Green stools in an adult can be a serious cause for concern. The article discusses the reasons for its appearance not only among conscious representatives of society, but also in newborn babies.

Depending on the content of bile pigment in a person's feces, the color of the feces itself will change. This explains the fact that stool is completely colorless or almost black. In addition, their color depends on the food we consume. Have healthy person color is most often due to the use of foods rich in green dye. And the more green paint in them, the more intense the color of the stool will be.

However, green stool in an adult can serve as a signal of various ailments of the stomach or intestines. Most often, this condition is due to a disease of the small intestine - dysbiosis caused by prolonged use of antibiotics. With such violations, due to the death of digestive microorganisms, fermentation and rotting increase. In the process of the body's struggle with the disease that has arisen, a large number of dead leukocytes accumulate in the intestine. It is they who give the feces a green color, accompanied by an unpleasant, putrid odor.

The appearance of symptoms such as green stools in an adult is the result of not only dietary errors, but also some serious diseases. These include dysentery - an acute infectious disease accompanied by pain in the intestines, general malaise, nausea and vomiting. The disease is treated strictly in a hospital, under the supervision of a doctor. And finally, bleeding in various parts of the intestine can cause the appearance of such an unpleasant factor as green stool in an adult. In this case, the color change occurs due to the destruction of iron molecules in erythrocytes. In this case, there are clear signs of anemia: weakness, pulse.

So, green stool in an adult can mean the development of the following diseases or their complication:

• dysbiosis;
• bleeding in the stomach or intestines;
• diseases of the blood and liver;
• enteritis.

In any case, if the corresponding symptoms appear, you should visit a doctor.

Very often, young mothers are frightened by the appearance of green feces in the baby. There is nothing wrong with that. Stool color in newborns changes from black to green, after a while - from brown to yellow. This is due to the fact that the baby's intestines contain meconium, which consists of particles of amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby in the mother's womb. Meconium is excreted from the child's body within 24 hours. By the end of the first week of life, the baby's green stool acquires a brownish green color and becomes less viscous. After a couple of weeks, it should have a yellowish brown color and a mushy consistency.

In the case of a full breastfeeding the greenish tint of baby feces is the absolute norm. The color is given to them by bilirubin, which is released with feces. Fluctuations in the amount of hormones in the mother's milk can affect the consistency and the baby. Although a newborn's stool is usually not worth worrying about green stool, unless the baby is uncomfortable.

Feces are the final result of digestion. It is formed as a result of complex biochemical reactions throughout all parts of the digestive system and is excreted outside the body during bowel movements. The main characteristics of feces are: volume, shape, texture, smell and color. Normally, the parameters can change quite strongly under the influence of some factors. But all these fluctuations are temporary and return to normal on their own after they are eliminated. But some changes in the characteristics of feces may indicate a serious pathology of internal organs.

What properties of feces correspond to the norm

To give an adequate assessment of the nature of the chair, it must be described according to the following criteria.

The frequency of bowel movements. The normal frequency of bowel movements is from 2 times a day to two to three per week. In this case, a prerequisite is the absence of pain and discomfort, as well as the rapid course of the process. Otherwise, defecation every few days is considered constipation, and more than three times a day - diarrhea.

The number of bowel movements. The volume of feces in an adult is considered normal in the range of one hundred to two hundred and fifty grams per day. A decrease in the amount of feces occurs with constipation, saturation of the diet with easily digestible food, and a decrease in the amount of food consumed. An upward deviation from the norm may be present with a high intake of plant fibers, dysfunction of the small intestine, insufficient secretion of the pancreas, and insufficient release of bile into the upper intestine.

Stool shape. According to the "Bristol Scale", it is customary to classify the shape of feces as one of seven types, where two options are referred to the norm: sausage-like and sausage-like, containing cracks. Others regard it as constipation and a tendency to it, or as diarrhea, a tendency to it and severe diarrhea.

The consistency of feces should normally be soft, cylindrical. But with various pathological processes, the consistency of feces can change in this way.

A dense structure of feces, consisting of separate lumps, (sheep) is provoked by:

• violation of intestinal microflora
• the presence of staphylococcus
• irritation of the intestinal wall in the thick section
• exacerbation of peptic ulcer
• intestinal inflammation
• violation of blood supply to the intestinal wall
• insufficient bowel motility
• stress, severe nervous disorders
• low fluid intake
• insufficient physical activity
• surgical intervention

The presence of "sheep feces" in a patient for a long time can cause intoxication of the body, weakening of immunity, provoke the appearance of cracks in the anus, hemorrhoids, up to intestinal prolapse. A tendency to regular constipation should be consulted by a doctor without fail.

