Green hard stool in an adult. Green feces in an adult - non-pathogenic and pathological causes, diagnosis and treatment. What does the black chair mean?

There are norms of physiological secretions of the human body. In particular, feces are evaluated by consistency, color, smell, composition. In healthy people, the stool has a well-formed appearance, a soft texture, and a brown color from light to dark brown.

If a green stool is noticed, then often this becomes a frightening factor, forcing people to look for a pathology in themselves. We will analyze the causes of green intestinal secretions. To do this, first, briefly recall what determines and how the color of feces is formed.

Why is stool brown?

The color of feces is formed mainly due to bile pigments, which are formed in the liver cells, and then enter the intestine with bile. They are a product of the processing of the iron-containing part of erythrocyte hemoglobin (heme) and myoglobin of muscle tissue. In addition, the spleen takes part in the breakdown of red blood cells. Old blood cells are disposed of, unnecessary substances are sent to waste.

Similar pigments are found in mammals, lower vertebrates and invertebrates, in bright green plants and red algae. The biochemical reaction goes through the stage of formation of greenish-blue biliverdin, yellow-orange bilirubin. Bacteria act on bilirubin in the intestines. Their enzymes convert biliverdin to stercobilinogen (up to 280 mg per day).

Under the action of light, the stercobilinogen released with feces is oxidized to stercobilin with a brown color reaction. In addition to natural pigments, dyes of undigested dietary fibers, waste products of bacteria, and processed residues of medicinal substances are excreted with feces. Therefore, the color is unnatural.

What is normally associated with green stool in an adult?

It is important to consider that the deviation of feces in color or consistency always has its own explanation. It is not necessarily associated with a pathological process. Causes in an adult can be divided into physiological (food) and pathological.

The nature of digestive disorders is judged by the shade of feces

Physiological include:

• Eating foods containing chlorophyll. It is a green pigment found in plants. The highest concentration is found in leafy vegetables, green peas, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, parsley.
• Chemical dyes are specially added to some products (sweets, cocktails, marmalade, fruit and berry jelly). An example is the blue Curacao of intense blue (included in cocktails). But if a person used a salad of carrots, beets along the way, then a mixed color of light green or yellow-green hue appears at the “output”.
• Dark green stools can become after taking food coloring against the background of functional constipation caused by stress. The stool becomes hard.
• On the contrary, with diarrhea caused by excitement, passing at an accelerated pace through the intestines, biliverdin does not have time to transform into stercobilin. Therefore, a green-colored and liquid-looking stool is possible.
• Foods also include red meat, seaweed, seaweed, fish, and red beans. They have a high iron content. This means that during processing, excess biliverdin is formed.

One of the common causes is a consequence of taking antibiotics, iron ferricyanide (prescribed in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning). With non-pathological causes, a person has good general health, no abdominal pain, normal temperature.

When should a pathology be suspected?

Green stool is a symptom of pathology:

• with liver diseases;
• increased breakdown of red blood cells;
• celiac disease;
• enterocolitis;
• tumors of the intestine;
• gastrointestinal bleeding.

Violation of the digestive process causes a failure in the production of enzymes and juices of the organs concerned. This is reflected in the transformations of bilirubin derivatives in the intestine. Celiac disease is a hereditary autoimmune disease that destroys the villi in the small intestine with the protein gluten. As a result, atrophy of the small intestine occurs, the absorption of fats and carbohydrates stops.

The disease begins both in childhood and after 40 years.

Intolerance to lactose, the enzyme that digests milk. It appears during the neonatal period. At the beginning of breastfeeding, the baby's stool is liquid green. An adult is aware of his peculiarities. Does not consume dairy products. But sometimes it cannot provide for the inclusion of dairy additives. Therefore, he is not upset when he sees a changed color of feces.

In the inflammatory process in the intestines (enterocolitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), the green tint of stools is provided by leukocytes, pus, and rapid movement during diarrhea. Purulent discharge from an ulcer in the lower sections of the large intestine does not mix with feces, but looks like a layer or film. The patient has cramping or pulling pains in the abdomen, the temperature rises, weakness worries.

