Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel condition that affects the digestive tract. It can affect any part of the digestive tract, most commonly the small and large intestines. Understanding changes in stool appearance can be an important indicator for individuals managing or suspecting this condition.
Key Visual Indicators
Crohn’s disease significantly alters stool appearance, often reflecting inflammation severity. Stool consistency frequently shifts, often presenting as loose, watery, or even liquid diarrhea. Conversely, some may experience constipation, with small, hard, pebble-like stools.
Bowel movement frequency increases, with many experiencing more frequent trips, especially during flares. People with Crohn’s may have four or more bowel movements per day. Stool color varies; while normally brown, Crohn’s can cause pale stools, indicating fat malabsorption. Green stools can occur if food passes too quickly, and yellow or whitish stool may suggest mucus.
The presence of blood in the stool is a significant symptom. Bright red blood usually indicates bleeding lower in the intestinal tract, such as the colon or rectum. Darker blood, or black and tarry stools, suggests bleeding higher up in the digestive system, such as the small intestine or stomach. Mucus or pus can also be visible, appearing as a slimy, yellowish, or whitish discharge in or around the stool. Additionally, undigested food particles may be noticeable due to impaired absorption.
The Underlying Causes
Varied stool appearance in Crohn’s disease stems from chronic digestive tract inflammation. This inflammation affects the entire intestinal wall thickness, leading to physiological changes. When inflamed, the intestinal lining struggles to absorb water and nutrients, resulting in increased stool fluid and diarrhea.
Malabsorption is another consequence of damaged intestinal lining, especially in the small intestine. When intestines cannot properly absorb fats, they are expelled in stool, leading to pale, foul-smelling, oily stools (steatorrhea). Impaired absorption can also cause undigested food to pass through. Ulcerations (open sores) can form anywhere in the digestive tract due to ongoing inflammation. These ulcers can bleed, manifesting as blood in the stool.
Complications like fistulas (abnormal tunnels between intestine parts or other organs) can also impact stool characteristics. While not directly causing stool changes, fistulas can lead to leakage of digestive contents and infections, indirectly affecting stool consistency or pus presence. Strictures (narrowings of the intestines caused by scarring from chronic inflammation) can impede stool passage, sometimes leading to constipation and small, hard stools.
Knowing When to Seek Help
Consult a healthcare professional for persistent changes in bowel habits. This includes ongoing diarrhea or a significant increase in bowel movement frequency lasting more than a few days. Visible blood, mucus, or pus in the stool warrants medical attention.
Other symptoms signaling a need for professional evaluation include unexplained weight loss, which can occur due to malabsorption and chronic inflammation. Abdominal pain or cramping accompanying stool changes, especially if severe or persistent, should also be reported. Fevers or persistent fatigue alongside digestive symptoms can indicate active inflammation or complications. Any new or worsening symptoms, particularly with a pre-existing Crohn’s diagnosis, should prompt discussion with your doctor.