Gruel-like stool can appear due to infectious and inflammatory diseases in the intestines, stomach dysfunction and rotavirus infections. If it is accompanied by the discharge of mucus, then one can think of a bacterial infection, colds accompanied by a severe runny nose, as well as the use of certain foods.

With pancreatitis, mushy stools acquire a gray tint, which may indicate the addition of fermentative dyspepsia, chronic enteritis, or colitis with diarrhea.

Diarrhea can develop for other reasons, due to:

• Dysbacteriosis
• Infectious intestinal diseases
• Various forms of tuberculosis
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Intestinal absorption disorders
• Improper nutrition
• Kidney disease
• Chronic stress
• Avitominose
• Allergic conditions
• Severe diseases of the digestive system
• Malignant neoplasms of the last parts of the intestine.

Oily feces are characterized by a fatty structure and occurs when inflammatory diseases pancreas, the presence of calculi in gallbladder, cholecystitis, hepatitis of any genesis, colitis, accompanied by malabsorption.

Clay-like feces most often have a grayish tint. This is due to the high content of undigested fat, which happens with poor outflow of bile from the hepatic ducts and the gallbladder itself. It is observed with hepatitis, obstruction of the biliary tract.

Loose stools can vary in color and appearance.

With an intestinal infection, the stool has a liquid, watery consistency.

At infectious diseases the stool has a green liquid appearance.

With gastric bleeding in the upper parts of the feces becomes black and liquid consistency.

In diseases of the upper intestines, feces resemble a light slurry.

If the lower part of the small intestine is involved in the pathological process, then the feces, along with a liquid consistency, have a yellow color. It is watery and frothy and can be repeated up to eight times a day.

Typhoid fever is characterized by the presence of feces in the form of mashed peas.

With cholera, the stool has a colorless appearance, akin to rice water.

If diarrhea in adults and elderly patients lasts longer than two weeks and is accompanied by the periodic appearance of blood impurities, then it makes sense to exclude tumors of the small intestine.

Long-term loose stools are observed after surgical interventions on the intestines, as well as in inflammatory diseases of this area of ​​nonspecific origin.

Foamy feces is a sign of the presence of fermentative dyspepsia and indicates that fermentation processes are taking place in the intestines.

Yeast-like stool occurs in the presence of a fungal infection. It can have a characteristic yeast smell and has the appearance of a frothy or curdled mass with the presence of threads that resemble the fibers of melted cheese.

The color of feces in a normal state ranges from light shades of brown to dark saturated. And it can vary depending on the pathological process present.

Faeces that are light in color, up to yellow-white and gray, may indicate:

• Overuse of rice or potatoes
• The use of barium sulfate for X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract
• Use drugs containing calcium or antacids.
• Inflammatory diseases of the abdominal organs, gallstones, severe liver diseases (cirrhosis, cancer).

Red bowel movements can occur when:

The presence of dark stools can be triggered by:

• Taking activated carbon
• The use of medicinal products containing iron in their composition
• The presence of blueberries and dishes from them in the daily diet
• Gastritis
• Malignant processes in the upper and lower intestines
• Ulcerative defect of the duodenum and stomach

The presence of black feces is a threatening sign and requires immediate medical attention.

The smell of feces is normally characterized as unpleasant, but not harsh.

The predominance of a pungent odor indicates the predominant content of meat food in the diet.

The presence of a rotten smell indicates inadequate digestion of food with the development of putrefactive processes

Sour - accompanies lovers of dairy products and appears after drinking refreshing drinks made by fermentation.

Fetid stools appear with exacerbation of cholecystitis, pancreatitis, increased secretion of the large intestine, active reproduction of the bacterial flora.

Feces with a putrid odor are found in dyspepsia, impaired digestion in the stomach cavity, colitis, and constipation.

If the stool smells like old oil, then this is a sign of bacterial decomposition of fatty foods in the intestines.

The presence of a mild, faint odor in feces indicates constipation and too rapid evacuation of the food lump from the small intestine.

