indicates an insufficient amount of dietary fiber in the diet. If the feces float on the surface of the water, this may be due to eating a large amount of fiber, an increased content of gases in the feces, or a large amount of undigested fat. Poor flushing from the walls of the toilet can signal pancreatitis.

Mushy chair

Mushy stool causes

Many have repeatedly encountered problems associated with sudden diarrhea and the need to quickly eliminate it. The condition is far from being the most pleasant, and in order to be able to competently deal with it, one should understand the reasons that cause it.

It is important to know that diarrhea can cause almost any disease. Thus, the body signals an impending danger. In view of this, if after taking several tablets of activated charcoal the problem has not gone away, you should consult a doctor.

Mushy stools can be caused by the following reasons:

There may be more reasons. It is not worth the risk, and if activated charcoal does not help, you should consult a specialist.

Mushy stool in an adult

Many diseases change the nature and frequency of fecal discharge. Perhaps, during defecation, a burning sensation, pain will begin to arise, devastation will be incomplete and blood will begin to mix. Frequent stools are diagnosed when visiting the toilet more than three times a day. In an adult, at this time, an increase in the mass and volume of feces occurs, their color and consistency change. With this combination of symptoms, there are frequent cases of mushy stools in an adult. The occurrence of diarrhea indicates a malfunction in the intestines. In other words, this means that there are problems with the absorption of fluid in the large intestine, resulting in dehydration of the blood stream. In order to avoid further trouble, a quickened stool is needed. In the case of an adult, the restoration of intestinal microflora and water balance is easier than in a child. If diarrhea persists for more than three days, you should seek medical attention.

Mushy stool in a child

The digestive system of a child is much more sensitive to the effects of adverse circumstances that violate its functionality and create indigestion, manifested in the appearance of diarrhea.

In young children, diarrhea can be life threatening because it causes dehydration. If the child is a newborn, the cause of diarrhea may be pathogenic bacteria that are completely safe for an adult, but pose a threat to the baby.

The main cause of mushy stools in a child is malnutrition. Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that formula-fed babies are 6 times more likely to suffer from digestive disorders than breastfed babies. This is due to the fact that mixtures containing artificial substitutes are incompatible with the baby's intestines.

Mushy yellow stool

Yellow diarrhea, like any other, performs the function of cleaning the body of pathogenic microbes, which, introducing an infection, force them to fight them. Thus, infection is the main factor causing yellow diarrhea. There are situations when this type of disorder is caused by inflammatory processes in the intestinal mucosa. Often, mushy yellow stools are due to poor digestibility of food, indicating diseases of the stomach.

Among the main causes of yellow diarrhea is the so-called rotavirus infection. It is easy to recognize, because when it appears, the temperature rises instantly and the stool that appears on the second day becomes a gray mass. This infection does not end with intestinal problems alone. Almost always, the situation is complicated by a runny nose, pain when swallowing and redness of the throat. Very often, this condition is accompanied by a complete breakdown and lack of appetite. This disease has received a different name "intestinal flu" because it is activated during flu epidemics.

Mushy stool with mucus

Mushy stools with mucus are a sign of dangerous internal changes in the digestive system of adults and children.

Such symptoms can appear for very minor reasons: as a result of the use of mucus-like products in food or with a common cold. If you eat fermented milk mixtures, cereals with mucus, berries and fruits, then you need to be prepared for the appearance of such mucous impurities.

It also happens that a runny nose, leading to changes in the nasopharynx, provokes the release of mucous streaks into the esophagus, from where they enter the intestines directly.

Perhaps a similar phenomenon as a result of penetration into the intestines of an infection (usually of a bacterial nature). With dysentery, an acute form of mucus is possible.

Mushy stools in the morning

Diarrhea in the morning for sure happened to everyone. In itself, such a phenomenon means frequent emptying of the intestine, it happens, depending on the nature of the course, acute and chronic.

If the appearance of a mushy stool in the morning is chronic, then serious problems have accumulated in the body and medical intervention is necessary. If diarrhea in the morning has isolated cases of occurrence, you can try to determine the cause of its occurrence yourself. Most often, the person himself is to blame for the manifestation of such a phenomenon. Diarrhea may occur in the morning due to the intake of drugs that give a laxative effect. The intestines almost do not absorb the active substances of these drugs, but when they are excreted, diarrhea occurs.

Frequent mushy stools

Frequent diarrhea can indicate a wide variety of diseases of the digestive system. It is also possible that diarrhea acts as an independent disease. Frequent mushy stools happen in periods, breaks of up to a month are possible. The disease can have an acute and chronic course. The cause of acute diarrhea may be infection with one of the forms of intestinal infections. Violation of hygiene rules when handling fruits and vegetables, in other words, their poor washing, can provoke the penetration of microbes into the digestive organs, which is the beginning of the disease. Excessively frequent stools (several dozen times a day), accompanied by secretions of blood, pus, characterized by bouts of nausea, vomiting and fever, indicate a progressive salmonellosis. In the case of cholera, almost watery stools occur, leading to dehydration.

In the case of frequent watery stools, accompanied by pain, outflow of blood, mucus, a medical examination is necessary. Having found out the cause of frequent diarrhea, you should begin to treat the disease that caused it. You should follow the prescribed diet, avoiding the use of foods that cause frequent mushy stools.

At least once in a lifetime, every person has encountered a mushy stool. A single appearance of such a symptom does not pose a threat. However, if this symptom is repeated every day, then this is a serious reason to think about your health and visit a doctor for a quality diagnosis.

What is mushy stool

In every healthy person, feces are formed in the large intestine under certain conditions. With the normal functioning of the digestive system, the stool is soft, but formed. However, if for some reason a failure occurs, then the feces acquire a characteristic mushy consistency. If such a symptom was the result of an error in the diet, then you should not worry, as this is considered a variant of the norm. However, with daily and frequent bowel movements, in which mushy stools form, one should think about a more serious reason.

