Introduction
Mucus in the body is natural and a very important part of how the body works. Tissues produce mucus to line and protect very important body parts including the mouth, nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, and gut. Most times, mucus is clear and thin. However, illness, diet, or environmental factors can sometimes increase mucus consistency. Mucus can even change in colour in some diseases like in a chronic sinus infection. They may notice when the mucus in a tissue after blowing their nose is a greenish colour.
The content of the stool is also an indicator of health or the disease. Mucus present in stools can be a sign of a serious underlying condition.
Signs & symptoms
Presence of mucus in the stool
Associated signs & symptoms depend upon the underlying cause.
Gastric symptoms that may be present with mucus in stool include:
Abdominal cramps or pain
Distension of abdomen
Bloating or belching
Foul or abnormal smell of stools
Changes in colour & consistency of stools
Diarrhoea
Faecal incontinence or urgency
Gas trouble
Nausea
Vomiting
Painful defaecation
Causes
Dehydration and constipation can cause mucus from the colon to leave the body. This gives the stool the appearance of increased mucus.
When stool has visible mucus, it can be a sign of:
- Bacterial infections
- Anal fissures
- A bowel obstruction
- Crohn’s disease.
- Bacterial infections usually caused by bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella, shigella, and yersinia which produce food poisoning.
- Anal fissure or a tear in the lining of the lower rectum and an ulcer followed by it. It is caused by persistent diarrhoea, tough stools, and other difficult bowel situations. Ulcers can be present due to chemotherapy or radiotherapy also.
- Bowel obstruction.
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ulcerative colitis
· Crohn’s disease
Diet related causes – Food allergies such as those associated with nuts, lactose, or gluten, can cause mucus in the stool.
Pathophysiology
Diarrhoea is the reversal of the normal net absorptive status of water and electrolyte absorption to secretion. Such a derangement can be seen as either osmolar or secretory pathophysiology.
Mucus present in the stool mostly show the secretory type of diarrhoea. In the typical active secretory state, enhanced anion secretion (mostly by the crypt cell compartment) is best exemplified by enterotoxin-induced diarrhoea.
In secretory diarrhoea, the epithelial cells’ ion transport processes are turned into a state of active secretion. The most common cause of acute-onset secretory diarrhoea is a bacterial infection of the gut. Several mechanisms may be at work. After colonization, enteric pathogens may adhere to or invade the epithelium; they may produce enterotoxins (exotoxins that elicit secretion by increasing an intracellular second messenger) or cytotoxins. They may also trigger release of cytokines attracting inflammatory cells, which, in turn, contribute to the activated secretion by inducing the release of agents such as prostaglandins or platelet-activating factor. Features of secretory diarrhoea include a high purging rate, a lack of response to fasting, and a normal stool ion gap (ie, 100 mOsm/kg or less), indicating that nutrient absorption is intact
Diagnosis
Medical history
Physical examination
Stool examination
Anorectal examination
Proctoscopy
Endoscopy
Colonoscopy
Ultrasound
CT scan
Treatments
Treatment aims on relieving the cause behind the symptom. Underlying diseases, if present should be addressed and managed well along with symptomatic management.
Diet changes
Intake of light & easy to digest food items,
Taking enough liquids,
Having needed ratio of fibre-protein-carbohydrate in diet,
Avoiding irritating foods & foods that causing allergy
Medications like metronidazole, antibiotics etc.
Prognosis
Depending upon the underlying disease, it can be good bad or very poor.
Complications
Depend highly upon the disease-causing pathology. Probable complications are:
Anaemia
Obstruction, infarction or perforation of the bowel
Metastasis of carcinoma
Spread of infection
Dehydration and malnourishment
Electrolyte imbalance
Disease & Ayurveda
Atisaara-Kaphaja
Nidana
Excess water intake
Intake of dry meat & meat of emaciated animal
Food which is not habitual or suitable to body
Sesame (dry, grinded and oil removed)
Sprouts
Alcohol
Dry food intake
Excess food intake
Haemorrhoids
Faulty routine during ghee intake (as a treatment)
Intestinal parasites
Suppression of natural urges
Purvaaroopa
Pricking pain in chest, rectum and abdomen
Weakness of body
Constipation
Distended abdomen
Indigestion
Samprapti
Due to the causative factors, Vaata dosha vitiates and brings the water content in the body into the koshtha and expels through anus. With this excess water in koshtha, reduces the Agni (digestive fire), damages the gastrointestinal tract along with faecal matter and causes loose stools. It makes the stool watery and the disease diarrhoea gets manifested especially in people who eat unwholesome diet.
