Do you suffer frequently from clay-colored stools?You don’t need to worry…here are some effective remedies to get rid of clay-colored stools.
Clay-colored stools are pale or light in color. You may suffer from this medical condition if stool contains little bile content or no bile. The general medical term used for this condition is ‘Acholic’.
Clay-colored stools or Pale colored stools may be accompanied by other symptoms like inflammation, pain after excretion, fatigue.Normal stools vary in shades of brown. The presence of brown color in stools is due to the colored pigment in bile.
So, if you are experiencing any changes in the color of stools, then don’t consider it as a normal condition. You need to look forward to its causes.Since the color of stools is basically related to bile, so obstruction in its secretion or transportation will lead to acholic stools.
Bile is secreted by the liver which flows through biliary ducts to the gallbladder. The gallbladder stores this bile juice.It helps in emulsifying the lipids in food. Disturbance in the whole process of absorption of fats or infection in any of the organs of the biliary system may turn normal stools to clay colored.
Table of Contents
Causes Of Clay-colored/Pale Stools
1. High Levels Of Stress
Sometimes, you may experience a high level of stress due to various reasons. Stress can cause the disturbance in healthy digestion. Thus you may suffer from the problem of clay-colored stools.
Stress hormones play a major role in digestion. You may be taking healthy diet, but if you are under pressure, the brain will directly affect your digestive system.
2. Diet Low In Fiber
Intake of nutrients inadequate amount is essential for healthy body. Fiber plays a major role in digestion. It helps stools to give its form and move through the digestive tracts.
You should consider replacing some of the content of your diet with the content rich in fiber. You will be able to overcome this problem fast by doing this.
3. Inflammatory Or Autoimmune Food
If you are consuming inflammatory and autoimmune food on a regular basis, then it will be a mess for your digestive system. It will cause disturbance to the normal process of your digestive system.
4. Medications
If you are on medications that include antibiotics, birth control pills, anabolic steroids, and non-steroids anti-inflammatory drugs, then make sure it should not cause ‘drug-induced hepatitis’.
Drug-induced hepatitis results in swelling and inflammation in your liver. This event occurs particularly when your dosage amount is large.
5. Jaundice
One of the common causes of clay-colored stools is the disease ‘Jaundice’.If you are suffering from this disease then your skin color and eye color turns into yellow. This is caused due to obstruction in the flow of bile in the gastrointestinal system.
You can also cure jaundice following some home remedies.Clay color stool can also be after a stomach virus attacked your immune.
This causes pale colored stools. It can be diagnosed by looking at your skin color. However, the severity of the disease can be diagnosed by ‘Liver function Test’. You need to avoid spicy food.
You should not drink alcohol while suffering from this disease. Increase amount of vitamins and minerals like iron and magnesium in your diet. Eat vegetables and fruits in raw or steamed form.
6. Viral Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis is caused by viruses such as hepatitis A, B, C. Hepatitis C is generally responsible for the medical disorder like the liver disease which may get responsible for clay-colored stools.
7. Alcoholic Hepatitis
Alcoholic hepatitis is the medical condition in which liver gets inflamed or swelled up due to excessive alcohol intake. It may even lead to liver failure or damage. Alcohol reduces the efficiency of liver cells.
Hence, the production of bile gets intervened.
8. Biliary Cirrhosis
The exact cause of this disease is unknown but it is the medical condition of the inflammation or irritation of bile ducts in the liver.Thus, it blocks the flow of bile to the intestine and leads to the above-discussed problem.
This disease is a life-threatening disease and has no particular cure for it.National Institutes of Health has reported that 25 percent of the people who suffer from this disease die due to liver failure after suffering for 10 years from this disease.
9. Cancer
Pancreatic cancer may cause clay-colored stools due to the absence of the enzymes secreted by the pancreas.In some cases, it may also act as the obstruction in the bile ducts that enters the intestine very close to the pancreatic ducts.Biliary tumors may also cause the blockage of biliary ducts and tracts, hence the problem arises.
10. Gallstones
Gallstones are the hard particle deposits sometimes found in the gallbladder which blocks the ducts and biliary tracts and obstructs the flow of bile.
They are generally cured through medications (medicines dissolve the gallstones and it is passed away with by-products produced by the body) but if they are large then they may be removed through surgery.
11.Structural Defects In Biliary System
There may be a possibility of the presence of the structural defect in Biliary System. Due to which flow of bile is not proper and hence you are suffering from the clay-colored stools problem.
12. Sclerosing Cholangitis
This is the medical condition of inflammation of bile ducts. This condition may arise due to genetic factors. But this can be resolved by the surgical method or medications.
12. Tumors
The medical condition is known as Benign(non-cancerous) or malignant(cancerous) tumors may cause obstruction in the flow of bile. This can be the life-threatening condition but can be cured surgically or by chemotherapy if it is cancerous.
13. Biliary Stricture
Sometimes bile ducts get narrowed after removal of gallbladder surgery. This medical condition is known as ‘Biliary Stricture’.
This condition can be cured through surgical method or stent (these are the tubes that placed inside bile ducts so that flow of bile through them is proper and they never get closed).
