Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSteatorrheaMucus in StoolMelenaDiagnosisWhen to Seek Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Steatorrhea
Mucus in Stool
Melena
Diagnosis
When to Seek Care
“Sticky poop” is a common symptom that people describe to healthcare providers and it can mean different things. It generally means stool (feces) that is abnormally greasy and hard to wipe away after a bowel movement. This is a common sign ofsteatorrhea, a condition associated withceliac disease, diet, liver disease, and other causes in which there is too much fat in your stool.
Sticky poop may also describe excessmucus in stool, a symptom that can occur with an intestinal infection orinflammatory bowel disease (IBD). On the other hand, stools that are sticky and tarry may be a sign of bleeding from a stomach ulcer orcolon cancer.
Agastroenterologistmay be able to diagnose the cause with a stool sample, blood tests, diagnostic imaging, and if needed, abiopsyof tissues.
Witthaya Prasongsin / Getty Images
Steatorrhea occurs when there is excess fat in your stool. The symptoms can vary depending on the underlying causes but generally present with:
Steatorrhea may also occur when the absorption of fat in the intestine is impaired or you consume excessive amounts of certain dietary and non-dietary fats.
Many conditions can cause steatorrhea including:
Sometimes sticky stool has nothing to do with fat but instead describes a stool that contains a lot ofmucus.
At normal levels, mucus is usually unseen on stool. However, if the GI tract becomes irritated or inflamed, it can start to produce excessive amounts of mucus, causing symptoms like:
There are many possible causes of excess mucus on stool, some of the most common of which include:
In addition to tarry stools, melena can cause other symptoms depending on the underly cause, such as:
There are many possible causes for me lean, including:
Diagnosis of Sticky Poops
There are many tests a gastroenterologist may use to pinpoint the cause of sticky poop, including:
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
An occasional sticky poop isn’t usually something to worry about. However, if you consistently have sticky poops, it’s best to see your healthcare provider.
Tarry stools, on the other hand, are of concern and should be seen immediately because they suggest bleeding somewhere in the GI tract.
Call 911 or rush to your nearest emergency room if symptoms like these develop. Delayed treatment of shock can lead to multi-organ failure and death.
Summary
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Steatorrhea.BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of steatorrhea.Johansson MEV, Sjovall H, Hansson GC.The gastrointestinal mucus system in health and disease.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jun; 10(6): 352–361. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2013.35MedlinePlus.Black or tarry stools.Kamboj AK, Hoversten P, Leggett CL.Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: etiologies and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 Apr;94(4):697-703. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.022
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Steatorrhea.BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of steatorrhea.Johansson MEV, Sjovall H, Hansson GC.The gastrointestinal mucus system in health and disease.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jun; 10(6): 352–361. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2013.35MedlinePlus.Black or tarry stools.Kamboj AK, Hoversten P, Leggett CL.Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: etiologies and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 Apr;94(4):697-703. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.022
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Library of Medicine.Steatorrhea.BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of steatorrhea.Johansson MEV, Sjovall H, Hansson GC.The gastrointestinal mucus system in health and disease.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jun; 10(6): 352–361. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2013.35MedlinePlus.Black or tarry stools.Kamboj AK, Hoversten P, Leggett CL.Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: etiologies and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 Apr;94(4):697-703. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.022
National Library of Medicine.Steatorrhea.
BMJ Best Practice.Evaluation of steatorrhea.
Johansson MEV, Sjovall H, Hansson GC.The gastrointestinal mucus system in health and disease.Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Jun; 10(6): 352–361. doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2013.35
MedlinePlus.Black or tarry stools.
Kamboj AK, Hoversten P, Leggett CL.Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: etiologies and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 Apr;94(4):697-703. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2019.01.022
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