Why is my poop green? Poop colours, their meaning, and when to see a doctor
Why is my poop green? Poop colours, their meaning, and when to see a doctor
When talking about healthy eating, we’re often told to eat the rainbow, a variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables is perfect for a balanced diet. However, we know all too well that what goes in must always come out the other side. So, what happens when we start seeing the rainbow in the toilet bowl, and more importantly, what can different coloured poop tell us about our health?
From what we’ve eaten the day before to digestive health issues, there’s so many aspects that go into the colour of our poop, and we should all be getting to know what our body is trying to tell us through the waste it works so hard to create. We’re here to tell you that there's no reason to hide away from our multicoloured excretion. In fact, taking a peek at our poop could actually - no exaggeration - save our lives.
Join us, as we dive into the technicolour world of our faeces and discover what different colours might mean, and what they might be telling us about our health.
Rule number 1: Check your poo
It’s normal to check your poo
A study conducted by gastroenterologists (digestive health doctors) found that only 27% of participants looked at every stool and wipe. That’s a whole lot of poop going unchecked! The truth is, we should all be regularly checking our poo.
This isn’t just to see what fun colour might lurk in the waters, but it’s for our health too. Different colours, consistencies and schedules can tell you a lot about what’s going on inside your body. However, you’ll never know what’s normal for you until you start checking your driftwood.
If peeking at the wasteland in your toilet bowl sends you running for the brown hills, it might be time to buck up the courage to peer at what’s come from your rear. Your poop can hold the secrets to your health, you just have to be brave enough to look down and take the metaphorical plunge.
Why is poop brown?
Before we jump right into the dramatics of poo related colour variations, we must first understand where we get the classic mahogany brown colour from in the first place (very chic).
Poop’s brown colour is mostly due to bile and bilirubin. Bile, which has a yellowish-green colour, plays many roles in your digestion process. Your liver makes about 800-1000ml of bile every day, which is stored in your gallbladder. When this mixes with our digested food, it creates the brown colour we all know and love. However, this colour can change due to other specific circumstances.
Why is my poop green?
Probably the most common offset colour of stool, green poop can seemingly arrive out of nowhere. Now, this might look alarming, and you’ve probably been taken aback by it once or twice, but it's usually more fascinating than frightening.
Green Poop Causes
-
Eating leafy greens
-
Blue food colourings
-
Iron supplements
-
Faster transit time (food moving too fast through you)
-
Antibiotics and other medications
Should I worry about green poo?
Usually, a visit from a verdigris log is nothing to worry about. If it's a one-time thing, you can chalk it up to that matcha latte phase you were going through until you realised it’s actually kind of gross (or is it? 👀). However, when green stools are accompanied by other symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal pain, or fever, it's important to seek medical advice. These could indicate an infection or other digestive issues.
For little ones, especially infants who are breastfed, green poop is quite common and usually not a cause for concern. It can be due to the mother's diet or the baby's developing digestive system.
Why is my poop red?
Seeing red? Before you panic, remember that sometimes it's just your dinner playing tricks on you. But like a red traffic light, it's worth stopping to assess the situation.
Red Poop Causes
-
Beetroot and red food colouring
-
Bowel ulcers
-
Inflammatory diseases (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
Should I worry about red poo?
Look, we know you saw the C word and freaked out. Don’t panic. Red stool can indicate bleeding from the bowel or the anus. That’s definitely not to say that if your poop is red then it’s this serious, but it should act as a sign to go and see your doctor if consistent.
If you can trace the red back to your recent food choices, you're probably fine. But if you haven't been eating anything red and the colour persists, it's doctor time. A one off few dots on the toilet paper shouldn’t be anything to worry about, but if you notice red poop consistently for more than 3 weeks, having a chat with a health professional is your best bet. Better to feel silly at the doctor's office than ignore something important, right?
Read more about seeing red in your stool here.
Why is my poop yellow?
