Smelly poo: This is what the odour of your stool says about your health

Sometimes the stench of your own poo can shock you. Often, the strong, putridly foul smell could simply be a result of your dietary choices. In that case, once you change what you eat, you should be fine. But, sometimes too, the overwhelming smell could be a sign of a series of medical conditions. Below are three medical explanations for your smelly poo.

Celiac disease

It is now not uncommon to find gluten-free variations of many household staples when you are grocery shopping. This is because there are people who get an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley and rye, according to Medical News Today.

In celiac disease, gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, hindering the absorption of nutrients. Apart from smelly stool look pale or fatty, other symptoms of the disease include persistent diarrhoea or constipation leading to weight loss or weight gain.

Short bowel syndrome

This is an uncommon condition caused by a portion of the intestines (small or large) being absent or unable to function properly, HealthLine states. This results in malabsorption which occurs when…

…your body is unable to absorb the proper amount of nutrients from the food you eat. This generally occurs when there’s an infection or disease that prevents your intestines from absorbing nutrients from your food.

People with this condition also experience bloating, dehydration, persistent bouts of diarrhoea and heartburn.

Chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is persistent inflammation of the pancreas that worsens over time, Medical News Today reports. It results in irreparable damage which can impact your ability to digest food and the production of pancreatic hormones.

Smelly poo aside, other signs of this condition are nausea, vomiting, malnutrition and weight loss as well as upper abdominal and back pain which worsen when you eat or drink.

Read more:

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⋙ The fatal reason why you should not strain to poo

⋙ How often should you poop in a day?