Varieties: for a long time, frequent, with mucus, in the morning and others

Depending on additional conditions, the following varieties of this symptom can be distinguished:

1. Mushy stools for a long time and accompanied by flatulence. May appear at any time. Most often accompanied by various pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Frequent. In this case, emptying can occur more than 3 times a day.
3. Appearing in the morning. May be accompanied by nausea and others.
4. With slime. In the feces, mucous streaks may be present in sufficient quantities.
5. Thick with particles of undigested food. Mushy stools may be heterogeneous and have a porous structure. Quite often contains some fragments of food.

Causes and provoking factors in adults and children

The main reasons why mushy stools can occur:

1. Diet errors. When eating a large amount of plant foods, there may be some change in the structure of feces.
2. Gastroduodenitis. When the duodenum and the pyloric zone of the stomach become inflamed, digestion becomes defective, as a result, a mushy stool can form.
3. Taking medicines. Changes in the structure of feces can occur during treatment with certain medications. These include Enterol, broad-spectrum antibiotics, glucocorticoids, choleretic drugs.
4. . In inflammatory processes in the pancreas, an insufficient amount of enzymes is often released for high-quality digestion of food. As a result, a mushy stool is formed.
5. Cholecystitis. Inflammation of the gallbladder associated with stagnation of the secret can lead to a similar symptom.
6. Decreased appetite. Poor intake of food in the body provokes the formation of mushy stools.
7. Inflammatory processes in the intestines. Pathologies of this nature lead to underformation of feces. As a result, absorption in the small intestine deteriorates, and there are not enough enzymes for digestion.
8. . An insufficient amount of beneficial microflora gives rise to similar symptoms.

Diagnostic measures

A timely approach to diagnosis is extremely important to determine the cause of the onset and eliminate symptoms. Main research methods:

1. Interrogation of the patient. It is carried out in order to eliminate errors in the diet. The doctor asks the patient about the medications he is taking that could provoke changes in the stool.
2. FGDS. Endoscopic examination of the stomach and duodenum is carried out by probing. In this case, a thin tube with an optical device at the end is inserted into the esophagus and from there it moves to the stomach and duodenum. In this case, areas of inflammation and other changes in the mucous membrane are determined.
3. Colonoscopy. Similar to the previous method, only in this case the probe is inserted through the rectum. Thus, pathologies of the large and small intestines are diagnosed.
4. ultrasound. Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity can detect diseases of the pancreas and gallbladder.

Medical treatment

If the cause of the mushy stool is gastroduodenitis, then the doctor most often prescribes drugs that regulate the motility of the gastrointestinal tract and drugs that help restore the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum. These medicines include Omez, Nolpaza, Emanera. The drug that affects the motor function, Trimedat is able to influence both too fast and, conversely, slow peristalsis, regulating the progress of the food bolus.

In pancreatitis, drugs are prescribed that can compensate for enzyme deficiency. These include Mezim, Pancreatin and Creon. Thanks to them, food is better digested, and the stool is slightly fixed. If acalculous cholecystitis is present, a diet is indicated. The appointment of choleretic agents during exacerbation of symptoms can only worsen the course of the pathology.

In inflammatory bowel diseases, remedies are shown that regulate the functioning of this organ. Most often, the doctor prescribes Pepsan-R. This drug relieves inflammation and reduces excessive gas formation, as well as Colofort, which regulates bowel function.

When dysbacteriosis is present, the best treatment is a prebiotic containing beneficial bacteria. These funds include: Linex, Hilak Forte and others. They contribute to the reproduction of beneficial microflora in the intestines.

Medical treatment - photo gallery

Nolpaza reduces the secretion of gastric juice Trimedat regulates motility Mezim compensates for the lack of enzymes Pepsan-R relieves inflammation in the intestines Linex contributes to the normalization of beneficial microflora

Diet food

Diet with mushy stool plays a decisive role. Sometimes, by changing the diet, it is possible to quickly and permanently eliminate the problem. First of all, it is necessary to reduce the amount of vegetable food consumed, which helps to accelerate peristalsis and forms liquid feces. You need to include in your diet:

• bread;
• pasta;
• boiled rice;
• buckwheat;
• bananas;
• cookie;
• potato;
• persimmon.

Diet food - photo gallery

Bread fixes the stool
Pasta contains essential carbohydrates Rice is good for the digestive tract Buckwheat regulates bowel function Bananas are high in starch It is better to cook cookies yourself or buy them without additives. Potatoes have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract Persimmon has an astringent effect

Folk remedies

Alternative methods of treatment can be used as an auxiliary way to eliminate this symptom. To do this, use herbs that affect the functioning of the intestines. The most effective recipes:

1. A decoction based on chamomile and oak bark. This remedy not only regulates the intestines, but also fixes the stool. It will take 1 tsp. the listed ingredients, which must be placed in a saucepan and pour 500 ml of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Then let stand for another 2 hours and strain. Take a quarter cup 2 times a day 30 minutes before meals for a week.
2. Mint tea. Additionally, St. John's wort is required. It is necessary to mix both herbs and 1 tbsp. l. the resulting mixture pour 400 ml of boiling water. Let stand for 25 minutes and then filter, taking 2-3 times a day a quarter of an hour before meals for 10 days.
3. A decoction of chicory. It will take 2-3 branches, which must be poured with 350 ml of boiling water and boiled over low heat for 10 minutes. After that, drain the liquid and divide it into 3 doses. Take the drug should be 15-20 minutes before meals for 5 days.

Folk remedies - photo gallery

Chamomile relieves inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract Oak bark has a fixing effect Mint regulates the digestive tract
St. John's wort has a beneficial effect on the intestines
Chicory helps with digestive disorders

Treatment prognosis and consequences

As a rule, in the presence of mushy stools that are not burdened by additional symptoms, the prognosis is good. With timely diagnosis and treatment, recovery occurs quickly enough. One of the most dangerous consequences is severe pathologies of the pancreas, in which self-digestion of the organ can occur and the production of enzymes will completely stop. In addition, the advanced course of gastroduodenitis and liver diseases is fraught with the appearance of ulcerative lesions.

