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What Causes Yellow Stool?

Stool is usually brown because of a balance of bilirubin and bile. An imbalance can cause yellow stools or diarrhea. This could be due to dietary factors, stress, celiac disease, or another health condition.

Stools may change color for various reasons, including a person's diet and various underlying medical conditions. Yellow is a normal variation of stool color in infants.

Changes in stool color are also normal. Watch for consistent changes over time and consult with a doctor if other symptoms are present.

This article will outline the causes of yellow stool in adults and infants, complications, and when to see a doctor.

A person's diet and the level of bile present in the stool directly influence a person's stool color. Bile is yellow-green, and as it travels through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, enzymes cause changes that turn it brown.

All shades of brown-colored stool are normal. If a person's stool is red or black, or other changes remain longer than 2 weeks or come with other symptoms, they should consult a doctor.

Stools can be other colors, including:

Green: Eating leafy green vegetables, green food coloring, iron supplements, or diarrhea moving food through the intestine too quickly may cause this color.

Yellow, pale brown, or gray: Giardiasis can cause bright yellow diarrhea. Pale yellow or gray stool can result from problems in the liver or gallbladder.

Orange: Eating carrots, winter squash, antibiotics, or antacids could cause this color.

Blue: Usually the result of eating artificially blue foods or drinking blue beverages.

Black, tarry: Eating black licorice or taking iron supplements, and bleeding in the upper GI tract, cirrhosis, or colorectal cancer can also cause black stool. Medication containing bismuth subsalicylate, better known as Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate, can also cause black, tarry stools.

Bright red: Eating or drinking red, artificially colored food or drinks can cause this. Certain conditions can cause bleeding in the upper GI tract, such as cirrhosis or GI tumors. Hemorrhoids can cause bleeding in the lower GI tract and cause stool to be red.

Possible causes of yellow stool include:

Diet

Since the GI tract processes food for elimination, what a person eats can affect the color of their stool.

Carrots, sweet potatoes, turmeric, and foods that contain yellow food coloring may cause stool to become yellow.

A diet high in fat or gluten can also lead to yellow stool.

If a person regularly has yellow stools, they should try avoiding fatty, processed foods, gluten, or anything that causes an upset stomach.

Stress

Stress and anxiety can have many physical effects on the body, including speeding up the digestive process.

As a result, the body may not be able to absorb all of the nutrients in food, which may lead to diarrhea or yellow stool.

Taking steps to relieve stress by reducing commitments, practicing yoga, or seeing a therapist may help reduce physical symptoms.

Celiac disease

If people with celiac disease eat gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley, their immune system responds by attacking the tissues of their small intestine.

This immune response causes tissue damage and compromises the intestines' ability to absorb nutrients.

In addition to yellow or pale stools, symptoms of celiac disease include:

There is no cure for celiac disease, but a person can effectively manage the condition by avoiding gluten.

Disorders of the pancreas

Disorders of the pancreas can cause yellow or pale stool. Some of these disorders include:

In people with these conditions, the pancreas cannot provide enough enzymes for the intestines to digest food. Undigested fat can lead to yellow stool that also appears greasy or frothy.

Liver disorders

Disorders of the liver, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis, can lower or eliminate bile salts in the body.

Bile salts are essential for the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. The removal of these salts can result in yellow stools.

Gallbladder disorders

Gallbladder problems and gallstones can also reduce the level of bile salts in the body. This reduction can lead to a variety of symptoms, including:

abdominal pain

a fast heartbeat

an abrupt drop in blood pressure

jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes

pale stool

Treatment will depend on the specific gallbladder issue. The treatment for gallstones, for example, may include medication to dissolve the stones. In some cases, a person may need surgery.

Gilbert syndrome

Gilbert syndrome is a genetic liver disorder that affects 3–7% of Americans.

People with Gilbert syndrome have periods when their bilirubin levels are too high. Symptoms include mild jaundice and pale stools. However, the symptoms can be so mild that most people do not notice them or know they have the condition.

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a common intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite. A person can contract the Giardia parasite by ingesting Giardia cysts, usually through contaminated food or water.

Symptoms of giardiasis include:

A doctor can diagnose giardiasis by testing a person's stool samples. Treatment involves antibiotics, and the symptoms can last for up to a few weeks. In rare cases, the infection can be long term.