Lakshana
Vaathika
Watery, more frequent stools with obstruction
Defaecation with pain & abnormal sounds
Dry, frothy/clear or hardened stools
Resembles over-cooked jaggery
Sticky stools passed with severe tearing pain
Dryness of mouth
Rectal prolapse
Horripilation
Groaning
Paittika
Yellow, black, green like grass,
With blood
Foul smelling,
Excess thirst
Fainting/giddiness
Excess sweating
Burning sensation
Abdominal pain
Heat and inflammation of rectum & anus
Kaphaja
Heavy, sticky, with thread-like structures, white in colour, oily & sticky, faeces with particles of undigested food
Irregular & interrupted flow containing only a little faecal matter in one vega with mucous &foul smell,
With flatulence
Pain
Excess sleep
Lazy
Aversion to food
Horripilation
Feeling that not completely voided faeces after defaecation
Sannipatajam
All three doshalakshanas are present
Bhayajam and Shokajam
(Resembles Vaata-Pitta akshanas)
Very hot and liquified stools
Very light & floating
Divisions
6 types
- Vaatika
- Paittika
- Kaphaja
- Thridoshaja or sannipaatika
- Bhayajam (due to fear/anxiety)
- Sokajam (due to grief)
2 types
Saamam – with indigestion
Niraamam – without indigestion
2 types
Saraktam – with bleeding
Araktam – without bleeding
Prognosis
Kricchrasadhya in healthy individuals without any complications & dhatudushti.
Asaadhya in children, old persons and with complications.
Chikithsa
Ayurveda treatment for atisaara includes fasting as an important method.
Samana
Langhana – fasting
Upekshaa – Leaving the body to expel out the excess doshas by atisaara
Aamapachana
Agnideepana
Sodhana
Vamana – In atisaara with severe abdominal pain & distension
Snehavasti
Kashayavasti-Picchavasti
Commonly used medicines
Vilwadi gulika
Takrarishta Churna
Kutajarishtam
Pippallyasavam
Dadimashtakachoornam
Brands available
AVS Kottakal
AVP Coimbatore
SNA Oushadhasala
Home remedies
Taking Oral Rehydration Therapy: Mix one glass of boiled water with one teaspoon of sugar & one pinch of salt. Take it sip by sip for 3-4 hours. This is the simplest method of rehydration which can be done at home.
Moderate fasting on solid foods till feeling better & hungry.
Fenugreek seeds boiled in water for drinking
Carminatives like cumin seeds help correct the indigestion
Buttermilk boiled with turmeric, curry leaves, ginger, etc.
Diet
- To be avoided
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
junk foods- cause disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion
refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening agni (digestive fire)
curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
- To be added
Drink only boiled water
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, buttermilk boiled with turmeric, ginger and curry leaves
freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain etc
Behaviour:
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight wind rain or dust.
Avoid lifting heavy weights and other vigorous physical activities.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid sitting continuously for a long time and avoid squatting.
Yoga
Complete bedrest is advised for a patient with loose stools. But after regaining normal health, following a daily exercise routine will help the person to improve digestion & health.
Stretching exercises and specific yoga asanas like pavanamuktasana, vajrasana, bhujangasana etc are recommended.
Regular exercise helps improve bioavailability of the medicine and food ingested and leads to positive health.
Yoga can maintain harmony within and with surroundings.
Pavanamuktasana
Vajrasana
Bhujangasana
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Research articles
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562534/
Author information
The post Mucus in stools- Ayurvedic Treatment, Diet, Exercises, Research Papers, Yoga & Pranayama appeared first on Ayurvedaforall UK Blog.
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