With persistent mushy stools, a large amount of fluid is lost, which can eventually lead to dehydration. This symptom cannot be ignored.

Prevention measures

The main preventive measure is the early detection of inflammatory diseases of the digestive system. To do this, at the first signs of pathology, you must consult a doctor. If blood is accidentally found in the feces, then it is in no case possible to postpone a visit to a specialist.

Additional preventive measures:

• regular and proper nutrition;
• active lifestyle;
• adequate fluid intake;
• exclusion of products containing trans fats.

Mushy stools, which occur quite often, cause a lot of discomfort. To get rid of such a symptom, it is recommended to approach the treatment in a complex manner. Sometimes it is enough to adjust the diet and the problem disappears without additional methods of therapy.

Diarrhea, or loose stools, is not a disease. This is just a symptom or a sign that something is wrong in the body. In order to determine the cause of diarrhea, you must first think about what it may be due to. Most often, diarrhea occurs due to poor-quality products.

Loose stool in adults

Diarrhea is unsettling. It’s good if it starts at home and you don’t have to go anywhere in the near future. And if a person is at a serious meeting, at the machine or in public transport. What then? There are, of course, special remedies that allow you to quickly stop diarrhea, but they often cannot be used. Therefore, the best treatment is prevention. Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after going to the toilet. Do not eat foods that cause even the slightest suspicion. Try to be as nervous as possible, because stress and constant psychological overstrain cause not only diarrhea, but also other more serious health problems.

Loose stools in adults can be a sign of ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and malabsorption of nutrients and water in the intestines.

Unformed stool causes

If a person does not understand why he has diarrhea, while he does not feel well, experiences abdominal pain and his temperature rises, it is necessary, without hesitation, to call an ambulance. Perhaps poisoning occurred, which can lead to sad consequences.

The causes of an unformed stool can sometimes be established only by a doctor, and even then, not the first time. Indeed, in order to make a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct an examination, pass a series of tests and only then be treated. What is really going on? A person does not turn to anyone, he just drinks "Activated charcoal" or "Immodium". Sometimes this helps, but often leads to complications that doctors have to deal with.

Unformed stool treatment

You can be treated at home, or you can seek qualified medical help from a doctor. At home, use products purchased at a pharmacy, such as

What should a healthy person's stool look like? To address this issue, British scientists in 1997 developed the Bristol scale for the shape of feces with explanations for each specific type.

Bristol classification

Using this scale, you can conduct a preliminary diagnosis of the state of health of the gastrointestinal tract. At the same time, it should be understood that it is quite difficult to make a full diagnosis based on information about the shape of feces, so the examination should be comprehensive. According to the Bristol scale, there are 7 types of feces:

• Large goat (sheep) cal.
• Wide thick sausage.
• Small serpentine feces with cracks.
• Long and thin sausage.
• Soft balls.
• Soft unformed mass.
• Liquid homogeneous mass.

When analyzing the appearance of feces relative to this scale, doctors give the following brief transcript:

• 1, 2 and 3 type indicates the presence of constipation. In this situation, you should drink plenty of pure water and add unprocessed plant foods to the diet.
• 4 and 5 stools are considered normal, typical for healthy people.
• 6 and 7 types of feces indicate that a person has diarrhea (while the 7th type indicates the possible presence of a serious illness). It is necessary to replenish the loss of fluid and find out why the disorder of the stool appeared.

It should be noted that this scale can be fully used for external assessment of the stool of adults and children older than 1.5–2 years. In a small child, the criteria are slightly different. For example, semi-liquid stools in infants are normal and should not cause concern to parents. You should be wary if the mushy stools of a breastfed baby smell abnormally fetid, and thick mucus or jelly-like inclusions are noticeable in the diaper. The formation of such a chair is characteristic of congenital genetic pathologies of the digestive system and metabolic disorders.

What do the shapes and sizes of feces indicate?

The course of many diseases affects the size and shape of feces. The assessment of the patient's stool during diagnosis should be carried out taking into account clinical symptoms.

Large goat stool (type 1)

It is a small number of individual large and small dense lumps shaped like walnuts. Similar fecal masses appear in people with constipation. Sheep stool can be formed under the influence of such causes as dysbacteriosis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, hormonal changes, pregnancy, taking certain medications, etc. During defecation, acute pain may occur, which disappears almost immediately after going to the toilet. Prickly, dry feces are difficult to pass through the rectum, which can lead to numerous injuries. With such a chair, it is necessary to consult a doctor so that he prescribes a therapy that will prevent the occurrence of hemorrhoids and other problems.

Wide thick sausage (type 2)

It is a voluminous, tight, lumpy sausage, which may contain fibrous components and various undigested pieces of food. Such thick feces are difficult to pass, pain may be felt during bowel movements. It usually appears due to malnutrition, disruption of the intestines, and also due to the presence of hemorrhoids. Thick stool constantly presses on the walls of the intestine, which can cause the following disorders: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), obstruction, frequent flatulence, bloating, spastic colitis, and so on.

Small cracked sausage (type 3)

It comes out as a sausage with a smaller diameter than a type 2 chair, the surface may have cracks. This loose sausage-like stool is normal and usually occurs in healthy people. However, if a person has such feces, but he does not visit the toilet every day, this may indicate the presence of hidden violations. In this case, you should consult your doctor.

Flat long feces (type 4)

It has the appearance of a narrow ribbon-like sausage, the surface of which is even, there are no cracks. Such feces are normal. However, if a person has thready stools but visits the toilet less than once a day, this may indicate bowel cancer, hemorrhoids, or some underlying disorder. In this case, you need to visit a doctor and undergo a full diagnosis.

Soft balls (type 5)

It looks like small loose balls with clear edges and a smooth surface without cracks. Such soft stools may indicate that the diet is deficient in dietary fiber. If a person goes to the toilet very rarely (once every 2 days), but at the same time his stool looks like soft balls, this may indicate a violation of the intestinal absorption function. You need to visit a doctor and get diagnosed.

