Green Poop or Green Stool is a condition in which the feces appear with a greenish tint or green colour. It may be normal in breast-feeding infants. But among adults it may not be normal and hence need some investigation. It could be the result of iron supplements taken or eating green leafy vegetables such as spinach. They can also be caused by medical problems, in which case we need to take a closer look. No, not at the poop, but at the problem!
One of the causes of green poop is the food we eat. Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach are rich in chlorophyll, the green pigment found in plants and iron. Absorption of these depends on your iron content in the body and is not absorbed if not needed. This is a simple case of excess supply when the demand is lean and hence the coloured matter goes out unabsorbed. It becomes worse if you are already taking iron supplements for some other medical problem. Often, green, blue or purple artificial colours used in foodstuff could be the cause. Cool aid, popsicles, dyes in ice cream are some examples.
Among medical conditions triggering formation of green poop, the predominant one is stomach disorders. Bile, the yellowish green secretion by the liver gets stored in gall bladder. From here it is regulated and fed to the intestines. When the flow is too fast for effective utilization for digestive process, excess may get into faces colouring it greenish. Other medical conditions such as abdominal pain, stomach cramps, bowel disorders, diarrhoea, gas or indigestion, flu-like symptoms, rectal problems etc are some examples. When you or anyone in your family or a close friend has some of the following, there are chances that the stool may be green and medical aid is called for:
1 Change in consciousness level or alertness
2 Dizziness
3 High fever (more than 101 degrees F)
4 Rectal bleeding
5 Not producing urine
6 Rapid heart rate and /or breathing
7 Respiratory problems such as shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing
8 Rigid board-like abdomen
9 Sudden weakness.
The treatment for green stool is directly dependent on what is the cause. If the cause is food related, the best way is to control it by changes in dietary habits. If the problem lies in other sources such as iron tablets intake etc., your doctor can advise and revise the dosage or suggest supplements along with iron. For other problems associated with digestive system, your doctor only can take appropriate measures after due clinical studies. Other diseases discussed above invariably need medical attention. Once the problem is attended the green stool, which is only nature warning you, will also vanish. Flatulence or gas formation in the intestines at times associated with green stool, which need to be treated depending on whether it is due to bacterial action or not. There are some herbal and nature therapy aids, which may be attempted if the cause for green stool is known to you, like food induced or iron induced. In any case self medication is not to be attempted when the cause is not clear to you.
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