14. Cysts
Cysts on bile ducts may obstruct the flow of bile secreted. It can be treated through surgery or sometimes through medications.
15. Cystic Fibrosis
This is the genetic disorder which causes blockage of pancreatic flow. Hence stools may be pale and oily. This disorder affects the cells which produce sweat and digestive juices.
16. Chronic Pancreatitis
Any abnormality in your biliary system disrupts the normal functioning of the body. Chronic pancreatitis is another such condition in which pancreas has been inflamed from a long time and hence improper functioning may lead to acholic stools.
17. Thalassemia
This is the genetic disorder where the structure of new blood cells differs from the normal ones. If this disorder is of the higher degree it may lead to anemia or jaundice. Hence it may cause acholic stools.
Symptoms Of Clay Color Stool
You may observe clay-colored stools with some of the following symptoms:
i. Red palms: Liver disease may add red tinge to the color of your palms.
ii. Testicular atrophy: the Medical condition when testicular size decreases and body does not function normally.
iii. Male breast enlargement: This is caused when breast gland tissue get swollen up.
iv. Muscle tissue loss: It can be defined as the situation when mass in the muscle is lost.
v. Bruising easily: Bruises are the result of the condition when blood leaks out of the capillaries.
Above symptoms may act as a clear indication for any of the liver diseases.
How To Diagnose The Real Cause Of Clay-Colored Stools
a. Blood Test
Blood test includes blood test count, blood chemistries, liver enzymes, blood clotting essays. If you suffer from liver, gallbladder or anemia which can cause clay-colored stools. It can be detected through this test.
b. CT Scan Or Abdominal Scan
Computerized tomography (CT scan) is ordered frequently if the change in stool color is believed to be connected to any of the diseases like cancer, pancreatic disease, or obstructive conditions of the bile ducts and gallbladder.
c. Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
This test is done to have close look at the obstructive disease of pancreatic and biliary ducts.
d. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
This is the scan of stomach and esophagus to check for any bleeding or abnormalities which may cause the color change of stools.
e. Liver Function Test
It detects for inflammation or damage in the liver.
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Clay-Colored Stools
1. Fiber Rich Diet
Make sure that your body consumes the good amount of fiber-rich diet food. Vegetables, fruits, and beans are some of the good sources of fiber. Eat all leafy green vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, spinach.
They are rich in nutrients and help to keep your body healthy. Consume at least 20-40 grams of fiber on the daily basis.
2. Drink Plenty Of Water
Whenever you are eating fiber-rich food, make sure you are drinking fresh water at a shorter interval of time. Keep your body hydrated. Fiber swells up in the digestive tracts so you need to make it through the gut lining by consuming the good amount of water.
3. Probiotics
Probiotic food includes yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchi. It helps your body to balance on bad bacteria. Antibiotics kill the bacteria, even the good ones. Eating food rich in probiotics helps you to restore good health of intestines.
4. Magnesium Supplements
It helps your muscles to relax and stops the cramps in the gut and abdomen. It is one of the leading deficiencies in the humans nowadays. Magnesium is extremely important for metabolism of our body.
5. Liver Cleansing
The liver is responsible for the production of bile juice, it is important to support liver! Eating healthy food and exercising is the good option. However, if that does not work then do the liver cleansing. You can also follow ayurvedic liver cleansing naturally at home.
6. Eating Raw Vegetables
If your root cause is liver disease then eating raw vegetables, fruits and herbs would be of great help. This was the traditional method used for treating liver diseases.
If you are a junk lover, then you will certainly suffer from this condition. Avoid eating any junk food; rather stick onto raw green vegetables.
7. Turmeric
Adding Turmeric in your diet would be of great help in treating many diseases related to digestive system etc. Either increase turmeric in your diet or take supplements. It can help you treat clay-colored stools.
8. Colloidal Silver
It is cited for curing Hepatitis C. It can be stated as the good method for treating clay-colored stools due to Hepatitis.
9. Bile Acid Dissolution Therapy
It is 6-12 months therapy for those who suffer from gallstone and do not want to go for surgery if their stone is less than 0.5 mm. This therapy involves oral intake of solution that dissolves the gallstones.
10. Exercises
Doing exercises regularly will result in the good blood circulation of the body. It will help in the normal functioning of the body. Exercising at least 30 minutes daily will help you to bring back your digestive system to right track.
11. Quit Drinking
One of the major reasons for the illness caused by liver or any part of the biliary system is consuming alcohol. Its content gets distributed throughout our body. It irritates the lining of stomach and esophagus.
An excessive amount of alcohol results in the production of toxins by the pancreas. Eventually, it will damage your liver and other parts of digestive and biliary systems.
12. Reduce Stress In Your Life
Take a break from your regular routine and go for the things which make you happy.
11. Additive Sweetener And Preservatives
Avoid any additive sweeteners and preservatives like the high amount of fructose, food dyes. They don’t do any good to your body.
Intake of healthy food, plenty of water and regular exercise helps your body to balance with the good bacteria. Good bacteria help to break down the food and efficiently digest it. Waste can be removed in its normal form.
Be sure you pay attention to the color of stools. The color of by-products is clear indication of the health of your body. Make sure you take preventive measures as mentioned above and live a healthier life!
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