Table of Contents
When should I be worried about fatty stools?
If you notice that your stool floats and appears greasy, pale, and abnormally foul smelling, you should talk with your doctor. This is especially true if you have other symptoms of malabsorption, such as weight loss or cramps.
Can stress cause fatty stools?
(Fatty stools, or steatorrhea, are a telltale sign of EPI.) Like those of EPI, IBS symptoms tend to occur after eating, but IBS may also be triggered by stress, infection, and other factors.
What conditions cause fat in stool?
Conditions that lead to fatty stool and malabsorption include:
- Liver disease, including biliary tumor or biliary stricture.
- Celiac disease.
- Pancreatic disease, including chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer.
- Crohn’s disease.
- Cystic fibrosis.
- Gallstones (cholelithiasis)
- Enteritis.
- Small bowel bacterial overgrowth.
Can steatorrhea go away on its own?
Mild cases of steatorrhea can often be successfully treated at home with rest and basic care. Following certain dietary guidelines may also help reduce the risk of fatty stool.
Does steatorrhea always float?
Patients with steatorrhea present with bulky, pale, foul-smelling oily stools. These fatty stools tend to float in the toilet bowl and often challenging to flush as well. In the early stages, steatorrhea may be asymptomatic and go unnoticed.
Can steatorrhea be temporary?
Steatorrhea is usually a temporary problem, but if it lasts longer than a few weeks, grows more severe, or is accompanied by other symptoms, it could indicate a more serious condition.
How do I know if I have steatorrhea?
Screening for steatorrhea may be carried out by examining stool samples for the presence of fat by Sudan III staining. However, quantitative fecal fat estimation is required to confirm the diagnosis.
Can a stool sample detect pancreatitis?
Acute pancreatitis, another form of the disease, is a short-term condition. It is usually diagnosed with blood and/or imaging tests, rather than a stool elastase test.