It is important to understand that a change in the color of calculi, as well as any other of its characteristics, can occur for physiological reasons - associated with individual characteristics of nutrition and use. food additives or some medications. In this case, the return to normal occurs on its own, without the inclusion of medical methods after the exclusion of the provoking component.

In another case, the cause of the change in the main characteristics of the stool is pathological reasons - various diseases internal organs. In this case external changes are a consequence of a pathological process, so the patient will not be able to solve this problem on his own. To understand the nature of violations and choose the optimal treatment, you need to contact a specialist.

Physiological causes of the appearance of green bowel movements in an adult

The most common reason such a change in feces lies in the patient's dietary habits. In most cases, green stools appear when the diet is rich in foods high in iron. These include:

• Red meats
• Green leafy crops, including lettuce, broccoli, spinach, and juices
• Black liquorice
• Fish of marine origin
• Red bean variety
• Feces with greenish tints can appear after eating foods that include food colors ranging from light green to black-green. This can be: colored caramel, marmalade, carbonated drinks, chewing gum.

The color of feces can change against the background of taking some biological supplements or medications, turning into gray, greenish, and sometimes black and green. This can be provoked by:

• Substances that contain a high concentration of iodine
• Herbal Laxatives
• Chlorophyll
• Glucose
• Sorbitol
• Vitamin and mineral complexes
• Food supplements based on seaweed

When green feces appear in an adult for pathological reasons

The presence of green stool in adult patients can be observed due to the presence of a dangerous pathology, when self-diagnosis and treatment are unacceptable. These conditions include:

• Foodborne toxicoinfections.
• Crohn's disease.
• Intestinal diseases of an infectious nature (enterocolitis). In this case, the stool not only changes its color, but also a large number of mucous inclusions are determined in its composition.
• Internal bleeding of low to medium intensity. With profuse bleeding from the digestive tract, the bowel movements become black.
• Increased secretion of the thyroid gland.
• Allergy to food. It is characterized not only by a change in the color of feces, but also by the presence of mucus and poorly digested food particles in them.
• Ulcerative defect of the gastric wall.
• Rotavirus infection. It is characterized by green, foul-smelling stools with a large content of mucus on the background of signs of severe intoxication. More typical for children and infants.

All these conditions are life-threatening for the patient, therefore it is strongly discouraged to treat them on your own. Only a specialist with the help of additional laboratory methods can determine the cause of the appearance of green stools in a patient and prescribe adequate therapy.

There are norms of physiological secretions of the human body. In particular, feces are assessed by consistency, color, smell, composition. In healthy people, feces have a formalized appearance, a soft consistency, and are brown in color from light to dark brown.

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

Why is feces brown?

Stool color is formed mainly due to bile pigments, which are formed in the liver cells, and then enter the intestines with bile. They are a product of the processing of the iron-containing part of the hemoglobin of erythrocytes (heme) and the myoglobin of muscle tissue. In addition, the spleen is involved 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. In the intestine, bacteria act on bilirubin. Their enzymes convert biliverdin to stercobilinogen (up to 280 mg per day).

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

What is normal green stool associated with 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. The reasons in an adult can be roughly divided into physiological (nutritional) and pathological.

By the shade of the stool, the nature of the digestive disorders is judged.

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, and parsley.
• Coloring chemicals are specially added to some products (candies, cocktails, marmalade, fruit and berry jelly). An example is the deep blue color of Curaçao blue (included in cocktails). But if a person consumed a salad of carrots, beets along the way, then at the "exit" there is a mixed color of light green or yellow-green hue.
• Stools may turn dark green after ingestion food colors against the background of functional constipation caused by stress. The feces acquire a solid consistency.
• On the contrary, with diarrhea caused by excitement, passing at an accelerated rate through the intestines, biliverdin does not have time to transform into stercobilin. Therefore, stools of green and liquid appearance are possible.
• TO food products also includes red meat, seaweed, seaweed, fish, red beans. They are high in iron. This means that excess biliverdin is formed during processing.

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

When should pathology be suspected?

Green stools are a symptom of pathology:

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

Disruption of the digestive process causes a failure in the production of enzymes and juices of the organs concerned. This is reflected in the conversion of bilirubin derivatives in the intestine. Celiac disease is an inherited 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, an enzyme that digests milk. It manifests itself during the neonatal period. At the beginning of breastfeeding, the baby has a liquid green stool. An adult knows about his own characteristics. Does not consume dairy products. But sometimes it cannot provide for the inclusion of dairy additives. Therefore, he is not upset when he sees the changed color of the feces.