An older adult's diet or an underlying medical condition may cause yellow stools.

Liver or gallbladder disorders can reduce the production of bile salts, resulting in pale or yellow-colored stools.

If accompanied by diarrhea, older adults should avoid dehydration by drinking water or using oral rehydration solutions.

Yellow stool by itself does not lead to complications, but the underlying cause of it might.

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:

Yellow stool is usually due to dietary changes or food colors. However, if the color change continues for several days or other symptoms are present, it is best to contact a doctor.

A person should see a doctor if they experience any of the following symptoms with yellow stool:

Should I go to the ER for yellow diarrhea?

Yellow stools are usually due to dietary changes or food colors. However, if yellow stools are accompanied by fever, vomiting, or other symptoms, it is best to contact a doctor

Does COVID-19 cause yellow diarrhea?

Diarrhea is a possible symptom of COVID-19. However, symptoms may change according to new variants and depending on vaccination status. One case report observed yellow diarrhea as an initial symptom of COVID-19.

The cause of yellow stool is usually related to a person's diet, but it can also result from underlying health problems.

Some health problems can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition, which can cause a loss of important vitamins and nutrients.

It is essential to look out for additional symptoms and see a doctor if the yellow color persists. The treatment will depend on the underlying cause.

Read the article in Spanish.

Delta Flight Forced Into Emergency Landing By Passenger's Diarrhea: 'This Is A Biohazard'

It was a crappy situation.

A Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing after a passenger "had diarrhea all the way through the plane."

The Airbus A350 aircraft was two hours into a trans-Atlantic flight from Georgia to Spain on Friday when the pilot asked to come back because of the fecal fiasco.

"This is a biohazard issue," the pilot said to air traffic control, recorded from LiveATC.Com and shared on X.

"We've had a passenger who's had diarrhea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

The identity of the passenger remains a mystery, but the passengers and crew were transferred and Flight DL194 finally made it to Barcelona at 5:10 p.M. The next day — eight hours later than scheduled, according to Flightradar24.

It is not known if the passenger who had the digestive problem was aboard the plane when it touched down in Spain.

An alleged Federal Aviation Authority flight strip was posted on Reddit, which appeared to confirm the situation involved "biohazard" all over the plane.

A Delta Airlines Airbus A350 turned around back to Atlanta on Friday night because of diarrhea throughout the airplane.AFP via Getty Images The flight had been scheduled to travel to Spain.Twitter News of the passenger's unfortunate mishap and the flight delay went viral on social media.

Cleaning crews were able to scrub down the aircraft once it landed in Atlanta since flight records show it was used for another flight.

Delta officials confirmed there was a "medical issue" on the plane and it had to be redirected to Atlanta to be cleaned, according to Insider.

The company did not elaborate on the medical reason.

A Delta Airlines Airbus A350 turned back to Atlanta on Friday night because of the biohazard.Twitter

"Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination," a Delta spokesperson said. "We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans."

Delta passengers had a rough week in the air: Another flight en route to Milan, Italy, had to be redirected to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Aug. 29 when it hit severe turbulence, injuring 11 passengers.

If You Take These 'diet Seeds' For Weight Loss, STOP!, The FDA Warns

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about some botanical weight loss products they say could contain a poisonous plant.

The products, labeled Nuez de la India and marketed as "India Nuts for Weight Loss," "slimming seeds," or "diet seeds," appear to contain highly toxic yellow oleander, a poisonous plant native to Mexico and Central America.

According to the FDA, ingestion of yellow oleander can cause neurologic, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular problems that could be severe, or even fatal. One person in Maryland has been hospitalized after taking the supplements, which are typically sold online through places such as Amazon, Walmart and eBay.

Yellow oleander can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cardiac changes, dysrhythmia, and more.

People are advised to stop using Nut Diet Max Brand, seeds or capsules, or Todorganic Natural Brand seeds marketed as Nuez de la India, India nuts, or India seeds and use extreme caution with other India nut products due to the similar appearance of non-toxic candlenut seeds and highly toxic yellow oleander seeds.

The FDA also advises people who have taken these products to contact their healthcare provider for an evaluation.

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