If you find that the feces turn white, you need to see a doctor. This is a symptom of such serious diseases as hepatitis and pancreatic cancer. Of course, there are other causes that cause discoloration of the stool, but first of all it is necessary to exclude oncology and jaundice (hepatitis).
Why is feces white?
What does white feces mean? The fact that for some reason the body has not developed the bile pigment of sterocilin, which gives the feces a habitual, brownish hue. Sterkobililin is a derivative of bilirubin, it enters the duodenum together with bile. Accordingly, if your feces are almost white, or completely white, this process is something prevented. Here are the main causes that cause white feces:
- blockage of the bile ducts;
- violation of the liver, resulting in bile is not produced in sufficient quantities;
- disruption of the liver or gallbladder, resulting in bile does not reach the required concentration;
- violation of the intestinal microflora, because of which bile does not have time to act on the stool;
- taking medications that reduce the production and concentration of bile.
Almost all of these disorders of the body are provoked by certain diseases. Do you want to know what disease is white feces? Here is a short list of ailments that cause one or more provoking factors:
- presence of a tumor in the region of the gallbladder, bile duct, liver, intestine;
- acute cholecystitis;
- acute pancreatitis;
- all types of hepatitis;
- celiac disease ;
- stones in the gallbladder.
Diagnostic features
If you have white feces periodically, this can be a signal for any of these diseases in mild form. Here are additional symptoms that indicate problems with the liver and gallbladder:
- nausea;
- sharp changes in body temperature;
- pain in the right hypochondrium and lower in the side;
- darkening of urine;
- yellowing of the sclera of the eye;
- increased sweating;
- bad breath.
If at least one of these signs coincides with whitening of the feces, you should definitely consult a doctor, donate blood for analysis to exclude hepatitis and undergo ultrasound of the liver, bile duct, bile duct and intestine.
Vomiting, feces of white color, heat - a signal that the disease has become acute and you need to call an ambulance.
Sometimes discoloration of the stool is a sign that the body does not fully cope with the fats that came with food. This happens with various hormonal disorders, malfunctions in the intestine and pancreatic, diabetes mellitus. In this case the patient's state of health does not deteriorate. In order to verify the accuracy of this assumption, try for a few days to completely switch to vegetable food, porridge, low-fat fish. Dairy products, meat and vegetable oil should not be consumed. If the stool color is normal, you can go to the gastroenterologist and find out why fats can not be split up to the end.
Medicines that can cause fecal impurities are quite a lot. Each of them affects the body in its own way, but as a side effect, discoloration of the stool can result. Here is the list of drugs most affecting the color of stool:
- Paracetamol;
- Levomycetin;
- antifungal drugs;
- antibiotics;
- cures for gout ;
- medicines for epilepsy;
- drugs against tuberculosis;
- acetylsalicylic acid;
- oral contraceptives.
Light, liquid feces with a strong unpleasant acidic odor may appear if you have eaten a lot of fatty sour cream, butter, nuts on the eve. This phenomenon goes by itself, as soon as a normal diet is established.