Salmonellosis is a common intestinal infection. It often occurs in the form of group outbreaks in children's institutions, at food facilities. The infection comes from contaminated meat, dairy products, eggs with insufficient cooking. The source may be a sick employee. Identification of a disease is a reason for an extraordinary inspection by the epidemiological surveillance authorities.

The disease has an acute onset. There is a sharp increase in temperature, nausea, vomiting, frequent diarrhea with a greenish stool. In children, fluid loss can lead to dehydration syndrome. Profuse bleeding of their vessels of the stomach or intestines in a complicated course of peptic ulcer, colitis, Crohn's disease is accompanied by liquid black tarry stools.

The color is caused by the reaction of erythrocyte hemoglobin with hydrochloric acid of gastric juice, the formation of hemosiderin. It is possible to change the shade of feces to black-green.

Optionally, the patient's condition is accompanied by previous abdominal pain. Symptoms are characterized by:

• vomiting of the color of "coffee grounds";
• growing weakness;
• pale skin;
• weak rapid pulse and low blood pressure.

Diseases of the liver, biliary system, pancreas cause obstructive jaundice by blocking the outflow of bile. Due to the insufficient release of bilirubin, stercobilin is not formed in the contents of the intestine. The stool becomes grey-green. At the same time, the urine darkens intensely, yellowness appears on the sclera of the eyes and skin, since the pigment enters the bloodstream. This symptom is an important symptom of viral hepatitis.

Salmonellosis is one of the pathologies that provokes the appearance of green feces

At the same time, the patient notes weakness, loss of appetite to the point of aversion to food, nausea, and bloating. Dysbacteriosis in the intestine occurs after taking antibacterial agents. The lack of beneficial flora activates decay and fermentation. Patients develop flatulence, greenish stools, moderate abdominal pain. In people who are prone to allergies, diarrhea with a green tint may be a manifestation of a reaction to a certain food.

How to figure out the reason

If greenish stool appeared once after eating the listed foods or drinks, then there is no reason to worry. You need to pay attention to the color after 1-2 days. Persistent changes on the background of the use of drugs require clarification from the attending physician. Perhaps it is better to stop the individual reaction by refusing the drug and switching to another analogue.

Severe persistent symptoms of impaired stool consistency in combination with a green color require diagnostic measures. First of all, you should visit a doctor and tell about all the signs. If food poisoning or infection is suspected, you should be prepared to report the food taken the day before, the place of eating.

With elevated body temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, you should call a doctor at home. If liquid black-green feces are released against the background of vomiting with dark contents, gastrointestinal bleeding cannot be ruled out. This is especially likely in patients with peptic ulcer or gastritis. You need to call an ambulance, it is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis on your own.

Depending on the severity of the condition, patients are taken to a hospital, where they conduct an examination with the simultaneous provision of the necessary medical care. The complex of diagnostic measures includes:

• a blood test with a leukocyte formula, if bleeding is suspected, an analysis is prescribed for hematocrit, blood type and Rh factor, electrolytes;
• general urinalysis and diastasis;
• biochemical tests for liver pathology;
• feces for scatology;
• tank sowing feces and vomit.

Only a doctor can understand the pathology in the elderly

The patient is doing hardware studies on the first day;

• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
• electrocardiogram;
• fluoroscopy of the stomach with a barium suspension;
• fibrogastroscopy.

If necessary:

• a colonoscopy is performed under general anesthesia;
• computer and magnetic resonance imaging.

The list of studies depends on the symptoms of the disease and the severity of the patient's condition.

Reasons for pregnancy

Digestion in a pregnant woman does not differ from the physiological processes of a healthy person. Perhaps increased sensitivity to certain foods following a change in taste. Therefore, the basis for green feces against the background of pregnancy should be sought in nutrition. Pregnant women eat with pleasure: broccoli, dill, spinach, parsley. It affects the increase in the rate of transit of such plant products through the intestines.

