Although bathroom habits are typically a private matter, you might occasionally need to go public with your poop color. Typically, a healthy stool is brown and has a soft, formed consistency. When your stool turns bloody or black, it could...
Colace is a brand name for docusate sodium, a stool softener used to relieve and prevent constipation. Colace works by moistening the stool and allowing for easier passage of the stool. According to the National Institutes of Health, Colace is...
When used with a balanced diet and exercise, fish oil has many health benefits, including the reduction of triglycerides that can cause heart disease at high levels, according to Drugs.com. Fish oil contains omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids...
Blood in your child's stool can be a shocking discovery. Although this is a common experience in children, you should investigate the cause of the bleeding and alert a physician if blood, or the appearance of blood, is found. Your child's...
Seeing blood in the stool is alarming. Stools that contain blood may appear black, tarry, maroon or red, depending on where the bleeding originates in the gastrointestinal tract, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Blood in the...
Colonoscopy is a test that enables the inspection of the entire colon using a fiberoptic tube known as colonoscope. A colonoscopy is used to detect abnormalities in the colon such as colon cancer and inflammation. Colon perforation occurs when the...
Colitis is the inflammation of the colon. It is mainly caused by chronic bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Colitis may also be caused by acute infection, food poisoning and lack of blood flow...
Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are painful swollen and inflamed veins in your rectum or anus. Hemorrhoids are mainly caused by increased pressure in the veins of the anus. Factors that cause increased pressure in the anus include straining during...
According to Gicare.com, a colonoscopy is an exam conducted by a gastroenterologist so as to check for colon abnormalities such as colon tumors, colon polyps, ulcers, inflammation and areas of bleeding. A colonoscopy is also used to check for the...
Hemorrhoids, also known as piles, are swollen or bulging veins around the anus. Half of all people suffer from hemorrhoids by the time they are 50, according to the American Gastroenterological Association. Bright red blood in the stool or on...
Seeing blood in your diarrhea can be an alarming sight. If you develop diarrhea whenever you eat soy-based products, you need to be tested for a soy allergy. If you are diagnosed with a soy allergy, you need to avoid eating soy to prevent diarrhea...
In an age where fast food and little time has impacted the nutrition you receive, many people are including a multivitamin with iron in their daily dietary intake. Although these supplements are available at health food stores and pharmacies...
Iron is an essential mineral that is important in the production of red blood cells. Lack of iron in the diet leads to iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency may also be caused by excess blood loss due to menstruation, burns, stomach ulcers,...
Anal itching, or pruritus ani, is a common condition that is typically worse at night. Accompanied by a strong urge to scratch the skin around the anus, this condition is caused by a variety of skin disorders, infections and an adverse environment...
Hemorrhoids, or piles, are swollen veins around your anus and inside your lower rectum. Sometimes a hemorrhoid can prolapse, or push through your anus to the outside of your body, which can make exercise and even normal movement particularly...
Hemorrhoids, also called piles are painful, swollen veins in the anus and lower rectum. They occur due to increased pressure on the blood vessels located in the lower part of the colon. Hemorrhoids is a rare condition in infants, according to the...
Ibuprofen is the generic name for an over-the-counter medication. Apo-Ibuprofen, one particular brand, has several effects to include pain relief, reduction of inflammation, fever reduction, inhibition of certain immune system functions,...
Gastrointestinal, or GI, bleeding, is any loss of blood from the GI tract. Blood loss can be occult, or lost in small undetectable amounts, or in larger life-threatening amounts. In any situation, blood loss is a condition that needs to...
Flaxseed is the seed of the Linum usitatissimum plant and contains a good amount of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linoleic acid. Flaxseed can added to juice or water as a whole seed; or it can be crushed or powdered, according to MayoClinic.com....
Flaxseed oil provides beneficial fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid, that appear to decrease inflammation. Flaxseed oil is used for many health conditions, but available scientific evidence has not verified most of these uses, according to...
Gastrointestinal bleeding may occur anywhere along the digestive tract and it could be caused by gastric or duodenal ulcers, esophageal varices, diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or injury. Some possible symptoms of...
Flaxseed oil, also called linseed oil, derives from the seeds of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. It contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the body needs to maintain good health, according to the University of Maryland Medical...
Vitamin K represents a group of five subtypes. The K1 and K2 subtypes are obtained from plant and animal sources, respectively, while K3, K4 and K5 are synthetic versions used to fortify food. Vitamin K was named after the German word...
Hemorrhoids are painful if you get them in the anal area, and internal rectal hemorrhoids can bleed and become prolapsed. This condition has several causes, and certain exercises can aggravate hemorrhoids, but many physical activities help...
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that can appear externally around the anus or internally in the rectum. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, approximately 75 percent of people will develop hemorrhoids at some time...
According to the Mayo Clinic, hemorrhoids are swollen and inflamed veins in the anus and rectum. The Mayo Clinic says "By age 50, about half of adults have had to deal with the itching, discomfort and bleeding that can signal the presence of...
Colon cancer forms in the tissues of the largest part of the large intestine (the colon). Cancers of the colon usually occur in cells that make mucus and are called adenocarcinomas. Rectal cancer forms in the last several inches of the large...
Exercise, and particularly cardio exercise, improves your cardiovascular and respiratory health, enhances your muscular fitness, improves your mood, and burns calories. In addition to all these benefits, certain types of exercise can decrease your...
The National Institutes of Health defines constipation as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week. People with constipation typically report dry, hard, compact stools that are difficult to eliminate. Short-term effects of...
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is caused by acid washing up the esophagus. Diet can help control GERD. Learn more about what to eat if you suffer from GERD in this video.