With an inflammatory process in the intestine (enterocolitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), leukocytes, pus, and rapid movement in case of diarrhea provide a green shade of stool. Purulent discharge with an ulcer in the lower parts 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, worries about weakness.

Salmonellosis is a common intestinal infection. Often occurs in the form of group outbreaks in childcare facilities, at food facilities. The infection comes from contaminated meat, dairy products, eggs and insufficient cooking. The source may be a sick employee. Detection of the disease is a reason for an extraordinary inspection by the surveillance authorities.

The disease has an acute onset. There is a sharp rise in temperature, nausea, vomiting, frequent diarrhea with greenish stools. In children, fluid loss can lead to dehydration syndrome. Profuse bleeding of their vessels of the stomach or intestines with 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 hemoglobin of erythrocytes with hydrochloric acid of gastric juice, the formation of hemosiderin. It is possible to change the shade of feces to black-green.

The patient's condition is not necessarily accompanied by previous abdominal pain. Symptoms are characterized by:

• vomiting of color " coffee grounds»;
• growing weakness;
• pallor of the skin;
• weak rapid pulse and lower 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 intestinal contents. The feces turn gray-green. At the same time, the urine darkens intensely, yellowness appears on the sclera of the eyes and skin, since the pigment is released into the blood. 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 disgust for food, nausea, bloating. Dysbacteriosis in the intestines occurs after taking antibacterial agents. Lack of beneficial flora activates rotting and fermentation. Patients develop flatulence, greenish feces, moderate abdominal pain. People with allergies may experience a reaction to certain foods with green-tinged diarrhea.

How to understand the reason

If greenish feces appear 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 against the background of the use of drugs require clarification from the attending physician. Perhaps it is better to stop the individual reaction by abandoning the drug and switch to another analogue.

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

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

Depending on the severity of the condition, the patients are taken to the hospital, where they are examined 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 group and Rh factor, electrolytes;
• general urine analysis 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

On the first day, the patient undergoes instrumental examinations;

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

If necessary:

• colonoscopy is performed under anesthesia;
• computed and magnetic resonance imaging.

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

Causes during pregnancy

Digestion in a pregnant woman does not differ from the physiological processes of a healthy person. It is possible that the sensitivity to some foods increases following a change in taste. Therefore, the basis for green feces against the background of pregnancy must be sought in nutrition. Pregnant women enjoy eating: broccoli, dill, spinach, parsley. Affected by an increase in the transit speed of such plant products through the intestines.

Some vitamin preparations containing iron also affect the color of the stool. They are often prescribed by obstetricians to prevent anemia. Pregnancy management in women with chronic diseases requires the attention of a doctor and relatives. It is impossible to predict an exacerbation in advance. Therefore, it is necessary to come early for an examination with suspicious bowel movements.

The ban on spicy foods and pickles increases the need for fresh herbs

Home remedies

Disease therapy is carried out in the infectious diseases department or gastroenterology, depending on the results of the diagnosis. If you suspect salmonellosis, the first aid includes:

• plentiful drinking regimen, even with vomiting, you need to give boiled warm water to drink in small portions, the best drug is Regidron;
• taking sorbents - drugs that attract toxins in the intestines and remove them with feces, are suitable Activated carbon(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 must be removed. If you suspect bleeding, the patient should be laid on his side, forbidden to get up, a heating pad with ice is placed on his stomach or cold water(anything from the freezer, wrapped in cellophane and a towel will do), you can be allowed to swallow small pieces of ice.

Inpatient treatment

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

For all infectious diseases, the following is prescribed:

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

Detection of blood in the stool forces us to look for the source of bleeding. On fibrogastroscopy, the size of the ulcer and the condition of its edges are assessed. Depending on this, doctors take conservative measures or prepare the patient for an urgent operation. Continued blood loss requires transfusion of blood substitutes, protein preparations.

For small defects in the mucous membrane, coagulation (cauterization) is performed using a modified endoscopic technique. Bowel diseases come in various forms. Bleeding is given by polyps, tumors, nonspecific colitis. In each case, targeted treatment is prescribed.

