A healthy person's bowel movements are normally yellowish brown and comprise of 75% water and 25% solid matter, the latter of which would include waste materials, undigested particles of food and intestinal bacteria. But at times, poops of unusual colors might appear, such as white, dark brown, black, green or reddish because of various reasons. Green stools, whether in darker or lighter shades might be completely harmless. Still, it should be remembered that it could be a sign of underlying intestinal or digestive problems, most of all if these dark green stools are frequently passed. Therefore, it would be recommended to identify the risk factors, causes and overall treatment options for dark green stool.
The Risk Factors
Bowel movements that are green aren't necessarily something of concern as long as it only happens on occasion. If it happens recurrently, it would be recommended to look for medical attention. If it happens to be related to therapeutic medications or ingested food, there is no cause for worry. On the other hand, passing odd colored stool has to be treated if caused because of digestive disorders or food poisoning. Doctors need to be consulted if dark green stool is in any way associated with diarrhea, rectal pain, constipation, weight loss or fever.
The Causes
A lot of the time, mothers report breastfed babies passing unusual colored stools. As a matter of fact, dark green stools can be seen most often within babies and toddlers. Occasional odd-colored stool passing is fairly common in adults, as well, though. When it comes to the causes of dark green stool, there are various possibilities that could result in them, such as the following:
1. Diets - One common dark green stools cause would be the consumption of green vegetables like lettuce, spinach, broccoli and peas. Dark green stool passing might also be an indication that a diet is filled with iron, food coloring and sugar.
2. Digestion Problems - weird colors in the stool could be caused by abnormal processes of digestion. When it comes to food particle malabsorption within intestinal tracts, stools might get green coloration. Additionally, if bile salts get passed into the rectum with no undergoing intestinal changes, stools become dark green.
3. Too Much Bacteria - Defecate usually consists of colonies of bacteria. If there is too much bacteria present in the form of salmonella, the color could possibly turn green.
4. Medication - abnormally colored stool might result from particular medications. People that administer antibiotics and laxatives have higher chances of dark green stool passing.
5. Others - Other causes of abnormally colored stool would be intestinal problems, food poisoning, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis and starvation stools.
The Overall Treatment Options
Before treating irregular colored stools, physicians have to analyze stool samples for abnormal changes. Several conducted diagnostic procedures for weird colored stools include stool culture, blood tests, colonoscopy and X-ray. The therapeutic options for odd-colored stool treatment will vary depending on the related symptoms, diagnostic results and underlying health conditions, if there are any. Doctors might prescribe eating habit and diet plan changes with various medications to make one's digestive health better. Drinking lots of water for body hydration would be another effective treatment from home for dark green stools.
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