Different people have various conditions that may influence how the final waste product appears, including his state of hydration, the nutrients ingested and the presence of any disease. Usually the normal stool color is light to medium brown. When there is a change to the consistency and color of your stool, it can just be due to some dietary change or indicate something about your health state. Learn all the possible stool colors, their causes as well as the ways to manage so that you know when to see a doctor for help.

Stool Color Chart

When to See a Doctor

A normal stool is usually light to dark brown. However, slight variations in this color may occasionally be noted and these do not necessarily mean that the individual is ill. Sometimes, dietary changes, like eating too much colored foods, or intake of certain substances like alcohol or medicines that are very irritating to the gastrointestinal tract can affect the color of the stools.  Sometimes, stress can cause constipation or diarrhea, which can also influence the appearance of one's stools.

To determine if stool color changes are due to temporary changes in the diet or lifestyle or if they are caused by some health problem, the stool color chart is not enough. One must consult a doctor especially if these changes are accompanied by other symptoms like abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, loss of weight, diarrhea and other unusual problems.

Diagnosis of Stool Color Changes

During medical consultation the physician will obtain a thorough medical history of your symptoms and conduct a physical examination. Laboratory examinations may include:

• Blood tests - complete blood count, blood chemistry tests, blood tests for coagulation, liver enzyme tests, pancreatic enzyme tests
• Stool examination for parasites
• Stool examination for occult blood, which can screen for lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to cancer and other diseases
• Immunological test to detect blood in the stool
• Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy procedure to examine for bleeding from the esophagus and stomach; endoscopic procedures involve the use of small instruments with a camera which are inserted to visualize the inside of hollow organs.
• Colonoscopy, an endoscopic procedure to examine for tumors or bleeding from the lower GI tract
• Tissue biopsies may be taken during the endoscopic procedures for final diagnosis
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography involves the use of an injected dye to examine for obstructions in the flow of bile in the ducts

Other imaging techniques to examine for tumors or other changes in the gastrointestinal tract include CT scan, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).