Soft unformed stool (type 6)

It has an inhomogeneous consistency in the form of small fluffy lumps with uneven, torn edges, the structure of feces is loose and porous. Such a shapeless stool indicates diarrhea. This violation can be caused by mild poisoning, high blood pressure, drinking water with an excess of minerals, etc. Another common cause of soft stools is taking certain medications that have a laxative effect. Airy porous stools with a sour smell indicate candidiasis. If the consistency is viscous, and the color is dark red or almost black, you should immediately consult a doctor, this may indicate bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. An ointment-like viscous stool is a sign of pancreatitis.

Liquid homogeneous mass (type 7)

It has a watery structure, solid pieces are partially or completely absent. This type of stool may indicate a serious illness. Most often, a liquid porridge-like mass appears due to bacterial, fungal or viral infections, mechanical injuries of the rectum, allergies, poisoning, worms, gastritis with secretory insufficiency, and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This condition requires complex treatment under the supervision of a doctor. Liquid stools also occur in newborns and in people who are recovering from a serious illness.

Chair in an adult, what should be the feces?

The most natural process in human life is the daily self-emptying of the intestines. In the absence of any pathologies, this process does not cause any discomfort. In order for the chair to be daily and painless, it is enough to eat right. Malfunctions in the intestinal tract occur for a number of reasons. For example, the presence of chronic diseases, surgical interventions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, nutritional errors. In cases where deviations in the quantity and quality of bowel movements are present without the reasons described above, this should be alarming. Further in the article, in detail about what a normal stool should be in an adult, when the color of feces or impurities in it can indicate health problems, be symptoms or signs of the development of various kinds of diseases.

Standard, normal stool in an adult

The body of each person is individual. What is considered pathological for one person is considered normal for another. Normal bowel movement in an adult depends not only on his eating habits, but also on the metabolic processes in the body. Therefore, the color of the stool, the consistency of the feces in an adult can differ significantly from the type and quality of the food consumed, the presence of diseases or other features of the person's state of health.

Most people have a bowel movement every day in the morning. For them, this process is the norm. However, if this process is disturbed, these people start to panic. Such people should remember that self-emptying of the intestine once every 2 days or 2 times a day is also considered normal. The feces should be sufficiently thick in consistency and should not contain any impurities such as mucous, blood, foamy discharge. Even when the daily stool in an adult has changed a little and the intestines are cleared once every two to three days, there is no need to sound the alarm. The problem of irregular or frequent stools may be a violation of the diet. In such cases, first you need to normalize the diet, and only if this measure does not bring relief, you need to consult a doctor.

Frequent stools, frequent urination, causes of diarrhea

Along with infrequent bowel movements (1 every two to three days), a person can be disturbed by stool, which is repeated up to five times a day. If the feces are dense enough in texture and do not cause any problems, then eating foods that help speed up digestion may be a possible cause of frequent stools. You need to worry only in those cases when the feces with frequent stools become liquid and contain foam, mucous or spotting. At the same time, the stomach is quite painful and the body temperature is higher than normal. Urgent measures should be taken to prevent complications of well-being.

Liquid stools, loose stools in an adult

Not always the cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by liquid stools, indicates problems with the digestive tract. If the stools are liquid, as with diarrhea, are not strong and do not cause pain in the abdomen, then they may be of a natural nature. A factor influencing the liquefaction of feces and the onset of diarrhea may be food eaten before. Eating kefirs, yogurts, milk, certain vegetable products and fruits in large quantities contribute to the appearance of liquid stool masses. Also, such loose stools in an adult can be preceded by alcohol consumed in huge portions, namely beer and wine. With the help of a strong bowel movement, the body tries to free itself from alcohol poisoning.

Adult frothy stool

With the appearance of loose stools, diarrhea with foamy contents, do not panic. You should know that fermentation processes are caused by an excess of carbohydrates in the human body, which have accumulated for a long time. In this regard, it is recommended to exclude from your menu sweet fruits, certain types of vegetables, soda, alcohol, which causes gas formation. Liquid cereals should be introduced into the daily menu with foamy and frequent stools in an adult. They help to strengthen the contents of the stomach and improve its work.

Stool with mucus in an adult, causes of stool with mucus impurities

In adults, the feces may contain a small amount of mucus due to the consumption of food that promotes the formation of mucus. Therefore, a stool with an admixture of mucous secretions is not surprising if a person’s daily diet consists of mucous cereals, dairy products, fruits, and berries. In this case, additional discomfort is also possible in the form of bloating, diarrhea, pain in the abdominal region.

Quite often, liquid stools containing mucus appear during long-term antibiotic therapy. Also, fecal masses, liquid in form with foam, are characteristic of violations of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract, chronic inflammatory processes in the stomach, ulcerative colitis, intestinal fissures, the presence of Escherichia coli and other infections.

Feces with blood, causes of blood-stained stools, causes

Many people in vain do not pay attention to the stool with single blood blotches. A change in the color of feces and the presence of blood impurities is evidence of quite serious pathologies. If the blood in the stool is bright scarlet and is located on top of the stool, then the reason most likely lies in the fact that there are anal fissures.

The black tint of the stool indicates bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The black color of the feces is due to the fact that in the process of moving through the intestines, the blood has already coagulated. A sign of the opening of an ulcer is considered to be a small amount of feces with a sufficiently large amount of blood discharge. If you find such dangerous symptoms as feces with blood, you should immediately consult a doctor.

How to understand that the color of the stool indicates disease?

Also, other shades of fecal stool indicate the presence of pathologies. Light gray or white feces indicate the presence of Crohn's disease, rotavirus infection, malignant or benign neoplasms, kidney stones, and dysbacteriosis. The shade of feces depends on changes in the diet and on the stage of chronic diseases.

Adult black stool

The black color of feces in the stool is possible in cases where the day before a person consumed foods that contribute to the color of feces, as well as in the presence of internal bleeding of the upper intestine. After taking or while taking certain medications, bowel movements may also turn black. For example, medicines for anemia, activated charcoal and a number of other medicines that contribute to the appearance of black stool.

