Have you ever taken a sneak peek at your poop and noticed peculiar white specks? Don’t flush that curiosity away just yet! Those tiny white dots could hold surprising clues about your health and well-being. A normal stool would look like a semi-solid medium brown colored structure and can indicate your well-being.
The appearance of yellow spots, strings or parasites in stool or poop if persistent is not normal. It can be an indication of different healthcare issues. Let’s discuss everything one by one to get a better understanding of all the related conditions and their causes.
Causes
Stated are all the possible causes of white specks in your poop:
Undigested food: We never tend to think about eating and digestion by our body simultaneously. Well, to your surprise not everything we eat can be digested by the body and can show up in the form of small white specks or white tissue balls when passing the stool. Sometimes foods like seeds, nuts, and cereals don’t properly break down in the body which, in turn, can show up in the stool but that’s totally harmless and doesn’t need medical attention.
Rice sometimes can also show up if swallowed uncooked and can give a worrisome look.
Parasitic Infections: Parasitic infections in the stomach or any part of the intestine eg. tapeworms or lukewarm can cause white tissue-like pea-sized appearances in the stool. It usually goes on its own and disappears, but if it persists it’s better to discuss it with your healthcare provider.
Medications that cause white spots in poop: Medications like antacids and bismuth subsalicylate can cause white spots in your poop. Supplemental care can also be the cause including high calcium carbonate content supplements will definitely show up as tiny white or yellow spots in the stool surface appearance.
Non-Food Objects if swallowed: Sometimes non-food items like paper, plastic objects or coins if swallowed mistakenly or on purpose can appear as they are or as white seeds like in the poop.
Gluten Intolerance: Some people with gluten intolerance with or without celiac disease can experience changes in stool colors as well appearance of whitish-yellowish specks in the poop can be observed.
Gallstones ( Liver or pancreas disorders): The hardened deposits of the bile formed in the gallbladder are termed “Gallstones” and can pass through your poop. They will also appear as tiny white tissue balls while passing.
Bacterial – Mucosal Infection: Bacterial Growth and mucosal infection can show up in the poop with white specks and spots that definitely need medical attention. In case you observe white specks with mucus in the poop get yourself checked by your medical caregiver.
Steatorrhea: Excessive fat in the diet can also make your poop yellowish, pale with white specks appearance. Foul-smelling stool with mucus is a clear indication of Steatorrhea and needs consultation.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can cause damage to the intestines, leading to changes in stool color, including white specks.
Symptoms of White Spots in Stool:
The Symptoms include:
Foul smelling stool
Whitish-yellowish tissue-like balls
White specks appearance
White mucous coating
Small parasites eg tapeworms
Seeds
Read More: Common Causes of Blood Clots in Stools
Treatment Options for White Specks in the Stool
The treatment option for white specks in your poop depends on the underlying cause. If the white specks are caused by harmless factors like undigested food or certain medications, no specific treatment may be required and It will go away on its own.
However, if the white specks are associated with an underlying health condition or infection, treatment may be necessary.
Medications
Listed are some of the medications for the white speck appearance in your poop according to the underlying causes
- Anthelmintics: These medications are used to treat parasitic infections such as tapeworms or pinworms. Examples include mebendazole and albendazole.
- Antacids: If the cause of the specky poop is undigested food, medications like aluminum hydroxide or calcium carbonate are mostly prescribed.
- Antibiotics: In cases where white specks are caused by bacterial overgrowth or infection, antibiotics are prescribed to cure these.
- Anti-Inflammatory Medication: For diseases like inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), anti Inflammatory medications are prescribed examples include corticosteroids and Immunosuppressants.
- Pain Management Medications: In case of gallstones visibility in your stools or poop pain management medications are prescribed just to manage discomforts.
Read More: Best Antibiotics for Diverticulitis Treatment
Risk Factors/Complications
It is essential to emphasize that medication should be prescribed by a qualified healthcare practitioner after a proper evaluation and diagnosis to avoid any complications. Self Medication solely based on the appearance of white specks on stools is not advisable. It may not address the underlying cause and could lead to different complications.
If you are experiencing any concerning symptoms as white spots or specks persistently on your poop it’s good to seek medical attention and get a proper diagnosis
Can white specks in stool be prevented?
No. They can’t totally be prevented. It is possible that you are on the best possible diet and still notice white specks in your poop. Some are harmless and some are indications of diseases. If any of the concerning symptoms stay for a bit longer, it’s good to know the actual reason to avoid and cure them.
Talk to your doctor
If you are experiencing any concerning symptoms such as white spots or specks persistently on your poop it’s good to discuss it with your healthcare practitioner and get a proper diagnosis for further prevention and precaution.
FAQs About White Specks in Poop
Yes, In case of continuous symptoms, your doctor might ask you to collect the sample and take it for the diagnostic test and proper examination for a diagnostic conclusion.
There could be a lot of reasons. It can be an indication of harmless conditions, for example, indigestible swallowed or harmful conditions like Bacteria or mucosal infection.
The duration of the eye discharge can last aPoop with diverticulitis can appear abnormal, often containing mucus or blood, and may have a ribbon-like or pencil-thin shape according to the cause of conjunctivitis.
It can vary but it’s typically brown.
It can be an indication of Inflammation or infection in your lower GIT. It’s better to get yourself checked.
With pancreatitis, your poop can appear pale or gray coloured due to the absence of bile from the pancreas.