Some vitamin preparations containing iron also affect the color of the stool. They are prescribed by obstetricians quite often to prevent anemia. Pregnancy management in women with chronic diseases requires the attention of a doctor and relatives. Exacerbation cannot be predicted in advance. Therefore, it is necessary to come early for examination in case of suspicious bowel movements.

The ban on spicy and pickles increases the need for fresh greens

Treatment measures at home

Therapy of diseases is carried out in the infectious diseases department or gastroenterology, depending on the results of the diagnosis. If salmonellosis is suspected, first aid includes:

• plentiful drinking regimen, even with vomiting, you need to give boiled warm water to drink in small portions, Regidron is the best drug;
• taking sorbents - drugs that attract toxins in the intestines and remove them with feces, activated charcoal is suitable (every 2 hours an adult should drink 4 tablets), Smecta, Polysorb.

You can not wash the stomach, give antibiotics and drugs that stop intestinal motility. With diarrhea, slag substances should be removed. If bleeding is suspected, the patient should be laid on his side, forbid him to get up, a heating pad with ice or cold water is placed on his stomach (something from the freezer wrapped in cellophane and a towel will do), you can be allowed to swallow small pieces of ice.

Treatment in a hospital

In the hospital, the doctor prescribes treatment not for green stools, but for the disease that led to it. You can not refuse hospitalization if it is offered by a doctor. Pregnant women are placed in the pathology department. The severity of the patient's condition can progress very quickly. It is impossible to cope with the danger to life at home.

For all infectious diseases appoint:

• intravenous administration of solutions to relieve intoxication;
• liquid diet;
• antibacterial drugs (antiviral for hepatitis);
• vitamins;
• probiotics.

The detection of blood in the stool forces you to look for the source of bleeding. On fibrogastroscopy, the size of the ulcer, the condition of its edges are evaluated. Depending on this, doctors take conservative measures or prepare the patient for urgent surgery. Continued blood loss requires transfusion of blood substitutes, protein preparations.

For small mucosal defects, coagulation (cauterization) is performed using a modified endoscopic technique. Bowel disease comes in a variety of forms. Bleeding give polyps, tumors, nonspecific colitis. In each case, targeted treatment is prescribed.

It is difficult to independently determine the cause of the abnormal color of feces. When buying, we do not know what dyes are included in caramel, fresh juices, sparkling water. It is impossible to leave a symptom unattended. If there is a violation of the general condition, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, you should immediately seek medical help.

The green color of feces in an adult happens for various reasons. Feces change colors when there are threats to human life or diseases develop in the early stages, and also provoke disorders in the functioning of the system and organs. Sometimes the cause of this problem is the wrong diet. To understand the real cause of pathologies, it is imperative to pass all the necessary tests.

Reasons for the green color

The main reason for the change in the usual color of feces is a bilirubin fat-soluble compound that enters the main structure of bile and penetrates the gastrointestinal tract.

At a normal speed of passage of food through the intestinal tract, the oxidation of bilirubin begins, it also pigments and gives the feces a brown color.

If there is a violation of digestion or processed food moves very quickly through the intestinal tract, then bilirubin does not have time to oxidize and, when emptied, it comes out naturally, not oxidized, that is, the feces become green.

And there are many more reasons why green feces appear. Another common cause is the content of inorganic iron compounds in foods and medications.

Such products include:

• red fish and meat;
• red bean varieties;
• foods and drinks with food coloring;
• sweets based on licorice syrup;
• iron supplements;
• medicines containing seaweed;
• drugs that replace iodine;
• sugar substitute.

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What does the color of feces mean

Normally, the feces should be brown due to the yellow pigment. The color scheme of the feces completely depends on the concentration of the pigment - it will be light, green or even black.