Green stool and its causes

The green hue of feces indicates that there are fermentation processes in the body, the causes of which can either be overeating foods containing large amounts of carbohydrates, or the development of bacterial infections. Quite often, green feces are associated with large impurities of mucous secretions. Along with the unusual green color of the stool, mild pain, flatulence, and bloating appear.

Yellow stools, causes of yellow stools

A bright yellow hue of feces means that there are pathologies with the gallbladder in the human body. If, with this color of feces, a bitter taste is also felt on the lips and in the mouth, then there is no doubt that there are problems with the bile ducts. Disorders of the pancreas, due to which a large amount of bile secretion simply does not have time to break down, are the cause of the yellow color of the stool. Also, a yellow stool in an adult may indicate diseases of the digestive tract and the presence of kidney stones. With urolithiasis, yellow stools will be observed for a long time.

Causes of gray stool in an adult

A grayish stool with a very strong, offensive odor indicates a clear sign of malabsorption. When a person abuses fatty foods, his pancreas does not have time to cope with it, which leads to colorless feces.

White stools, causes of white stools

A light shade of fecal discharge in an adult may indicate hepatitis or pancreatitis. A white stool in an adult mainly indicates obvious pathologies of the bile ducts, or the impossibility of outflow of bile secretions. In such situations, certain difficulties may be hidden in the appearance of stones or in the presence of neoplasms in the form of tumors. A white shade of stool in an adult is also possible as a result of dysbacteriosis, which causes constant discomfort.

Throughout the life of an adult, fecal masses can undergo significant changes. In this regard, what is considered normal at fifteen or twenty years old, after the age of forty, may be the first "beacon" to the appearance of pathology. Therefore, experts recommend that you be more careful about your health, monitor the slightest changes in your body, and if you suspect any disease, do not self-medicate, but be sure to consult a doctor.

How many times a day should a person walk on the big one?

There is no definite norm how many times a day and in what quantities an adult needs to defecate. However, a certain standard is the amount from three times a day to once in three days. On average, a person walks about once every 24 hours and produces 28.35 g of feces per 5.443 kg of body weight. Based on this norm, the feces of a man or woman weighing 72.6 kg are equated to 454 g of feces daily.

Frequent stools (more than four times a day) that are rare and watery are called diarrhea. This definition is appropriate when it is not a symptom of any more serious illness (the exception is circumstances in which the fluid from the body comes out only with diarrhea). There are three types of diarrhea: acute, persistent and chronic. The first category occurs after infection and quickly stops. Chronic diarrhea may last for more than two weeks, but chronic diarrhea lasts for months. The causes of diarrhea are usually infections, medications (particularly antibiotics), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and nutritional problems (not digesting any foods, which happens due to physiological characteristics).

Different people have different stool frequency. As noted earlier, the norm is a bowel movement from three times a day to one bowel movement in three days. There are many factors that have a certain effect on intestinal motility (gastrointestinal movements), because of which you should not worry. The motility of the gastrointestinal tract is affected by: changes in diet, medications, moving and traveling, sleep, sports, hormonal surges, tension and stress, diseases, operations, childbirth and much more. It is also necessary to monitor how the processes of emptying the rectum and bladder occur. A clear signal of the existence of problems with the human body are too strong attempts to defecate and urinate.

What should be the daily amount of feces?

With a varied diet, the daily rate of defecation is considered to be the amount of feces within g. If a person's diet is dominated by plant foods, then the abundance of stool increases. In the case of the dominance of food of animal origin, the frequency of bowel movements is much less.

Too much and active excretion of waste products from the body for three days or more (polyfecal matter) may be a harbinger of an ailment of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and its tracts, pancreas, or the loss of one or many nutrients entering the digestive tract due to their insufficiency. absorption in the small intestine (malabsorption). Constipation can sometimes be a consequence of a decrease in the amount of feces and the frequency of emptying. This is due to the prolonged retention of body waste in the colon and excessive absorption of fluid, due to which the volume of bowel movements decreases. It can also be the predominance of food that is digested too quickly.

What should be the density of feces?

The normal composition of feces is 70% water and 30% food that has undergone the process of processing by the body, dead bacteria, as well as exfoliated particles of the gastrointestinal tract. The product of defecation most often has a cylindrical shape, and in structure it resembles a soft round sausage. However, the high content of vegetable components in the diet contributes to the thickening of feces. A favorable indicator is the absence of bloody clots, mucus, pus and parts of incompletely digested food.

The deviation from the standard is mushy feces. This happens with a rapid contraction of the walls of the small intestine, as well as with an increased secretion of intestinal juice. Too thick defecation products occur with difficulty in emptying, inflammatory infections and convulsive contractions of the colon mucosa. Ointment-like waste occurs with complications in the functioning of the pancreas, a rapid decrease in the flow of bile into the intestines. More rare bowel movements occur when food is difficult to process in the small intestine, improper absorption and extremely rapid passage of feces. Foamy stool occurs in case of development of fermentative dyspepsia. With this disease, fermentation processes in the digestive tract occur more often and longer than any other. Tape feces occur when a patient has a persistent narrowing of the lumen or a prolonged spasm of the colon, as well as with cancer of the final part of the digestive tract. More liquid and frequent bowel movements are called diarrhea. Muddy, fluid stools occur when large amounts of fluids are consumed. Foamy stools are a sign that the food or drink you have eaten has been high in yeast. Thin feces can signal ailments of the colon, namely, neoplasms or polyposis.

What should the stool smell like?