It is difficult to independently determine the cause of abnormal stool color. When buying, we do not know what dyes are included in the composition of caramel, fresh juice, carbonated water. You cannot ignore the symptom. When a violation occurs general condition, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, you should immediately seek medical attention.

The green color of feces in adults is of a different nature.

The chair changes color when there is life-threatening a person or a disease develops at an early stage, provoking severe disruptions in the work of systems and organs.

In rare cases, this is due to the diet.

It is possible to determine the true causes of the pathology with confidence after receiving the test results.

If the stool changes color once, this is not a cause for concern. Its color also depends on the food used for cooking.

Cereals are capable of repainting feces in shades of green. Moreover, even after their single use but in a large number feces for a couple of days or more retain the firmness of the new color.

For the digestion of cereal plants, which have a double protective shell, the body releases more bile so that the process of food processing is more productive. So when emptying the intestines, green feces are released in adults.

What foods change the color of feces from brown to green?

Some foods have pigments that color the faeces in shades of green. This is due to with an excess of iron in some of them. Therefore, this phenomenon is not always associated with diseases. Affect the color of feces:

• Eating green leafy crops such as cabbage, spinach, bulb feathers, broccoli, lettuce, parsley or dill
• excessive eating of jelly or caramel, marmalade with a high content of food colors - then feces acquire a pronounced shade of light green color;
• foods that contain chlorophyll, especially seaweed;
• the presence of red beans on the menu, sea ​​fish or red meats.

Pigments stored in the body up to 5 days, so the color of feces during this period may remain unchanged, even after stopping the consumption of the listed products.

In pregnant women

Among the main reasons for the appearance of green feces in the first place is the diet. It is desirable for a woman in an interesting position to receive the necessary vitamins and minerals for the normal development of the child and successful childbirth.

But you should not abuse green leafy crops either. Thanks to the presence chlorophyll - a green pigment Eaten spinach, green onions or cabbage give the stool a characteristic color.

This does not apply to pathology, but there are a number of diseases in which this symptom is present.

Vitamin complex

Vitamins for a pregnant woman that are prescribed to provide healthy development child and maintaining a normal state future mother, are capable of staining feces in shades of green.

Intake of vitamins female body occurs along with the necessary minerals. Iron and calcium not absorbed in the intestines, are excreted together with feces, staining them in characteristic colors.

Bowel disease

Pathological processes localized in it can change the color of feces from brown to green during pregnancy. This is usually due to malfunctions in the intestines due to Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome, in which the walls of the bowel become inflamed.

When processed food passes through the intestinal cavity, blood begins to drain from areas where the tissues are deformed by the disease.

Then bloody discharge mixed with bile, which stands out in excess, and on exit the stool looks black and green.

Premature emptying

When the transport of processed food debris through the large intestine becomes abnormal and deviates from the norm, the faeces are colored greenish.

The time it takes for feces to pass through the intestines depends on how long the food will remain in its large section before being ejected in digested form from the rectum. When shortening transportation period through the large intestine, the feces become green.

Excess bile

In inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines, bile can be produced in greater quantities than necessary. First, it is transported to the duodenum, having a green color. Food that got there from the stomach mixes with bile and takes on a shade of green.

During diarrhea, feces do not have time to acquire a brown color under the influence intestinal microorganisms, bile comes out with stool.

Taking antibiotics

Medicines taken by a woman during a period of an interesting position often provoke the appearance of greenish feces during bowel movements. At the end of the course or after reducing the number of pills taken, the color of the feces returns to normal. If this does not happen, you cannot do without consulting a doctor.

What does green feces mean in adults?

Normally, its color should be brown. thanks to bile pigments... The color of feces depends on their concentration - it will be light, green or even black. Eating certain vegetables, sweets, or red meat can affect the color of feces.

When diagnosing a pathology, it is important to know its real cause in order to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal department.

If there are a lot of foods containing iron, the stool will turn a shade of green. This occurs as a result of the appearance in the diet of black liquorice, vegetable or fruit juices and purees, fish from the depths of the sea. Carbonated water, jelly, confectionery cream with an abundance of dyes also leads to a similar effect.

Food additives can also color the feces. This happens with the systematic use of a laxative with plant extracts, biologically active components with an excess of iron, drugs from seaweed. Iodized drugs, sorbitol and glucose medicines, minerals or vitamins can give the stool a greenish color when emptying the intestines.