When examining a problem, you need to know its true cause in order to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

If you eat foods that contain a lot of iron, the stool will turn green. When taking carbonated water, jelly, confectionery cream with an abundance of dyes, a similar situation will eventually occur.

green stool in pregnancy

The causes of changes in fecal mass in pregnant women can be very different factors. One of them is the nutrition of women, which directly affects the color and consistency of feces.

In order for the child to develop well in the womb, and the woman to feel normal, it is necessary to follow and use all the necessary components.

There are situations when the expectant mother tries to eat as much green food as possible. But it is these plants that have the maximum amount of chlorophyll. When ingested (especially in large quantities), the feces become dark green in color. Women should understand that this condition is by no means a pathology.

Many pregnant women take vitamins for the development of the fetus and support their body. Calcium and iron, which are part of vitamins, may not be completely absorbed. The rest is passed out with feces. This is another reason for green stools.

If a woman has irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn's disease during pregnancy, the intestinal walls will become inflamed accordingly. Read more about IBS.

When processed food passes through deformed tissues, which merges with bile. As a result, we have a black-green color of feces.

Doctors do not recommend taking antibiotics during pregnancy. But there are times when they are simply necessary. In such a situation, a woman develops feces with a green tint.

After the course of treatment is over, the color scheme of feces will return to normal.

When does stool turn green?

Doctors distinguish a number of diseases, due to which the feces are forced to change their normal color. And also the patient develops other symptoms that are characteristic of certain problems.

If it is an intestinal infection, then the patient will feel pain in the abdomen. Green feces can lead to nausea, vomiting, fever, loss of strength.

If dysbacteriosis, then the microflora of the digestive tract deteriorates, as a result, almost all beneficial bacteria die.

Then leukocytes collect in the intestines, and the products are not digested, rot and begin to ferment. During this period, the bowel changes color.

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Green stool with mucus

Green mucus with feces can be provoked by many factors:

1. Various intestinal infections often accompany mucus and a green tint in the stool.
2. Doctors distinguish three types of hemorrhoids, which form with a green tint, which accumulates near the anus.
3. Tumor-like neoplasms that are located in the intestines can manifest themselves as yellow or green secretions through the anus with mucus.
4. Another cause of mucus is congenital intestinal fermentopathy or hereditary pathology in the structure of the upper intestine.
5. Milk sugar intolerance.

Treatment

If you have at least one of the above symptoms, you first need to determine the cause. If you feel normal, there are no more changes, you need to go on a diet and temporarily not take any medication.

If a nursing baby has such a problem, a woman needs to reconsider her diet.

In any situation, you cannot make decisions on your own, you need to undergo a diagnosis and get a full recommendation from doctors.

Green stool in an adult can be a sign of malnutrition, infectious diseases, or taking a number of drugs.

If the color of the feces changes once, most likely, the reason is the use of provoking foods. When a change in shade is observed for a long period, accompanied by diarrhea, mucus, or the release of drops of blood during bowel movements, you should consult a specialist to make an accurate diagnosis.

The main factors that provoke a change in the color of feces

The norm is considered to be bowel movements once every 1-2 days, while the color of feces should have a brown tint. What can be a slight deviation from accepted standards?

There are a number of physiological and pathological factors:

• Eating food that affects various processes in the body or has a large amount of coloring substances in its composition.

• An imbalance in the bacterial environment of the body, an infectious disease, poisoning, allergic reactions, the development of pathologies of internal organs, in particular those related to the digestive tract.
• Taking certain medications.

Changes you shouldn't worry about

Fans of sweets, such as marmalade, jelly, and other foods high in dyes, may occasionally notice greenish stools.

In addition, other products also affect the color of feces:

In this case, a revision of the diet will help to normalize the situation. If a few days after the exclusion of provoking foods, the color of the feces has not changed, then other reasons must be considered.

Change in stool color when taking medication

Feces can turn green when consumed:

• Iodine preparations.
• Laxatives, in particular herbal medicines.
• Sorbitol.
• Glucose.
• Chlorophyll.
• Vitamin complexes.
• iron-containing drugs.
• Medicines based on seaweed.