The standard is considered not very pleasant, but not too irritating smell. This is influenced by the food that enters the body. The reason for a sharp darling can be meat, sour - food of dairy origin. Also, the smell directly depends on the manifestation of the processes of fermentation and decay in the organs. Acid is felt in fermentative dyspepsia. Causes her frequent consumption of carbohydrates (baked goods, sugar) and carbonated liquids in large volumes. Pronounced stench occurs in case of problems in the functioning of the pancreas (its inflammation), a decrease in the flow of bile into the intestines (cholecystitis), hypersecretion of ions and any liquid into the intestinal lumen. This also occurs due to an excessive amount of bacteria. Some of them produce hydrogen sulfide, which has a characteristic rotten smell. Feces smell of rottenness with problems in the process of digestion of food, putrefactive dyspepsia, which is associated with the frequent use of protein and its slow absorption. Also, the causes of this smell can be granulomatous enteritis or ulcerative colitis. A mild aroma is characteristic of difficult emptying of the gastrointestinal tract or too rapid evacuation of food through it.

What should be the shape of feces in an adult?

A thin stool (pencil) indicates interference in the lower half of the digestive tract or an external onslaught on the large intestine. If these symptoms appear, a colonoscopy should be done in order to rule out the development of cancer. Small and hard stools are clear signs of difficult bowel movements, namely constipation. This may be due to missing fiber in a person's diet. It is necessary to increase the content of dietary fiber in the diet, perform more sports exercises, use psyllium and flaxseeds to improve intestinal motility.

Too soft stool that sticks to the toilet means your body is not absorbing oils the way it should. Sometimes essential drops float directly in the toilet. With these symptoms, there are also disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas, so it is very important to immediately contact a specialist in medicine for diagnosis. The presence of mucous clots in the feces is a common occurrence. However, if excessive mucus is seen in the stool, there may be some kind of inflammation in the body, granulomatous enteritis or ulcerative colitis.

Gases in the intestines, what is the norm in an adult?

Gases are produced due to the functioning of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract. During defecation and in a calm state, from 0.2 to 0.5 l of gas is excreted from the body of an adult during the day. The standard is to fart about once a day (preferably less). More frequent emission may be the result of the presence of the following foods in the diet: carbonated drinks, foods containing carbohydrates, fiber, yeast, and lactose.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Naturopathic Treatment

Frequent spastic pains in the abdomen, flatulence, as well as the constant alternation of constipation and liquid, often mushy, shapeless stools are characteristic symptoms of a disease that more and more people suffer from. Irritable bowel syndrome (irritable bowel), or, in the language of specialists, Colin irritable, can become a real torment for the patient.

Official medicine often considers this disease as caused by mental factors. Unresolved conflicts, neurotic developmental disorders or depression - this is often the final "diagnosis" when no research helps to establish anything. But no matter how comforting the judgments of modern medicine may be, in relation to many patients this is not true. Irritable Bowel Syndrome Has Specific Organic Causes!

Start - indigestion

Violation of the mechanisms of self-purification of the intestine

Mushy chair. The softness of this shapeless stool is due to the fact that it is loosened by the resulting gases. Many consider mushy stools, which often look like flakes, to be normal.

• Keep an eye on maintaining the acid-base balance in your body. Take in enough bases with food so that the metabolism has enough material for the production of digestive enzymes.

• Take the bases in the form of an alkaline powder. This will help your body produce more digestive juices for optimal food digestion.

• Avoid useless acidic foods, such as white refined sugar and processed sugar products: marmalade, cakes, chocolate, confectionery, ice cream and sugary soft drinks, and sweet liquors.

• To sweeten food, use natural products - honey, maple syrup or thick pear juice. But do not forget that everything is good in moderation!

• If you're craving something sweet, eat some fresh fruit or a little bit of dried fruit. This will teach you to perceive natural tastes.

• Raw plant foods should be eaten in small portions and chewed particularly well. Do not eat such food in the evening. At night, it will not be processed properly and will begin to wander.

• Eat calmly and chew your food thoroughly! Saliva enzymes begin to process it. The more intensively you chew, the better the salivary glands work and the more enzymes saliva contains. And the smaller the pieces of food that reach your intestines, the easier it is for the digestive juices to completely digest them. As a result, the processes of fermentation and decay will be insignificant.

• Avoid vegetables that make your stomach swell a lot, such as legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and cabbage. Although they, like all vegetables in general, are alkaline foods, the fiber contained in their cell membranes is broken down by digestive juices with great difficulty. Undigested residues cause strong fermentation in the lower intestines, which results in unpleasant flatulence. In addition, acidic metabolic products are formed, leading to painful inflammation of the intestinal wall.

• Avoid carbonated drinks. Much more useful "quiet" mineral water. During meals, do not drink a lot of liquids, so as not to "dilute" the digestive juices.

• Take care of good digestion. Chronic constipation due to increased decomposition processes cause inflammation in the intestines. Improved digestion is the first step to getting rid of your ailments.

Naturopathic treatment for irritable bowel

• Fennel - 30 g
• Cumin (crushed) - 30 g
• Coriander fruits - 30 g
• Chamomile flowers - 10 g

2 teaspoons of the collection per 250 ml of boiling water, leave for about 8 minutes, drink 1 glass half an hour before meals. If it is not possible to make tea, the appropriate extracts can be consumed in the form of drops. For example, a fully tested finished product is Carminativum Hetterich. Along with extracts of mint and chamomile, it contains extracts of fennel, cumin and orange peel.

Homeopathy. Asa foetida (ferula smelly) D6. Great flatulence from chronic constipation. Spasmodic pains in the abdomen. The stool is watery and frothy, as well as dark brown, sticky and thick. In any case, its smell is extremely unpleasant and even stinking.

Acupuncture. In Chinese medicine, the picture of complaints about irritable bowels is considered in two ways: as a lack of vitality (lack of "Qi") in the functional circle "spleen - pancreas" and as a violation of the free flow of energy along the meridian of the liver.

Symbiosis Management

Taking strengthening preparations containing natural intestinal bacteria restores the ecological balance in the intestines. At the same time, the surviving beneficial microflora receives, so to speak, “support from above”. Suitable drugs:

Adult stool color

The natural secretions of our body are a litmus test that reflects its condition.

The chair can also tell about the state of health, its frequency, structure, smell and color determine the condition of the intestines and other organs of the digestive tract. But in order to talk about possible pathological conditions, you need to know what is the norm.

