It might not be pretty, but what’s in your toilet bowl can reveal a lot about your health. For those with Crohn’s disease, abnormal stools tend to be especially common, especially during a flare.
Crohn’s symptoms often include pain, diarrhea, constipation, and blood or mucus in your poop. Full disclosure, it can also show up in a whole rainbow of colors. 🌈 💩
Here’s the deal with Crohn’s disease and No. 2s.
Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that typically manifests in the small intestine and colon, but it can affect all parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This is why your poop color, frequency, and consistency are often affected.
Symptom severity can range from mild to debilitating and may change a lot over time. In extreme cases, the disease can cause life threatening flares.
TBH, the pros don’t know what causes Crohn’s disease, who’s most likely to get it, or a tried-and-true cure. But there have been serious treatment advances in the last few decades to help manage Crohn’s.
The inflammation and ulcers caused by Crohn’s in the small and/or large intestine can cause changes in the appearance of your poop as well as how often you go.
Crohn’s disease may cause pooping probs like:
Crohn’s disease poop may also appear:
The color of Crohn’s poop can be quite a range. Your No. 2s may also appear totally normal. Here’s what you might experience.
Yellow or white mucus-covered poop may be caused from Crohn’s due to fat malabsorption. It could show up as streaks on the stool or cover it completely. This can happen when your body isn’t absorbing fat-soluble nutrients very well, which causes your body to make mucus to protect your intestine’s inner lining and make it easier to pass the stool.
If you don’t have other symptoms like stomach pain, mucusy poo is not typically a sign of concern. The occasional mucus-covered stool could also signal a change in diet or higher stress levels.
Crohn’s complications could lead to anal fissures, skin tags, fistulas, or abscesses that lead to traces of blood in the stool. Blood can appear bright red to practically black.
Dark, almost black-colored blood means the blood is coming from higher up in the GI, which could indicate a medical emergency. (Call your doc ASAP 🚨.)
If your blood is a brighter red, it’s coming from lower in the GI tract. While you should def still call a doc about brighter-colored blood, you won’t typically need to rush to the ER.
If your poop’s bright green, pink, orange, or another color, it may be due to what you ate. Some people with Crohn’s have malabsorption, which basically means that your bod isn’t completely digesting your food and therefore totally absorbing its nutrients. So, if you have Crohn’s and you eat food with a vibrant color, say, spinach, your poop might look pretty green.
If this happens to you, talk with your doc about potential treatments.
It depends. Some people with Crohn’s will hit up the bathroom more often than those without it. In severe Crohn’s disease cases, diarrhea can happen many times a day.
For others with Crohn’s, stools are actually less frequent than average. This could be caused by a narrowing of the intestines, which makes the stool harder to pass.
If you have Crohn’s, it can help to understand what pooping frequency is typical during a flare-up compared to when the disease is in remission. This can help you learn to manage symptoms and live more comfortably.
Even though there’s no cure for Crohn’s disease, there are ways to manage symptoms. Some potential treatments include:
If you think you might have Crohn’s or another digestive issue, it’s a good idea to visit a healthcare professional for a professional diagnosis. See a doc if:
People diagnosed with Crohn’s typically see a healthcare professional regularly, about every 6 months to a year to help manage symptoms.
A doctor can take a blood and/or stool sample to test for things like inflammation, which may help the pros arrive at a Crohn’s diagnosis. They may also take any of the following tests:
Crohn’s disease is a type of IBD that can cause changes to your stool. It might look different, occur more or less frequently, or have blood or mucus mixed in.
If your poop looks diff in general, it’s a good idea to see a doc for a professional diagnosis.
Last medically reviewed on April 22, 2022
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