Usually, a possible change in the color of feces is mentioned in the annotation to the drug. If you cancel such drugs, then within 5 days the feces acquire a characteristic dark brown hue. If you take a radiopaque substance, the stool may become gray, but after 2-3 days the condition returns to normal on its own.

Antibiotics with prolonged use disrupt the intestinal microflora, causing dysbacteriosis, which entails a change in the normal color of feces to green.

A consequence of the development of a pathological environment

Feces in an adult can acquire a peculiar shade with the appearance of gastrointestinal diseases.

Most often diagnosed:

• Dysbacteriosis. Due to the imbalance of intestinal microorganisms, the process of digestion of food is disrupted, food residues rot, which may be accompanied by a violation of the frequency and color of the stool.
• Dysentery. The condition is characterized by acute pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The patient develops weakness, the temperature rises sharply.
• Salmonellosis. Entering the body, an intestinal infection causes a sharp rise in temperature, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
• Rotavirus infection. The stools have a liquid consistency with an admixture of mucus and an unpleasant odor. The patient has signs of intoxication, weakness and a sharp rise in temperature.
• Enteritis. The inflammatory process in the intestine is manifested by diarrhea, nausea, pain in the abdomen, weakness.
• Tumors of various etiologies, internal bleeding or complication of an ulcer. Green color occurs when iron is oxidized in erythrocytes.
• Diseases of the circulatory system. When the decaying red blood cells begin to produce insufficient amounts of bilirubin from hemoglobin, there is not enough pigment to color the feces, and they are excreted in an unchanged green color. Liver problems such as hepatitis also lead to the same consequences.

With infectious lesions of the intestine, a bright green hue of the stool, a rise in temperature, weakness and an admixture of mucus in the stools are observed. In case of poisoning, these symptoms are accompanied by vomiting and severe abdominal pain..

Allergies to food can be manifested by a change in the color of the stool, along with the presence of mucus and undigested food debris in it. With gluten intolerance, liquid feces with an unpleasant odor are observed. And lactose indigestion is characterized by the onset of diarrhea with green stools immediately after eating dairy products.

In babies under 6 months, green stools may indicate an increase in bilirubin. At this age, the condition can normalize on its own.

Often a change in shade is associated with a transition to another mixture. This is due to the immaturity of the digestive system. The food of a breastfeeding mother also plays a role in many respects, since all substances from the products penetrate into the milk.

What color of feces indicates a disease of the internal organs?

Many do not know what diseases change the shade of feces. It should be noted that these are mainly pathologies of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, stomach and intestines.

• Green feces may be the result of inflammation of the intestine or the development of a tumor of this organ, intoxication of the body, celiac disease.
• Red-brown indicates the presence of minor internal bleeding in the lower digestive tract. Observations show that this means damage to the intestinal walls. When the feces move through the intestine, the mucous membranes are injured, blood is released through small cracks and enters the feces.
• Black may indicate bleeding in organs located in the upper parts of the digestive system.
• Yellow-green indicates carbohydrate fermentation. This condition occurs with diseases of the pancreas, for example, diabetes mellitus.
• Gray-green or white indicates the absence of bile in the intestine. Pathology occurs with liver disease and when the gallbladder has stones or a tumor that clogs the excretory ducts.

Symptoms associated with green stools

If the color change occurs due to the intake of medications or provocative products, then there are no other signs of the disease. When the problem is caused by the ingress of pathogenic microorganisms, the development of ailments of internal organs, hidden bleeding, the following symptoms occur simultaneously with green feces:

• Abdominal pain. Usually its localization indicates the location of the diseased organ.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Diarrhea.
• Bad smell of stool.
• The presence of mucus or.
• Elevated temperature.
• General deterioration of health: headache, dizziness, weakness, fatigue.

green stool in pregnant women

Expectant mothers try to monitor their diet, so they consume a large amount of plant foods. Spinach and broccoli contain chlorophyll, which can cause faecal discoloration.

