Should you be concerned over green poop

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Pooping is an important activity in the human system, inability to poop is a serious medical condition. It is important to note that, the colour of the poop says a lot about one’s general health condition. Poop is also known as stool. Stool is a piece of solid waste that is released from the body.

Causes or factors affecting the color of poop

The normal color of stool is light to dark brown. Bilirubin (a red blood substance) gets broken down and ends up in the intestines. Bacteria then break it up and turn it brown. 

Most importantly, a change in diet, including food and drink do lead to a change in poop colour. For instance, eating beets, green vegetables, or licorice can significantly change the color of stool. Drinking Guinness or drinks that contain heavy dye such as Kool-Aid can have a similar effect.

There are, however, more serious causes of non-brown stool color which should be dealt with immediately if discovered. They include:

Tears in the lining of the anus

Gallbladder disease

Celiac disease

Ulcerative colitis

Crohn’s disease

Tumors

Diverticular disease

Cancers

Piles 

Gut bleeding 

Here are some tips on what each poop colour signifies

Reddish stool – can be caused by bleeding in the lower gut or rectum

Yellowish stool – can indicate an infection in the small intestine

White or clear – can indicate a lack of bile in the body

Black or dark brown – could indicate bleeding in the upper gut

People should see a doctor if any discoloration persists instead of trying to work it out for themselves.

Causes of green poop

Green stool is usually the result of a high quantity of leafy, green vegetables in someone’s diet.

People who do not eat a lot of greens should be wary, however, as green poop can have a more serious cause. Stool may be green due to bile pigment in the stool if food moves too quickly through the intestine. This means that the chemical cannot break down sufficiently. The primary cause of this is diarrhea.

Symptoms

Dark, tarry stools

Large amounts of blood passed from the rectum

Blood in the toilet bowl

Itchy anus

Swollen blood vessels in the rectum

Small tears in the skin of the anus

An urge to keep passing stools even when the bowel is empty

A small channel developing between the end of the bowel and the skin of the anus

Conclusion

The important thing to do in regulating stool color is to eat healthy diet. Having green poop is not usually a cause for concern. It is important for people to keep an eye on both the color and the texture of their stool, however. Anyone who is concerned with the color of their stool should discuss it with their doctor.