You may think that poop is always brown. But you’d be wrong! The truth is that poop can vary in colour, size, shape and smell, as well as whether it’s soft or hard.
You may think that poop is always brown. But you’d be wrong! The truth is that poop can vary in colour, size, shape and smell, as well as whether it’s soft or hard.
Poop can be brown, black, red, yellow, white and even green – and it can be light or dark shades of these colours. So if poop can look so different, how do you know if your
?Read on to learn what different-coloured poop might mean, and when to see a doctor.
Usually, poop is brown in colour because it contains a chemical called bilirubin, which is made by your red blood cells. Bilirubin mixes with bile – a greenish-yellow sticky fluid that helps your body digest food and get rid of waste – to give your poop that brown shade.
But poop isn’t always brown, and that doesn’t always mean there’s something wrong. For example, it can change colour because of things you eat.
If your poop looks a different colour, the first thing to ask yourself is: “Have I been eating colourful foods?” Foods such as carrots, spinach, beetroot and liquorice can all affect the colour of your poop.
But changes in your poop can also give helpful hints about what’s going on inside your body, and a change in colour can sometimes be a sign of something more serious.
Yellow poop isn’t always something to be worried about. Sometimes, your poop can look yellow if your diet is high in fat. But it could be a sign of one of these conditions:
Stress and anxiety can also make your poop look yellow, because they can make you digest your food quicker. You might want to try these tips on
.See your doctor if you still have yellow poop after a few days or you’re also getting other symptoms.
Sometimes, normal brown poop has streaks of green in it. This isn’t always something to be worried about – it could well be something you ate, such as spinach or broccoli.
However, other things can also make your poop turn green, including:
Make an appointment with your doctor if your green poop lasts for more than a few days, or you get any other symptoms.
Having pale poop once in a while is probably not a cause for concern, but if you get it a lot, it may be a sign of a serious illness.
While some medications can cause pale poop, you should always see your doctor if you’re getting pale, white or grey poop, so they can check for any health issues.
Some medicines, such as antacids or iron supplements, can make your poop look black or tar-like.
However, if you’re getting black poop, or even small bits of black in your poop, it can also be a sign that you’re bleeding somewhere. This can be caused by an ulcer or stomach irritation or a more serious condition, such as a blockage, blood or circulation disorder, or cancer.
Always tell your doctor straight away if you’re having black, tar-like poop.
What can make poop red? It may be a sign of bleeding somewhere in your digestive system. This can be caused by:
Other causes include:
Although it doesn’t always mean there’s a serious problem, see your doctor right away if you’ve been getting red or bloody poop.
Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.