In addition, to prevent anemia and destruction of bone tissue during pregnancy, vitamin complexes rich in iron and calcium are prescribed. Also, black feces can be the result of taking activated charcoal during gas formation.

The color of feces, with a temporary change, does not affect the condition of the baby. But if, after the abolition of provoking foods and drugs, the condition does not change, this may indicate the presence of various diseases, and the tar-black shade indicates internal bleeding.

Dysbacteriosis is a frequent companion of pregnant women. In this case, diarrhea begins, stools are green.

When making this diagnosis, the doctor prescribes Smecta or Imodium to remove toxins. It is recommended to include whole grain cereals, sour-milk products, green tea in the diet.

In order to prevent serious complications during the period of bearing a baby, for any violations or changes in the color and consistency of the stool, you should consult a doctor.

First aid at home

When changing the color of feces, nutrition should be reviewed, excluding sweets and food rich in chlorophyll and containing dyes from the menu.

With diarrhea, you must take Smecta or Regidron. This will normalize the water-electrolyte balance and avoid dehydration.

Atoxil is an excellent sorbent, which is used to remove toxins, especially when vomiting. But the drug should be taken after gastric lavage.

With severe dysbacteriosis, it is useful to drink probiotics. If no improvement is observed within a few days or the condition is accompanied by a rise in temperature, stools with blood inclusions, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, then you should consult a doctor.

After a series of tests, the specialist will make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment. It can be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial drugs, antispasmodics, vitamin complexes. With internal bleeding, urgent hospitalization is indicated, followed by surgical intervention.

Tests to determine the cause of a change in stool color

For a correct diagnosis when green feces appear, when they are not associated with food intake, a series of examinations should be performed:

• Complete blood count with the determination of the leukocyte component.
• Analysis of urine.
• Blood test for biochemistry and electrolytes.
• Analysis of feces for bacterial environment.
• Abdominal ultrasound.

If indicated, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, CT or MRI of the abdominal cavity may be prescribed.

The green color of feces, like other uncharacteristic shades, may be the result of a number of pathologies. To determine the cause and exclude the presence of the disease, you should consult a doctor in a timely manner and do the necessary tests. Self-medication can worsen the situation, lead to dehydration and damage to internal organs.

Normally, the intestines of an adult are emptied once a day. The concentration of fluid in the feces is 60-70%. If its content reaches 90%, this leads to stable diarrhea, which can persist for a sufficiently long time period. The color of feces often indicates which organs are working in an unusual mode, undergoing an inflammatory or infectious process. We will talk about the causes and consequences of green stools later.

The reasons

Green stools in the vast majority of cases indicate an increase in bilirubin in the feces. This disorder, in turn, is due to secretory diarrhea, in which the gallbladder stops its normal functioning.

But there may be other, more serious reasons.

Please note - to make a diagnosis on your own, and even more so to select treatment with medications, is extremely life-threatening!

The most banal, physiologically based reason for the appearance of green loose stools lies in overeating food sources enriched with natural dyes. If the day before you had a hearty lunch of broccoli, spinach or unripe pears, this phenomenon is usually assessed as a relative norm. If at the same time you are worried about other alarming symptoms, this process can no longer be attributed to the norm.

Green can have a variety of shades, which are also important to consider:

Another common reason for "greening" bowel movements is taking certain medications. This is especially true for self-medication and long-term antibiotic therapy. Regardless of whether the drugs were chosen by a doctor or on your own, you should consult a specialist for correction of the scheme and the frequency of their intake.

Green stool as a symptom of disease

If the listed factors do not suit your case, the true reason is probably in diseases of the digestive tract. Some of them can leave a significant imprint on the further health and vital activity of the body. Therefore, you should be extremely attentive to all your symptoms, and if necessary, consult a doctor about them.

A green stool may be associated with the presence of the following diseases.

• Enteritis

This is an inflammatory process in the intestine, which is classified according to the localization of the focus:

1. Duodenitis - the duodenum is affected;
2. Eunit - the small intestine is affected;
3. Ileitis - the ileum is affected;
4. Colitis (enterocolitis) - the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe intestine is affected.

