White Mucus In Feces (stools) - Why Does It Appear And What To Do?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

White mucus in feces: what does it mean?

The mucous membrane, which facilitates the digestion and absorption of nutrients, lines the inner surface of the gastrointestinal tract. To protect against mechanical injury, from the effects of acids and alkalis, its cells secrete mucus that envelops the stomach and intestines from the inside.

Content:

• What is the white mucus in the stool talking about?
• Causes of white mucus in feces
• Causes of white mucus in feces in a newborn
• What to do if white mucus appears in the stool?

What is the white mucus in the stool talking about?

With injury and inflammation of the mucous membrane, mucus production increases. In the normal state, mucus is not noticeable in the feces, it mixes evenly with the feces. With irritation of the mucous membrane, the increased amount of mucus can be easily determined by visual inspection of defecation products during the coprogram.

Coprogram - a study of feces, which allows to determine the state of the gastrointestinal tract, the presence of processes of digestion and absorption, diseases of the stomach and intestines.

Parameters determined by the coprogram:

• Feces color and consistency;
• The presence of epithelium, starch, mucus;
• The number of erythrocytes and leukocytes;
• The presence of connective tissue, muscle fibers;
• The volume of iodophilic flora, fatty acids.

The color and structure of mucus found in feces depends on the cause of its hypersecretion and the nature of the damage:

• Yellow and green mucus - the presence of a bacterial process, an admixture of pus;
• Transparent mucus, catarrhal;
• An admixture of blood, a pinkish tint of mucus - the presence of an ulcer of the mucous membrane, hemorrhagic inflammation.

Causes of white mucus in feces

Depending on the cause of mucus hypersecretion, its consistency and therapy of the pathological process depend.

Factors affecting the appearance of mucus in the stool:

• ARVI. With a respiratory infection caused by adeno- and enterovirus, parainfluenza viruses, catarrhal inflammation of the intestinal wall occurs. In addition, the patient swallows the mucous discharge of the nasopharynx. Mucus in feces with ARVI has a transparent consistency, its volume is small. For the treatment of this condition, antiviral drugs are prescribed - Interferon, Arbidol.
• Side effects of some drugs and foods. A small amount of clear mucus can appear as a result of taking NSAIDs, medications for flatulence, smoking, drinking coffee. After the abolition of the above drugs, the condition is normalized.

• Intestinal infectious diseases. Bacterial infections provoke the release of a large amount of mucus of various structures and consistencies. With salmonellosis, a small amount of mucus accompanies frequent swamp-colored stools. With dysentery, the mucus becomes green, pus and blood are found in it. During staphylococcal infection, mucus accompanies frequent frothy stools with blood.

Treatment of intestinal infections - taking drugs from the nitrofuran group (Furazolidone, Ersefuril, Eneterofuril) or from the cephalosporin group.

• Intestinal viral infections. With colienterocolitis, yellow mucus with whitish impurities is found in the feces against a watery yellow-green background. With rotavirus infection, which causes malabsorption and digestion, mucus accompanies frequent bowel movements with symptoms of dehydration. Therapy - taking Viferon, Kipferon, drugs for rehydration (Hydrovit, Regidron), solutions for parenteral administration.
• Parasitic infections. Mucus in the feces with helminthiasis accompanies frequent stools mixed with blood and abdominal pain. Additionally, a decrease in appetite, anemia, and allergic manifestations are diagnosed. Therapy for parasitic infections is carried out with Mebendazole, Niridazole, Piperazine, Meironidazole, Tinidazole, Chloxil.

• Candidiasis. The ingestion of the mycelium of the fungus of the genus Candida into the intestinal lumen causes the release of white mucus into the feces. Treatment - taking Griseofulvin, Amphotericin.
• Autoimmune inflammation of the intestine (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease). Mucus with blood and pus stands out against the background of diarrhea, fever, pain along the intestines. Treatment - taking drugs from the group of cytostatics, glucocorticoids, sulfalazines.
• Spastic colitis. Mucus with blood is accompanied by constipation and diarrhea with a spastic component. Treatment - intestinal sanitation with Enterofuril, Furozolidone, taking antispasmodics, probiotics, Enterol.
• Dysbacteriosis. The pattern of colonization of the intestine with Clostridia includes mucus against the background of unstable stools, abdominal pain, and impaired appetite. Treatment of the disease is carried out with intestinal antiseptics (Furazolidone, Enterofuril, Metronidazole), probiotics (Linex, Bifiform, Bifikol, bifidumbacterin).
• Raw food, fasting. Violations of the diet cause depletion of the mucous membrane, its atrophy and irritation with rough food, which provokes the release of copious amounts of mucus.
• Pancreatitis Hypersecretion of mucus is caused by irritation of the mucous membrane by a large amount of pancreatic enzymes. Treatment - infusion of Furosemide, Diacarb, taking enzymes, diet, surgery.
• Intestinal diverticulosis. Bulging of the intestinal wall causes brown mucus with little bleeding in the small intestine. Therapy is surgical treatment after intestinal sanitation and restoration of its microflora.
• Proctitis, proctosigmoiditis. Mucus and blood in the feces appear along with pain against the background of irritation with enemas, chemical and mechanical damage. Therapy - antibacterial, anti-inflammatory drugs, taking antispasmodics and laxatives.
• Malignant intestinal tumors. With oncological damage to the intestine, mucus with an admixture of blood appears in the feces against the background of intestinal obstruction and chronic pain syndrome. Treatment - removal of the neoplasm, radiation and chemotherapy.