Yellow poo might be a little harder to spot, it may just look a little pale. That’s why checking your poo on the reg is so important, we’re only able to spot these small changes when we know what our normal looks like.
Yellow Poop Causes
-
Yellow or orange-coloured foods in your diet
-
Coeliac disease
-
Bile acid diarrhoea (where bile is not reabsorbed after passing through the stomach)
-
Liver and gallbladder issues
-
Stress (which can speed up transit time)
Should I worry about yellow poo?
If your poop is looking like the colour of the sun for a day or two, it’s nothing to worry about. However, if your poo doesn’t return to a brown colour after more than a few days, it’s best to head to your health professional’s office and talk about what’s going on down there. When it comes to bile acid diarrhoea, there are medications that can be prescribed to sort the issue very effectively, so it’s all handled in a jiffy!
Why is my poop pale/grey?
Grey or pale poo is usually caused by a lack of bile in the poo, meaning that the pigment is never introduced to create a brown colour. This can often come hand in hand with conditions like jaundice, where bile remains in the blood, instead of going to the digestive system.
Pale/grey Poop Causes
-
Issues with the pancreas
-
Issues with the biliary system
-
Jaundice
-
Liver issues
Should I worry about pale/grey poo?
Whereas other poop colours are due to an addition of something (food, medication etc.), grey poop is usually caused by a lack of bile in the poop, meaning that there could be a blockage somewhere along the way, or an issue with the liver and gallbladder. Not to worry though, there’s someone who can help iron everything out with you. You guessed it! A health professional. Pop down for a quick chat and they’ll be able to help you get to the bottom of your pale/grey stools.
Why is my poop black?
So, you’ve bucked up the courage to look at your poop and now you’re just staring at a black void, absorbing all light that might come towards it. What now...?
Black Poop Causes
-
Iron supplements
-
Bismuth medications (like Pepto-Bismol)
-
Blueberries and black liquorice
-
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Should I worry about black poo?
If your poop's gone goth and you haven't been popping iron pills or chugging Pepto, it's time to pick up the phone and call your doctor. Upper GI bleeding can be a sign of ulcers, inflammation and even abnormal blood vessels. When blood mixes with gastric acids, it turns dark and sticky, which can result in a dark sticky poo, this is something to keep an eye out for too. Although, dark poop is more likely to be much less sinister, it’s always better safe than sorry when it comes to your poop lurking in the shadows.
Poop colour: When to see a doctor
Being hit with a splash of colour when we least expect it can send us into a spiral of poop (and health) related questions. Our advice to you? DON’T PANIC!
We’ve laid out a list of instances where seeing a doctor is probably your best bet. Now, this doesn’t mean you should assume the worst, it just means that something is going on down there and health professionals are the best people to help you get to the bottom of your colourful situation below the waist.
When to see a doctor about poop changes
Have a chat with your doctor if:
-
Your poop is red, or you notice blood in the toilet bowl for more than 3 weeks
-
Your poo is black or tarry (sticky), this could be a sign of a gastrointestinal bleed
-
Your poop is white or clay-coloured
-
Any unusual colour sticks around for longer than 4-5 days
-
If you notice any consistency changes for more than 3 weeks (diarrhoea or constipation)
-
You’re experiencing severe abdominal/anal pain along with any of the above
Winding down
We’ve taken you through the importance of checking your poo, the different colours that might show up along the way, what they could mean and when to see a doctor. However, none of this matters if we’re not taking control of our health. When we notice things straying from our ‘normal’ we have a duty of care to ourselves to seek advice and support. It’s time for us all to take ownership of our bottom health.
If you’ve been wondering what that strange colour you’re seeing in the toilet is, there’s never any harm in chatting with your doctor. Honestly, they’ve heard it all, there’s absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about and you’ll thank yourself for the peace of mind at the least. And remember...CHECK YOUR POO!
No matter what colour your poop might be, Wype has your backside. Try the Wype Starter Kit for a soothing, moisturising and fresh feeling after you GO – Better for your bum than wet wipes and cleaner than toilet paper alone.
