Light Or White Stools – Causes And Treatment

The color of human feces can vary from different shades of brown to even green or black. However, it must be remembered that  white stool is not a normal thing and does require immediate treatment.

Stool can provide information about a person’s gut and digestive health. A change in color can be a warning sign of inflammation or disease.

Now we’ll tell you what white stool is all about, and what the situation calls for – keep reading so you’re prepared for this potential health problem too!

Light or white stools

When a person’s stools are pale or white, this indicates that there is a problem with the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder in the body.

The brown color that stools usually have comes from the bile salts secreted by the liver. If the stool is white instead, this means that there is inflammation in the liver, which slows down the production of bile, or the person has a blockage in the bile ducts. The digestive system may also be unable to absorb fats properly.

If the stool, on the other hand, is pale (yellow or gray, not white) and greasy, this condition is known as colitis.

It is common for problems with stool color to occur at some point in life. The changes can be simple and short-lived, but also serious and life-threatening.

In addition to the color of the stool, you may notice changes in its composition or odor.

White stools – causes of pale color

If you notice that your stool is white, this could be due to any of the following:

1. Use of medicines

The use of certain medicines may change the color of your stools.

Antibiotics are a particularly common cause of this, as are drugs used for infections, such as anti-tuberculosis drugs. Other common causes include medications used to treat intestinal problems such as diarrhea. Anti-inflammatory drugs and oral contraception can also cause stools to turn white. Anabolic steroids can be the cause of drug-induced hepatitis and white stools in the stool.

These symptoms will usually disappear within a few weeks of stopping the medicines in question.

2. Hepatitis

Hepatitis occurs when the liver becomes inflamed, and this is usually caused by a virus. It can be hepatitis A, B or C. Unfortunately,  hepatitis C is very dangerous  if left untreated, as it can cause death.

One of the symptoms of hepatitis is pale or white stools, and this phenomenon is caused by liver dysfunction.

3. Alcohol-induced hepatitis

This disease is caused by excessive alcohol consumption, which causes inflammation of the liver. The amount of time it takes for the disease to appear depends on how much alcohol you drink. Symptoms include  fatigue, edema, hepatic encephalopathy, and jaundice.

Alcohol or viral hepatitis can cause cirrhosis of the liver.

4. Cirrhosis of the bile

Cirrhosis of the bile is a chronic, irreversible and severe liver disease. This happens when human liver cells are destroyed.

It causes irritation and inflammation in the bile ducts of the liver. Biliary fluid stops flowing, causing damage to liver cells. Cirrhosis is the scarring that comes as a result of this damage.

One of the many effects of cirrhosis is that human stools turn white.

5. Cancer

Some types of cancers can cause the  stool to turn pale or white, in addition to exhaustion.

Pancreatic cancer, tumors and other cancers that clog the bile ducts turn the stool color pale yellow or gray, as not enough enzymes are secreted from the pancreas.

This can cause exhaustion because the body does not process  food properly and does not absorb nutrients in the normal way,  causing malnutrition in the body.

6. Gallstones

Gallstones are condensed waste in the gallbladder that eventually  blocks the flow of bile fluid.

These stones are made up of hardened cholesterol or bilirubin. When very large, they can clog the bile ducts, causing the stool to turn pale.

If they do not disappear with medication, surgery may be needed to remove them.

7. Primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a disease that involves inflammation of the bile ducts or the formation of scar tissue in them.

This condition causes a decrease in bile flow, which causes a decrease in the normal color of the stool.

However, this disease can be treated with medication or surgery.

White stool: diagnosis and treatment

The white color of the stool is a serious disorder that should be discussed quickly with a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

The following tests are needed to make an accurate diagnosis:

• blood tests to determine if there is any type of disorder
• computed tomography to create an image of the inside of the body

• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, special magnetic resonance imaging with accurate viscera
• an abdominal ultrasound  can scan the internal organs and make sure everything is in order
• liver function tests
• surgery to detect visceral defects

When a phenomenon or disease caused by the whiteness of the stool is treated, the color should return to normal. However, if the problem cannot be treated, the change in stool color may be permanent.

Faecal whiteness in children: causes and treatment

It’s always good to be aware of how your child’s gut is working, as this will allow you to better notice problems with his or her health.

White stools or diarrhea are more common in children, and sometimes this is due to milk or products that are not suitable for them.

We should always monitor and be aware of changes in our child’s stools, and seek the most appropriate treatment.

Causes of white stool in children

• Quality, quantity and composition of food.
• Eating cold foods.
• Poor absorption of food due to the  parasite that has damaged the intestines.
• Hepatitis because the  liver does not work properly to produce the bile needed.

Treatment of white or pale stools in children

The first step is to see a doctor in order to have a stool test.

The most important thing is that the child drinks plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. A child needs a lot of water and mineral salts.

There are bacteria that cause feces to turn white, in which case antibiotics may be needed.

Never give your child diarrheal medicines containing loperamide without a doctor’s prescription.