Causes of white mucus in feces in a newborn

Immediately after birth, the newborn's gastrointestinal tract is sterile. In the first days of life, it is inhabited by microorganisms, the biocenosis of which contains both valuable lacto- and bifidobacteria, as well as saprophytes and opportunistic microorganisms.

During the first 2-3 weeks of a baby's life, a balance is established in his intestines between different types of bacteria. The transitional stool contains mucus, has a greenish tinge. Once equilibrium has been established, stool consistency can change, as can color and frequency.

Factors affecting the appearance of mucus in feces in infants:

• Intestinal dysbiosis. The predominance of enterobacteria, clostridia, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella over lactic acid bacteria cause flatulence, constipation, the release of a large amount of mucus streaked with blood. If the mucus takes on a reddish tint, this is a sign of ulceration on the mucous membrane. Dysbiosis therapy - taking Enterofuril, bacteriophages, Stop-diarrhea, a course of treatment with probiotics (Linex, Normoflorin, Bifiform, Primadophilus). For the prevention of recurrence of dysbiosis, you need to carefully look after the baby.
• Bacterial and viral intestinal infections. When Salmonella, dysentery bacillus, toxic infections are introduced into the child's body, inflammation of the intestinal mucosa develops. This circumstance causes the release of a large amount of mucus with clots. Diagnosis of infections - bacteriological culture of feces. These conditions are dangerous because the child can quickly die from dehydration caused by diarrhea and vomiting.
• Medicines for flatulence. Medicines - defoamers (Bobotik, Espumisan, Bebikalm) can imitate mucus in the feces of an infant. After stopping the medication, the admixture of mucus is no longer noted.
• Violation of the rules for the introduction of complementary foods. The introduction of some vegetables into the diet can provoke the release of a large amount of stool. The consistency of the stool changes, it becomes liquid or, conversely, more dense, acquires a green color.
• Lactase deficiency. Deficiency of the milk fermenting enzyme lactase causes fermentation dyspepsia. Its symptoms are the secretion of a large amount of mucus, an admixture of milk impurities in the feces, gas, loose stools, and abdominal pain. Diagnostics - a study of feces for carbohydrates, treatment - a diet for a nursing mother, the introduction of lactase preparations to a baby, a lactose-free mixture is chosen on artificial feeding.
• Allergy, atopic dermatitis. External manifestations in the form of weeping skin, peeling of the skin of the cheeks, may be accompanied by irritation of the intestinal mucosa. As a result, an increased amount of mucus is secreted.
• Runny nose. Swallowed mucus from the nasopharynx enters the intestines and is diagnosed in the feces of a child who cannot blow his nose on his own.
• Intestinal invaginitis. When a part of the child's intestines is squeezed with another part of it, severe pain appears, gushing vomiting, liquid bloody stools with an admixture of mucus. A day after the first symptoms of intestinal vaginitis appear, the feces are converted into lumps of mucus mixed with blood. An emergency surgeon's help is required - a barium enema to straighten the intestines, otherwise the child may die from painful shock.

What to do if white mucus appears in the stool?

If mucus in the feces in children appears sporadically, most likely, its appearance is not associated with any pathology. Eliminating the cause of this condition, most often a violation of the diet, will completely eliminate the problem. An increase in this symptom and the addition of pathology with other symptoms is a reason to see a doctor.

Research to clarify the diagnosis:

• Micro- and macroscopy of feces;
• Coprogram;
• Bacterial feces culture;
• Colonoscopy;
• Ultrasound and X-ray of the intestine, stomach;
• General and biochemical blood test.

According to the results of the study, treatment is prescribed, the scheme of which is due to the cause of the pathology. If it is based on an infectious factor, antibiotics, absorbents, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. With dysbiosis, the balance of the intestinal microflora is restored. To normalize mucus production, a special diet is prescribed that contains foods that do not provoke mucus hypersecretion.

The author of the article: Volkov Dmitry Sergeevich | c. m. n. surgeon, phlebologist

Education: Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry (1996). In 2003 he received a diploma from the Educational and Scientific Medical Center of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.