What should be the bowel movements of a healthy person

Normal stool in an adult is a complete bowel movement once a day. It is also considered natural to go to the toilet “in a big way” up to three times a day, provided that the feces correspond to generally accepted standards. Such a frequent bowel movement suggests that a person has very fast metabolic processes. Some people can go to the toilet once every yes to three days. This, of course, cannot be considered a normal process, but they cannot be classified as pathological either if there are no other deviations (color, shape, smell).

Now about the feces themselves. And so, feces is nothing more than the removal of toxins from the body, digested food, partly the internal contents of the intestine, as well as microorganisms. In a healthy person, the stool has a clearly defined structure, a homogeneous dense mass. The normal color of stool is light brown. The amount of feces excreted depends on the food that a person consumes. On average, about one hundred and fifty to four hundred grams of calla is excreted from the body per day. It is a "sausage" from ten to twenty centimeters long. At the same time, defecation itself should not cause discomfort.

If the stool is different from the one described, then this may be a symptom of disorders in the functioning of the digestive tract or even indicate serious pathological conditions.

Changes in the amount of excreted feces

Fluctuations within the normal range can quite naturally arise as a reaction of the body to the foods consumed, the more plant foods, the more feces, animal - less mass of excreted feces.

But if the deviations differ significantly from the norm, then this may indicate serious violations.

And so, a large amount of feces (polyfecal matter) is a sign of one of the following disorders:

• problems with the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine;
• violation of peristalsis, in which food moves too quickly through the intestines and does not have time to be fully absorbed;
• dysfunction of the pancreas, as a result of which fats and proteins are not digested properly, thus developing chronic pancreatitis;
• lack of bile in the intestines, occurs with cholecystitis, cholelithiasis.

A small amount of feces, as a rule, is excreted when people have a lot of easily digestible food in the diet, a small amount of it, and also with constipation. The latter should also cause anxiety and be a reason to seek medical help.

Color of feces

The normal color of feces in an adult can be light brown or brown. Staining it in other colors occurs as a result of the use of certain products, as a result of taking certain medications, or with the development of pathological changes in the body.

A person's stool can change color during antibiotic treatment and taking vitamin complexes, activated charcoal.

The color of feces also changes when food dyes (natural or artificially synthesized) enter the body. For example, when eating black currants, it is likely that the next day the feces will be painted black, and beets - red, carrots and citrus fruits - yellow, and greens - green. But, if the change in the color of the feces was not preceded by the intake of the indicated products, then it is necessary to consult a doctor, since these can be very serious symptoms, indicating even a critical condition of a person.

Red feces can occur with bleeding in the lower intestine, while black indicates internal bleeding in the stomach or intestines and requires immediate medical attention.

The rapid movement of feces sometimes does not allow bile to go through all the altered states and turn brown, then the discharge is colored green. It also appears when taking antibiotics. But a particular danger lurks in Crohn's disease, celiac disease, which is characterized by staining fecal stools in green.

Yellow stool most often indicates an infection in the body or problems with the gallbladder, in which there is a lack of bile and a large amount of fat accumulates, which enters the feces.

White feces appear when the body lacks bile, so this color indicates a pathology of the biliary tract. It occurs when stones are formed in them, hepatitis, bacterial infections, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and also with cancerous neoplasms.

But it should be understood that it is impossible to make a diagnosis only by the color of the feces, this requires deeper examinations, but changes in their color should alert and become an occasion to check your health.

Shape and smell of feces

In a healthy person, feces are cylindrical or sausage-shaped. It emits an unpleasant smell, but not offensive.

If the stool comes out in the form of dense balls or a thin ribbon, then this indicates problems with the large intestine and a lack of fluid in the body, so first of all you should reconsider your drinking regimen.

Other structures of the stool also testify to violations. Feces in a mushy state indicate inflammatory processes in the intestines and its increased secretion.

An ointment structure is a symptom of disorders in the pancreas, and a putty or clayey structure is a failure to absorb fat.

Liquid stools occur when there is insufficient absorption and assimilation of food in the small intestine, and if they are accompanied by frequent bowel movements, then in this case we are talking about diarrhea, which can be caused by a huge number of reasons.

A large amount of foam in the feces indicates excessive unnatural fermentation processes in the intestines.

The smell of feces can also tell a lot. It depends not only on the food that a person ate the day before, but also on the natural processes of fermentation and putrefaction that occur in the intestines. If they are violated, the smell of the output waste products also changes.

And so, if food is in the intestines for a long time and is not digested, then it rots and is a favorable environment for bacteria, so the feces in this case have a rotten unpleasant odor.

During fermentation processes, it is usually sour, problems with the pancreas - fetid.

A person suffering from constipation, colitis or stomach problems develops putrefactive dyspepsia and therefore a corresponding smell occurs.

Blood or mucous inclusions in the feces, which are not characteristic, should also alert.

Of course, you should not immediately panic, you need to analyze all the symptoms found, and also remember what food was consumed the day before. If there were no products that provoke a change in stool in the diet, then you should consult a doctor who, based on the symptoms and an additional examination, will determine the cause and prescribe an adequate treatment.

How to deal with hard stools in adults

Very often, men and women suffer from a very sensitive and delicate problem - there is no way to go to the toilet normally. And the reason for this is solid feces, which appears with a seemingly normal diet, visible physical health and the usual rhythm of life.

However, all these factors only seem normal. If there is a problem with the stool, then not everything is as smooth and good in your body as we would like.

No need to brush off the problem of going to the toilet. This may be an alarming signal that indicates pathological processes occurring in the body. Constipation or sheep feces have many manifestations, which should never be ignored.

Symptoms that indicate the need to seek help from a specialist:

• constipation occurs very often and regularly. Even after taking a laxative, the problem returns again;
• feces have a solid consistency in the form of small balls, reminiscent of animal feces - goats or sheep. (Hence the name - sheep feces);
• there is bloating, especially before the act of defecation;
• bloating is accompanied by flatulence, causing pain (sometimes very painful, similar to contractions);
• the process of bowel movement is accompanied by pain;
• there may be discomfort and pain in the abdomen of various localization (the so-called intestinal colic);
• a state of general weakness, fatigue. This is especially noticeable after going to the toilet or unproductive tenesmus (the urge to defecate).

