1. What is Mucus?
Mucus is a substance that can be clear, white or yellowish in color. Mucus is typically found throughout the gastrointestinal tract and in the airway system, such as the lining of the nose and throat. Its primary purpose is to lubricate and protect the linings of these systems against corrosive agents such as stomach acid, external irritants that are breathed in, as well as other irritants to the lining of the bowels.
2. What's Normal, What's Not
Mucus in the stool, in small amounts, is a very normal occurrence. It becomes abnormal when large amounts of the substance is found in the stool, or when the color or consistency of the mucus changes. This can occur by itself, or with associated changes such as pus or blood in the stool, or one of a variety of disease states or inflammatory conditions.
3. Causes of Abnormal Mucus in the Stool
Examples of conditions that can be responsible for abnormal mucus in the stool can include Irritable Bowel Syndrome--including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease (an extremely inflammatory condition)--infection and mechanical obstruction. Obstructions can be caused from anatomical variations in the bowel itself, poor water hydration, which can lead to constipation, and various food allergies.
4. Related Symptoms
The symptoms that can be found in conjunction with abnormal amounts of mucus in the stool are typically not a direct result of the mucus itself, but rather of the condition(s) present that stimulate the abnormal mucus.
Symptoms such as pain and cramping in the intestinal system, bloating, diarrhea, occasional fever, rectal bleeding and decreased amount or frequency of bowel movements are all a sign of some corresponding disease state or condition that may be present.
5. Treatment Options
In the case of mechanical obstruction, the primary treatment option is to eliminate the obstruction in the most effective and safe way. This can be accomplished simply by medication and re-hydration efforts to loosen impacted stool. On occasion, surgical correction of the obstruction becomes necessary.
For Inflammatory disease conditions, systemic steroids are usually quite helpful in controlling symptoms. However, it is usually necessary to take these drugs on a long-term basis, which presents another problem of side effects. Antibiotic treatment is an option for bacterial infections, in that it removes the offending agent, thus reducing stimulation of excess mucus.
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