The disease is traditionally accompanied by persistent diarrhea, while the feces have a heterogeneous consistency and a greenish tint. The reasons for its appearance lie in the transferred acute infections, in particular, the already mentioned dysentery.

• Internal bleeding

They appear mainly against the background of an advanced gastric ulcer, or an oncological process in the organs of the digestive tract. At the same time, iron, concentrated in the blood, cannot be oxidized normally, and therefore there is a "staining" of feces in green. This can become a symptom of an onset of the disease, so the sooner you see a doctor, the higher the likelihood of a favorable outcome of treatment.

Self-treatment of these diseases can even result in death! The clinical picture in this case may be supplemented by syncope and rapidly progressive anemia. With blood diseases that negatively affect the viability of red blood cells and the production of hemoglobin, feces also acquire a greenish tint.

• Dysbacteriosis

This is a violation of healthy, natural intestinal microflora. It can be acute and chronic, and the transient form often acquires a constant course. It is caused by long-term use of aggressive drugs, especially antibiotics. Qualified adequate treatment in such cases is literally necessary, and it is directed to the stabilization of the normal flora. For this, specialized preparations based on lactobacilli, bifidobacteria and non-pathogenic Escherichia coli are used.

The standard symptom of dysbacteriosis is prolonged diarrhea with green stools and a pungent putrid odor. This can be accompanied by acute abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

• Dysentery

Acute intestinal disease of infectious genesis, in which there is a green stool, nausea and intense vomiting. This disorder requires correct treatment, which is often carried out in a hospital setting.

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When any changes or problems occur in the body, it signals in various ways. Changes in the color of feces can also indicate any problems in the body, or some kind of disease. Sometimes it may not be related to the disease.

Among the main causes of green feces in adults, two can be distinguished - these are bile and food (food coloring, drugs, dietary supplements). Let's take a look in detail.

1) The bile secreted from the gallbladder is green, but as it passes through the intestines, it gradually changes color, and finally becomes brown. If it passes through the intestines quickly, the color remains original.

It also indicates a possible violation. Depending on the number of bile pigment, the color of the human feces itself is determined. In some cases, the color directly depends on the food consumed by people.

2) Green feces in an adult can manifest itself when consuming a huge amount of food that has green coloring matter. These dyes are digested in the stomach, but the color of the feces becomes green. And the more dye was in the products, the more intense the color of the feces.

The appearance of green stool can cause:

• consumption of foods containing iron;
• taking medicines, which include inorganic iron compounds;
• eating red meats and fish;
• food and drinks containing dyes;
• green lettuce, vegetables, and fruits, as well as juices from them;
• bean varieties of red color;
• sweets made on the basis of licorice syrup;
• sugar substitutes;
• iodine substances;
• iron supplements;
• medicinal preparations made on the basis of seaweed;
• multivitamins.

Green stools are more common in vegetarians or vegetable lovers. In the analysis of the stool, an increased content of bilirubin is detected.

Green feces in a child - causes and features

In children after birth, the stool is dark olive, even in some cases black. This is considered the norm. Within 10 days, the stool is characterized by a greenish color of varying intensity. The color of the baby's stool is directly dependent on the characteristics of his diet.

When breastfeeding, green stools may appear, which are directly related to the nutrition of the nursing mother, especially with excessive consumption of vegetables and carbohydrates.

Green feces in a formula-fed baby indicates the use of an iron-fortified formula. Gray-green feces appear when changing milk formula.

During the introduction of complementary foods (fruits and vegetables), green stools may appear - this is also considered a normative option. When teething, sometimes the feces acquire a greenish tint.

But, there are reasons, or rather diseases leading to a change in the color of feces. When they appear, it is urgent to seek medical help:

1. Intestinal infection (it can occur even in infants);
2. Dysbacteriosis.

These diseases are manifested not only by a green tint of feces, but also by vomiting, hyperthermia, and severe pain in the intestinal area. Feces become frequent and lead to dehydration of the child. With the manifestation of such symptoms, parents should immediately go with the child to inpatient treatment.

