Why is ur poo brown

After three days, stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass, leading to more serious issues. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Menu Search. End Results: What color is your poop and other pressing fecal matters What you need to know health-wise about shape, consistency, color and floaters By Scott LaFee May 04, Page Content. If stools are white, gray, or pale, a person may have an issue with the liver or gallbladder as pale stools suggest a lack of bile.

Some anti-diarrhea medications cause white stools. Spinach, kale , or other green foods can cause green poop. However, green-colored stool may be a sign that there is too much bile and not enough bilirubin in the poop. Poop that is red-colored may be the result of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Small amounts of blood in the stool can indicate hemorrhoids. Eating beets or red berries, or drinking beet or tomato juice, also turns poop red. Once these foods have passed through the digestive tract, poop should become brown again. Consuming many orange-colored foods, which are rich in a pigment called beta-carotene , causes orange stool.

However, blocked bile ducts or certain medications including some antacids and the antibiotic rifampin can cause orange poop. If stool appears yellow or is greasy-looking, it suggests the poop contains too much fat.

This may be the result of absorption issues, or difficulty producing enzymes or bile. Most people will experience variations in stool color at some stage. Usually, this is down to diet or some other minor cause.

However, anyone who experiences changes in poop color that last for 2 or more weeks or has red or black stool should see their doctor. Digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS , can be triggered or exacerbated by stress.

In some people, it can manifest as diarrhea and in others as constipation. Not drinking enough water and other fluids can lead to constipation, as stool requires moisture to be able to move through the digestive tract. Too much caffeine and alcohol can contribute to dehydration. Fiber acts as a binding substance to give stool its form. Whitish, clay-colored poop is caused by a lack of bile, which can stem from a blockage of bile ducts.

Gallstones are one possible culprit of such an obstruction, says Dr. But if you see white poop without any of the aforementioned symptoms, you can wait to see a doctor, Swaminath says. Yellow poop is another potential indicator of bile shortage, which, again, may be related to obstructed bile ducts. It can also mean that the pancreas is not secreting enough enzymes needed for digestion. When people prep for a colonoscopy , their stool becomes diluted and can also turn yellow, says Nandi.

Yellow poop can also arise from excess fat in stool , often due to an inability to break down foods, such as gluten for someone living with celiac disease. If you think this may be causing yellow stool, you should consult your doctor. If you have ever taken iron tablets or Pepto-Bismol , you have likely experienced this common, though harmless, side effect: black poop. Medicines can do weird things to the color of your bowel movements. Some antibiotics reportedly tint them yellow or green.

If you eat a ton of blueberries or go overboard on the carrot juice, expect it to affect your stool color for a couple of days. In both cases, Dr. Lee recommends calling your doctor. Also check in with your doctor if you have other symptoms, such as diarrhea , fever or pain.

Stool can come in a rainbow of shades. Most are harmless variations caused by the foods you eat. But some are cause for concern.