Pale poop can appear white, gray, or clay-colored. It usually happens when your liver doesn't produce enough bile, often due to bile duct blockages, gallstones or liver problems. Call your healthcare provider if your poop is clay.
Lighter-colored poop is a frequent finding by many people of all ages. However, if you occasionally notice that your poop is lighter in color, it is probably due to the food you eat or diarrhea. Poop color can indicate one's health state by giving some clues about his diet and lifestyle or the presence of gastrointestinal infection.
Know when to seek help. Stools that are different than your typical bowel movements Your body is a creature of habit in a lot of ways. For example, if you consistently have smooth, long sausage-like stools and suddenly they change to a completely different size, you should speak to your doctor.
Stools that are consistently light, pale, or clay-colored can indicate a liver or gallbladder problem. Here's what to do. If your skin is looking a bit pale (which can occur in people of any skin tone), there's usually a reason.
It could be anything from a vitamin B12 deficiency to a symptom of anemia. The same is true when your stool is a paler-than-normal color-it doesn't usually happen randomly. "There's always going to be a reason," says Christine Traxler, MD, a family practitioner at Invigor.
When normal bile flow becomes obstructed, it may cause symptoms like jaundice (the yellowing of the eyes and skin), nausea or vomiting, pain, and pale poop. Although changes in stool color or texture may be normal, most changes should be evaluated. Learn the types, color chart, symptoms, diagnosis, and more.
Stool color is generally influenced by what you eat as well as by the amount of bile - a yellow-green fluid that digests fats - in your stool. As bile travels through your digestive tract, it is chemically altered by enzymes, changing the colors from green to brown. If you notice black, sticky, tar-like stools, it may be due to gastrointestinal bleeding and should be analyzed by a medical practitioner.
White - If there are any issues with your gallbladder, liver, or pancreas, lack of bile production can result in pale grey or white stools. Green.