Diseases with green stools (possible)

If green feces in an adult appeared more often than once, then the development of various diseases of the stomach and intestines is expected. The main diseases associated with green feces are:

• pathology of the small intestine (not only a green color appears, but also a putrefactive odor) - enteritis;
• dysbacteriosis (fermentation and decay develop due to a deficiency of normal microbes necessary for the digestion process);
• long-term treatment with antibiotics;
• intestinal infection (eg, dysentery);
• bleeding from various parts of the intestine (with a stomach ulcer, with oncology). In this case, the feces are often black, but there is also a green color;
• liver disease (hepatitis, cirrhosis);
• blood diseases, especially those accompanied by hemolysis;
• hypolactasemia (indigestion and indigestion of milk sugar).

With the pathology of the intestinal microflora, you need to start treating dysbacteriosis. Digestion of food during dysbacteriosis in the small intestine occurs incorrectly, as a result of which the process of fermentation and decay is observed. And against this background, elements appear that saturate the feces with green color.

All these diseases can lead to serious consequences. They are especially dangerous if they do not seek medical help in time.

Green stool often accompanies intestinal infections (dysentery and other conditions). In this case, hyperthermia, a feeling of nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, a feeling of weakness appear.

For an accurate diagnosis of a specific infectious pathology, a series of laboratory studies is required.

Dark green stool, what does it mean?

Dark green feces can appear with bleeding from various parts of the stomach or intestines. Such bleeding is regarded as a complication of peptic ulcer or as a sign of oncology.

The green color is acquired due to the incomplete oxidation of iron, which is part of the erythrocytes. There is not one dark green stool, but also signs of anemia, frequent pulse, low blood pressure, pallor, shortness of breath, weakness.

In diseases of the liver and blood, a large amount of bilirubin appears. This is due to the intense breakdown of red blood cells in the liver. Bilirubin imparts a dark green to dark brown color to feces.

Dark green feces can be regarded as a manifestation of mild dysentery. In severe form, a large amount of water appears in it, which reduces the saturation of the color.

Yellow-green feces - what does it mean?

Improper absorption and digestion of carbohydrates from the fibers and connective tissue membrane of plant foods leads to changes in the small intestine and pancreas.

• The enzymes do not function as they should, and yellow-green stools appear.

This color of feces is considered normal in breastfed babies. But if such a color of feces appeared in slightly older children, this indicates that the food ration does not correspond to age.

Nutrition should be reviewed, the help of a pediatrician and a nutritionist may be required.

Green stool with mucus - is it dangerous?

Various factors can provoke green feces with mucus:

• some types of intestinal infection;
• some types of hemorrhoids;
• tumor-like neoplasms in the intestine;
• congenital intestinal pathology or hereditary factor associated with enzymatic deficiency;
• congenital intolerance to milk sugar and protein components of gluten;
• that provoke food stagnation;
• expression of a gene mutation.

During the inflammatory process in the gastrointestinal tract, a large number of leukocytes die, which give the feces a green color. In addition, this is accompanied by severe pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, green mucus appears in the feces with purulent patches.

A coprogram helps to confirm the inflammatory diagnosis - a large number of leukocyte cells are detected.

Green stool found - what to do?

If the color of the stool changes and if you feel well, as well as in the absence of other symptoms, it is worth sticking to a diet and removing medications (if possible) that affect these changes.

In young children, the diet of food should be reviewed by the mother. In most cases, after this, the chair is getting better.

But if there are signs that negatively affect well-being and manifest themselves in the form of severe pain, hyperthermia, weakness, gas formation or mucus in the stool, you should immediately seek medical help.

Only after a complete examination and on the basis of laboratory tests, the doctor will be able to accurately determine the diagnosis and prescribe the correct and effective treatment.