Diarrhea that looks like mucus or contains a larger amount of mucus may signal an underlying inflammatory condition, such as a food intolerance, gastrointestinal infection, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or hemorrhoids.
Yellow diarrhea can mean several things. It could be caused by a problem with one of your digestive organs, including your liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. It could also be caused by a germ, like a bacteria or virus, or a parasite.
If stool appears yellow or greasy-looking, the poop contains too much fat. This may result from absorption issues or difficulty producing enzymes or bile.
It's important to note that aside from shape and texture, the presence of white or cloudy mucus in your stool may also point to IBS. But here's what's not associated with IBS: Blood in your stool.
A “normal” bowel movement will not produce much mucus. Yellow or clear mucus is present in such little amounts that the naked eye would not notice it. When stool has visible mucus, it can be a sign of bacterial infections, anal fissures, a bowel obstruction, or Crohn's disease.
Narrow or pellet-like stools: if you have advanced or severe diverticulitis, your large intestine may narrow, causing stool to become thin, narrow, or pellet-shaped.
Fat malabsorption
Fats that aren't absorbed in your small intestine pass to your colon, causing fatty stools (steatorrhea). Fatty stools are greasy and runny and particularly smelly. They may be light-colored and float. Fat malabsorption also leads to the malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K).
They tend to be looser, smellier and paler in color, like clay. They might float. You might have an occasional fatty poop after eating a fatty meal. But if you have them consistently, it's a sign that something in your digestive system isn't working right.
Yellow stool may be caused by: Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections that may be causing malabsorption. One of the most common is giardiasis (also called giardia infection), caused by a microscopic waterborne parasite.
If mucus in the stool is related to diet, a doctor might recommend drinking more water, increasing fiber intake, or taking probiotics. Treatment might include prescription medication and lifestyle changes for long-term conditions such as Crohn's, UC, and IBS.
Mucus in stool caused by dietary changes
After changing to a high-carbohydrate (bread, pasta, rice) diet, stool consistency also immediately changes. If a large amount of mucus persists for several days, there is often another underlying cause.
Other symptoms of intussusception include: Stool mixed with blood and mucus — sometimes referred to as currant jelly stool because of its appearance. Vomiting. A lump in the belly.
Yellow stool may indicate a malabsorption disorder caused by a parasite, illness, or disease. Malabsorption of fat can lead to an increased fat content in stools, which can be pale, large, foul-smelling, and loose. This is known as steatorrhea, and complications may include: malnutrition.
Fatty diarrhea
It may be smellier than normal and may leave a visible oil residue in the toilet. It may come with nausea, indigestion and weight loss. Causes include: Malabsorption disorders such as pancreatic insufficiency and celiac disease.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and Crohn's disease: All of these conditions of the bowel and intestine are inflammatory conditions that impact how well nutrients and fats are absorbed by the body. Therefore, gut issues like these can all cause greasy, fatty stools.
Macrocytosis (MCV >110 fL), diarrhea and neurologic symptoms strongly suggest vitamin B12 deficiency. Diarrhea from celiac sprue, bacterial overgrowth or pancreatic insufficiency can be seen with vitamin B12 deficiency because these are malabsorptive syndromes.
In dumping syndrome, food and gastric juices from your stomach move to your small intestine in an uncontrolled, abnormally fast manner.
Excess bile acids entering the colon can cause the classic signs and symptoms of bile acid malabsorption (BAM), including watery stool, urgency and fecal incontinence. Although BAM has been associated with diarrhea for nearly 50 years, it remains an underrecognized and underdiagnosed cause of chronic diarrhea.
If you have IBS with diarrhea, you will have frequent, loose, watery stools. You may have an urgent need to have a bowel movement, which may be hard to control. If you have IBS with constipation, you will have a hard time passing stool, as well as fewer bowel movements.
The vegus nerve is part of that rest-and-digest system, and runs all the way from the brain stem to the rectum. "When that is stimulated, it can cause sweats, it can cause chills, it can drop your blood pressure and your heart rate as well," he says.
You should be concerned if your stools are deep red, maroon, black, or "tarry," especially if they have a noticeable odor.