What Color Is That Deep Red Solid in Your Poop?

Mark Rothko famously used deep red as one of his signature pigments in abstract expressionist paintings, often creating different tints and shades with it.

The alkoxybenzyl substituted PBIs demonstrate substantial bathochromic solid-state fluorescence shifts relative to solution, with 4,6-ab-PBI exhibiting the most significant change under daylight illumination due to intramolecular interconversion stabilizing its local excitation state and stabilizing PBI-centred regional excitation states.

Pale poop

Seeing pale poop can be an indicator of health problems. Pale stool could indicate liver or gallbladder issues or be indicative of a stomach bug; you should visit your physician if pale stool coincides with symptoms like stomach discomfort and fatigue.

Your poop’s characteristic brown hue comes from the production and storage of bile by your liver and gallbladder, then released into the small intestine to aid with digestion. If there is not enough bile produced from either source or its production is restricted by blocked bile ducts, poop may turn pale and clay-colored instead.

Poop color changes are usually indicative of health problems; however, sometimes, they can also be brought on by medications and supplements you are taking. For example, bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol) can produce clay-colored stools, while barium, used for x-ray examination of the upper digestive tract, may cause similar results.

Certain foods, such as figs and prunes, contain natural laxatives that may temporarily alter bowel movement and stool color. However, this should only be seen as temporary and harmless effects. If your stool becomes light- or clay-colored after trying different foods, seek medical advice immediately.

Tarry, sausage-shaped stools can be a telltale indicator of an acute medical condition. Most commonly seen among children, this sign may point towards pancreatic or gallbladder issues; although rarer still, it could indicate colon cancer.

Light yellow or white poop could be an indicator of an infection or illness, such as viral hepatitis or cirrhosis. Both diseases cause bile production to decline and result in yellow-tinged eyes and skin, often known as jaundice.

If your stool has become pale yellow or white, seek medical assistance immediately. Your physician can assess your symptoms and conduct tests to ascertain what might be causing them, then prescribe either medication or surgery in order to address the source.

Bright poop

Food may alter the color of our stool; sometimes, these changes are harmless, while in other instances, they could signal serious health concerns.

Poop that appears bright can be caused by food, medicines, or even health concerns. Red poop may be the result of eating certain foods like beets, cranberries, and red gelatin, or it could indicate bleeding in your lower GI tract due to hemorrhoids. But if it appears dark-tarry with an orange or purple sheen, then there could be more serious underlying problems at work here.

Black, tarry poop could indicate too much black licorice consumption or iron supplement use, or it could mean conditions like cirrhosis or colorectal cancer; medications like bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate or Pepto Bismol) could also play a part. If in doubt as to why your poop has changed color, try spreading some on white paper and looking under good lighting; it usually should have an intense green hue that might appear black due to poor illumination.

Stools that appear dark maroon and resemble rust should raise the alarm among gastroenterologists, according to gastroenterologist Yadlapati. According to her, such stool typically indicates there is blood from lower down in the colon or reticulum rather than the bright red-hued stool, which often results from bleeding close to either the stomach or small intestine.

If you notice a tar-like substance in your poop, it is advisable to contact your gastroenterologist as soon as possible. They will evaluate your medical history to identify possible causes before suggesting any necessary tests and treatments to reduce its appearance and discomfort.

Hard poop

Ideal poop should flow smoothly and quietly from the colon; however, if your stool is hard and pebble-shaped, it could have spent too long in your large intestine, where waste concentrates as water absorbs, making the consistency harder than normal poop. Furthermore, this could cause it to feel rough or gritty to the touch as bacteria that typically soften poop have been stripped away by bacteria in the large intestine.

Red or black poop isn’t normal either, which may indicate bleeding in your colon or eating beets or cranberries, among other potential culprits. If it remains unexplained by what you’ve eaten, or it remains perplexing even after consulting your primary care doctor immediately, seek assistance immediately.

Diet changes or adding more fiber and fluids may help restore the standard color and consistency of your poop, but if its appearance or character continues to alter for extended periods, consult your physician as soon as possible as they may be signs that something isn’t quite right with your digestive system.

Soft poop

Poop can provide us with clues as to what’s going on inside of our digestive systems. According to the Bristol stool chart, when your stool has an unwary form that’s medium brown – usually sausage- or snake-shaped with an easy flush out from your bowel into the toilet – then this indicates good health as it slides easily out and down the bathroom and has a relatively loose consistency.

Ideally, when eating healthily and drinking plenty of water, your poop should come once or twice per day and should be soft. If that changes significantly or more frequent pooping becomes the norm, contact a physician, as it could indicate infections, inflammation, or digestive issues that require medical intervention.

On the other hand, consuming too many dairy and fat-rich foods that can be difficult to digest may result in runny or watery stool that leads to dehydration as well as other symptoms.

Smelly or blackened poop may also indicate blood in your digestive tract. This could be caused by iron supplements, taking Bismuth-containing medicines like Pepto-Bismol, or having celiac disease, which leads to bleeding within the GI tract.

If your poop is white, it is an urgent matter. This could be a telltale sign of liver issues such as an obstruction in the bile duct or blockages from toxins or illness such as cirrhosis; your doctor may want to test or adjust medications; white poop could even be due to anti-seizure drugs temporarily increasing them or food coloring (like that used in Jell-O) affecting it.