Few people really notice mucus in stool, although these are usually something quite common. Despite the above, it is not advisable to ignore the presence of mucus since this symptom can be an important indicator of a problem related to the digestive system. If you want to know more about what are the causes of mucus in stool then do not stop reading this article from Uncomo.com where we will tell you what to do if it is detected.
Function of mucus in the digestive system
To understand why the presence of mucus in stool, It is remarkable to know its origin and its function. The digestive tract is lined by several layers of membranes that secrete mucus; This mucous substance fulfills a very important function, which is to lubricate the intestines, thus facilitating the passage of food and protecting the membranes that line the stomach and intestines from digestive acids.
Why is there mucus in the stool?
As we mentioned before, It is normal find some slight amount of mucus in the stool, which may appear as a transparent, white, yellow or even greenish viscosity.
This mucous substance in the stool can appear in many ways: completely covering the stool or as stripes with the tones that we have mentioned before, in addition to being able to appear as stripes with blood.
The increase of mucus in the stool is usually more noticeable when you have diarrhea or if you are constipated. Specialist doctors recommend visiting them if you notice a abnormal presence of mucus in your stools for more than a week, being in many of these cases accompanied by blood, abdominal pain or uncontrollable bowel movements.
Diseases that cause mucus in stool
There are a wide range of diseases that can make the presence of mucus in the stool more noticeable, and may be accompanied by several symptoms that when detected, it will be possible to diagnose exactly what it is and how to treat it.
The more common diseases that alter the presence of mucus in the stool can be:
- Ulcerative colitis: When the mucous membrane of the epithelium of the large intestine becomes inflamed, ulcers can develop. Along with ulcers, irritations occur in the lining of the intestine, thus increasing the normal production of mucus, which can be detected in the stool.
- Hemorrhoids: This disease is one of the most common causes of mucus in the stool, mainly due to the effort involved in each bowel movement. At OneHowTo we tell you how to cure hemorrhoids.
- Diverticulitis: It is a disease that causes the formation that affects the wall of the intestine in the area near the colon, forming bladders or bags that are called diverticula, this condition has the symptom of causing the presence of mucus in the stool.
- Colon polyps: This disease can be caused by the formation of a cyst in this region, one of the most common symptoms of this condition is the presence of mucus in the excretions.
- Crohn’s disease: This is a chronic disease, whose origin is still unknown, in which the immune system of the sufferer attacks their own intestine, causing inflammation, one of the symptoms of this disease is the increased presence of mucus in the stool. Here’s how to treat Crohn’s disease naturally.
- Bowel obstruction– This is the most common reason for the presence of mucus in the stool. This situation is the result of several possible factors, one of them may be the lack of water consumption, gastric hormone imbalance or constipation. These causes cause an increase in mucus which causes its presence to be very noticeable in the stool.
- Bacterial infections: bacteria are naturally present in the intestines to help with digestive processes. But if an imbalance occurs in the amounts of bacteria it can create an infection, resulting in increased mucus in the stool.
- Other causes Possible causes of this situation may be intolerance to some foods or poor absorption of some compounds such as fructose or lactose.
Treatments for mucus in stool
The treatments assigned to mitigate this symptom will depend largely on the diagnosis recommended by the doctor.
In the presence of mucus in stool The consumption of antibiotics, prebiotics, changes in diet, nutritional supplements is usually recommended and in cases of some diseases it is necessary to resort to surgery to reduce the presence of mucus in the stools. It is always advisable consult with the doctor as a first measure of treatment.
In this OneHowTo article we tell you the causes of yellow stools, causes of green stools and we also tell you why you have blood in your stools.
This article is merely informative, at oneHOWTO we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Causes of the presence of mucus in the stool, we recommend that you enter our category of Diseases and side effects.