What causes pale coloured stools / poo?

If you are reading this article there is a very good chance that you found it via my original article that was called Have you examined your stools / poo lately? That article has attracted a vast amount of views, so proving that many people are worrying about unusual aspects of their stools or poo, be it the colour, the consistency or the regularity. Because of the popularity of that article I rapidly realised that thousands of people are too shy, self conscious or too embarrassed to feel comfortable talking face to face with other people about their bowel movements, (ironic when you consider how many people are totally comfortable talking about farts and breaking wind). Apparently the fear extends even to the point that a trip to the doctor is only a last resort, and then only if a trip to the Internet has given the individual affected a good reason to believe such a trip is necessary in order to preserve their health. If you are reading this I am assuming that your problem is that your stools or poo (whichever term you prefer), have changed to a pale, clay or even beige colouring, and that you want to know why this has happened and if you should be worried about it.

Stools that are pale in colour, or even clay / beige coloured would naturally cause concern when you are used to seeing a brown stool arriving in your toilet bowl. The following is a list of reasons that might explain why your brown bowel movements have changed to this insipid and unhealthy looking colour instead.

• A lack of bile or a blockage in the bile ducts can cause pale or clay coloured stools (acholic being the correct medical term for pale coloured stools)
• If your digestive system is unable to absorb fats properly it can also cause 'greasy' stools that are pale in colour
• Side effects from medicines such as antibiotics
• Liver infections
• Liver disease (look out for jaundice which will appear in the form of yellowing skin and yellow whites to the eyes. Seek urgent medical attention if you see evidence of jaundice)
• Tumours
• Alcoholic Hepatitis
• Strictures
• Sclerosing cholangitis
• Viral Hepatitis
• Cysts of the bile ducts
• Strictures or narrowing of the bile ducts
• Gallstones
• Use of antacids that contain aluminum hydroxide
• Congenital birth defects in the biliary system
• Eating high amounts of fatty foods

Disclaimer: Please remember to treat this article as a guideline only. If you are worrying about the fact your stools / poo appear to have become pale, clay or even beige in colour, then I would strongly advise a trip to your Doctor in order to give you peace of mind based on a sound medical diagnosis, as opposed to Internet based information.