Why stools smell bad

Still, there could be other reasons poop smells. Health talked to gastroenterologists to find out all the possible culprits for extra-smelly poop. A Doctor Weighs In. The bathroom the morning after a night out can smell toxic.

Medications like antibiotics or hormones can mess with gut bacteria, speed up or slow down the way poop moves through your intestines, or cause "malabsorption of certain nutrients, thereby causing smelly diarrhea," says Dr.

If you're lactose intolerant and eat dairy, you know it will eventually send you running for the bathroom—and it could be extra stinky. But just like booze or supplements with sulfates can make poop smell, so can sulfur-rich foods. A high-fat diet may overwhelm your digestive system, and your gut may not be able to break down all the fat consumed.

This results in a smelly diarrhea with a very high fat content, called steatorrhea," says Dr. Intestinal infections may also be to blame. Antibiotics One of the most common causes of smelly stool is antibiotics. Antibiotics can be harsh and can disturb the balance between good and bad stomach bacteria. A person may also experience an upset stomach. These symptoms are temporary and will go away as soon as you are done with your course of antibiotics as good bacteria will come back to their normal population.

Sometimes antibiotics can kill many good gut bacteria, and the bad overpopulate, leading to infection. The symptoms of infection include:. Treatment The majority of times, the symptoms fade away as soon as the dose of antibiotics is complete. While the antibiotics are still on the go, you can follow some simple home remedies to alleviate the discomfort.

If the attacks continue or your body is unable to absorb the essential nutrients from the diet, you may experience other health issues, such as:. Poop may smell different due to changes in your diet. But very foul-smelling feces can be a sign of a serious medical condition, such as:.

Bowel movements should pass easily with little straining. There are a number of reasons why pooping could be uncomfortable. The most common reason is inadequate fiber intake. After age 50, though, fiber intake recommendations decrease to 21 g for women and 30 g for men. Difficulty pooping could also be the result anal fissures, tears in the anus, as well as hemorrhoids.

Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis , or other conditions that trigger inflammation along the GI tract can also lead to painful bowel movements. It's important to let your doctor know if you have blood in your stool, black stool , pale stool, fever, cramps, mucus in your stool, pain, floating stool, or weight loss. Knowing the facts about feces is no joke.

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