A greenish tint of feces is observed during an illness with dysbiosis or long-term use of antibiotics. Then changes in pigmentation accompanied by a nasty smell rot. This means that it is necessary to visit the doctor's office and undergo an examination.

In what diseases does an adult's feces turn green?

If pathology progresses in the body, feces not only change color, the process is accompanied by characteristic symptoms related to certain diseases.

Intestinal infections

With any of them, including dysentery, cholera, there is an increased temperature, nausea, which turns into vomiting, worries. The body is weakened, appear pain of a different nature.

Dysbacteriosis

Violation of the microflora is fraught with an increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal cavity. Beneficial microorganisms are killed. The accumulation of an abundant mass of leukocytes that have died is observed during the exacerbation of inflammation.

The intestines are no longer able to normally digest food, which provokes its decay and fermentation. At the same time, components are released that change the color of the feces when it is emptied.

Bleeding

It occurs against the background of an exacerbation of a stomach ulcer or due to a cancerous tumor in one of the departments gastrointestinal tract... After the release of blood and its entry into the stomach or intestines, the process of oxidation of iron, which is part of the blood cells - erythrocytes, occurs.

If the oxidation is incomplete, the stool will turn green. When the bleeding starts blood pressure falls, the heart rate increases, there is shortness of breath and a sharp feeling of weakness, the skin turns pale.

Hepatitis

Diseases associated with liver pathologies, and the pathological processes that occur at the same time, lead to massive decomposition of red blood cells.

Then the liver lacks hemoglobin, from which bilirubin should be produced. This pigment is responsible for the brown staining of the stool.

If there is little of it in the intestines, the feces will be greenish. The same happens with blood diseases.

Food allergy

Some foods may be intolerable for an adult body, and their elements cannot be absorbed by the intestinal walls. This leads to inflammation and dysfunction of the digestive system, which contributes to the secretion green feces.

Take care of yourself and diagnose pathological changes on time.

In adults, normal stool is usually brown colored by bile pigments. Depending on the amount of pigments, stool color can vary widely from almost discolored, white to black.

The color of the stool can change with the use of various foods that have an intense color. Changes in the color of feces is of great diagnostic value, since it often occurs as a result of various pathological changes in the body.

In general, the appearance of green stool is an important cause for concern. After all, feces are in many ways a kind of indicator of the body's work, especially in children.

Why is feces green: causes in adults

What does this mean, and for what reasons does it appear? Most often, green feces appear in a completely healthy person for the simple reason that he has many products that contain green dyes. Such dyes are not digested in the stomach, but gradually begin to stain the feces itself in a dark green color. And the more dye was eaten, the more intense the color of the stool will be.

This color of feces can cause:

• green leafy crops: salads, dill, onions, broccoli, savoy cabbage, spinach;
• caramel with dye;
• cereals and muesli;
• sea ​​fish and red meat;
• Red beans;
• black liquorice;
• fruit juices;
• vegetable purees from a range of baby food.

However, this color of the stool also indicates gastrointestinal diseases. Small intestine diseases, dysbiosis, taking antibiotics for a long period of time can give feces green color. In this case, the disease is accompanied by an unpleasant putrid odor.

The green tint to feces is given by dead leukocytes, which accumulate in the intestines during an acute inflammatory process. If the patient has food in the small intestine it is difficult to digest, which leads to putrefactive and fermentative processes in it and the formation of substances that color the feces in adults green.

Why is the stool green: pathological causes

If you exclude the nutritional factor, then there are a number of other reasons, due to which a green color of feces appears in adults. These factors may be associated with disturbances in the activity of the intestines and other related organs and systems.

The most common ailments causing the appearance of feces of a dark green color are:

• food poisoning;
• food allergy;
• violation of the intestinal innervation;
• malabsorption syndrome;
• internal bleeding;
• intolerance to fructose and lactose;
• thyrotoxicosis.

Sometimes this color of feces is observed in infectious inflammation and diseases, for example, in acute enterocolitis. In this case, the patient may also have vomiting and fever.

What to do?

If the faeces have changed color due to the use of certain foods, medications or food additives, then specific treatment is not required. However, in all other cases, you should see a doctor, especially if green stools are accompanied by fever, diarrhea or constipation, weight loss and general malaise.

Greenish feces can be both a symptom of an incipient disease and a temporary phenomenon. The main thing is to establish the exact reason for such a change, and, if necessary, begin to take measures to restore it.