If you experience these symptoms, you need to contact a specialist for help. A local general practitioner or family doctor can advise and, if necessary, refer you to a gastroenterologist. It is also possible that you will need a consultation with a proctologist. It all depends on the cause that provoked constipation. And there may be many.

Possible causes of constipation

Each pathological condition has its own causes, which can be both subjective and objective:

• malnutrition is the simplest and most easily eliminated subjective cause of constipation. There are few foods rich in coarse fiber in the diet, which stimulates the intestines and helps to eliminate toxins with feces;
• sedentary work, low physical activity lead to improper functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract, intestinal motility decreases, motor and transport functions are disturbed, which leads to constipation;

• drug dependence occurs when a person has been using laxatives uncontrollably for a long time. The intestine simply "refuses" to perform its functions of removing processed products without outside help. An adult (especially aged) may become dependent on mechanical methods of influencing the act of defecation - if an enema is often (almost regularly) done in order to cause stool. This is especially true for older people with severe depression. In the case of a running process, even fecal perforation of the intestine may occur;
• reduction of tenesmus (urge to defecate), occurring at the psychological level. Getting into special conditions (staying in transport, at work or in another public place), a person spontaneously contracts the muscles of the external anal sphincter. Sometimes this phenomenon is associated with a painful act of defecation, which causes very hard and dry feces;

• susceptibility to stress, nervous stress, causing depressive states. In such cases, the entire body works in an "emergency" mode, which also affects the digestive and excretory systems;
• frequent use of alcohol, especially strong, even in small quantities can cause not only constipation, but also intestinal obstruction in case of untimely elimination of the cause;
• dysbacteriosis - a violation of the normal intestinal microflora, which can cause both hard stools and diarrhea with a host of other unpleasant symptoms;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: colitis of various etiologies, enterocolitis, enteritis, pancreatic pathology;
• oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the large intestine.

During pregnancy and after childbirth (during lactation), women may experience constipation caused by hormonal changes in the body, an increasing load on the gastrointestinal tract (in particular the intestines), postpartum hemorrhoids, colon fissures during childbirth and some other factors. In this position, a woman must certainly consult with a specialist so that taking drugs (even folk remedies) does not harm the health of the baby.

Diagnosis of constipation

When a patient complains of constipation, the specialist prescribes several studies that will help determine the cause of the phenomenon and prescribe adequate treatment. If necessary, highly specialized specialists are involved and additional diagnostic measures are taken to help establish an accurate diagnosis that provokes constipation.

As a rule, the following studies are assigned:

1. stool analysis - physical, chemical and microscopic examination;
2. Ultrasound of the abdominal organs - the state of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas;
3. a general blood test with a formula to determine a possible pathological process in the body, which can affect the functions of the excretory system and the general condition of the intestine;
4. sigmoidoscopy - examination of the rectum and lower part of the sigmoid intestine for neoplasms that can cause constipation;
5. colonoscopy is a method used only for direct indications, when sigmoidoscopy gave a positive result, and neoplasms were detected. This method is used to diagnose polyps, cysts and other tumors of the lower intestine.

Often the first three studies are enough for a specialist to determine the cause of constipation and prescribe treatment.

Treatment Methods

If frontal insufficiency has become the cause of constipation, then it can be cured by adjusting the diet. After all, it arose due to excessive passion for spicy, fried, fatty foods, insufficient water intake, and lack of a diet.

For constipation, not complicated by flatulence and severe bloating, a diet rich in fiber is recommended. Your daily diet should include:

• cabbage in any form. The most useful is pickled with the addition of a small amount of natural, unrefined vegetable oil. Fresh cabbage salads with carrots and other vegetables will not only help “start” the intestines, but also enrich them with vitamins;
• fresh vegetables and fruits - essential vitamins;
• freshly squeezed juices stimulate intestinal motility;
• fermented milk products (preferably low fat) have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora;
• whole grain bread - a source of fiber;
• cereals: oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley - not only help for the intestines, but also a source of essential macro- and microelements.

The first hot dishes must be present: soups, borscht, broths. Meat and fish boiled, stewed or steamed. They have a gentle effect on the intestines, without disturbing its motility.

The use of spices and sauces should be reduced to a minimum, as they irritate the intestinal walls, causing flatulence, nausea and heartburn, which are aggravated by constipation.

Another important factor in the fight against constipation is the drinking regimen. You need to drink at least 1.5 liters of clean, high-quality water (our body regards tea, coffee or compote as food, not water). In the morning on an empty stomach, drink a glass of water at room temperature in small sips. You can add a spoonful of natural honey and a little lemon juice.

During the day, drink water half an hour before meals and one hour after. In combination with foods rich in fiber, the liquid will be adsorbed in the intestines, and the feces will become soft. At one time, use no more than half a liter, otherwise the stomach will no longer be able to take food.

Medical methods of influencing the intestines

With dysbacteriosis, when constipation is observed, complex treatment is prescribed, which includes:

• probiotics: Linex, Hilak-forte, Bifidumbacterin; Laktovit, Bifiform and others;
• enzymes (depending on the associated affected organ). It can be Pancreatin (or its analogues), Festal (or its analogues);
• antibiotics or bacteriophages are prescribed in cases where dysbacteriosis is caused by an infection.

Dieting is a must. Drug treatment can only be prescribed by a specialist after assessing the general condition of the body, the condition of the intestines and finding out the causes of constipation.

Of the laxative drugs, those drugs are selected that have a minimal spastic effect on the intestines and do not greatly increase flatulence. With constipation, this phenomenon is already so pronounced and causes a lot of trouble for the patient.

To avoid constipation, you need to eat right, observe the daily routine, take daily walks in the fresh air (at least on the way home from work), play sports, do not expose yourself to stress and fully relax. Then your intestines will work like clockwork.