Human feces typically contain water, dead cells, fiber, mucus, salts, protein, fats, cell lining, and other waste that is unable to be excreted out of your body. Steatorrhea is a medical condition where there is more amount of fat in the stool. This article will give you insights into the Steatorrhea causes, of Steatorrhea symptoms, and treatments.

Steatorrhea Meaning

Steatorrhea can be an indication of malabsorption. This implies that the nutrients are not absorbed by your body or that your body is not secreting enzymes to digest the food effectively. Fat in the stool can cause floating, and cumbersome stools with an oily appearance. The fat in the feces is not absorbed by the digestive tract.

Steatorrhea may result from intestinal infections or dietary changes. Consistent Steatorrhea condition may result from the biliary tract, intestine, or pancreatic diseases. A specialist should examine people with this medical condition and suggest suitable Steatorrhea treatment for its cause.

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Steatorrhea Symptoms

Mild or temporary steatorrhea can be usually identified with foul-smelling stool, a stool that usually floats, and is difficult to flush away. The color of the stool is generally pale, like orange, yellow, green, and light brown. If a person notices bulky and loose stools with a noticeable amount of fat and oil separation, then he is experiencing a medical condition called Steatorrhea. However, this is a common symptom, but a person has to look for other Steatorrhea symptoms such as:

Diarrhea
Indigestion
Weight loss
Cramps
Floating Stool
Heartburn

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In case steatorrhea is persistent, it is called chronic steatorrhea which could result in severe malnutrition and dehydration. Symptoms associated with chronic steatorrhea are:

Muscle weakness and pain
Bulky, fat-filled, and foul-smelling stool
Anemia
Chronic exhaustion

Steatorrhea Causes

Absorption of fat depends on bile - an enzyme secreted in the liver and passed to the gallbladder. Pancreatic lipase is an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down fat. The absence of these two enzymes results in malabsorption. Lack of bile is due to the blockage of the biliary tract and usually results in jaundiced pale-colored fatty stools.

The absence of pancreatic lipases is a rare medical condition, yet can happen because of pancreatic disease, cystic fibrosis, or due to an anomaly from birth. The inadequate absorption of the food results in steatorrhea. The most common cause of this malabsorption is due to cystic fibrosis - an inherited medical condition that affects mucus and sweat glands.

Some other common causes of steatorrhea are:

Lactose intolerance: The digestive tract doesn't digest the sugar in the milk due to the absence of the lactase enzyme
Biliary atresia: Biliary atresia is a condition that occurs when there is a blockage in the bile duct and unable to move the enzymes from the liver to the gallbladder.
Crohn's disease: This is an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and is termed as label inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Celiac disease: A sensitivity and difficulty in digesting gluten - a kind of protein found in wheat and other grains.
Whipple disease: This is a kind of bacterial infection that affects the digestive system and its functioning of breaking down nutrients and fats.

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Steatorrhea Treatment

The treatment of steatorrhea relies upon the causes and seriousness of the symptoms. Mellow instances of steatorrhea can be effectively treated at home with basic remedies and care. Treating steatorrhea is more about treating the basic cause of this condition. Since malabsorption can have numerous reasons, it will be essential to get a proper diagnosis.

Steatorrhea caused due to your diet, the treatment is generally simple, and you need to stay away from the foods that trigger the symptoms. For instance, if you are suffering from lactose intolerance, you need to avoid having milk products or can have in lesser quantities. One suffering from Steatorrhea should change their diet, quit smoking, and remain hydrated.

Home Remedies For Preventing Steatorrhea

Here are some of the home remedies for preventing steatorrhea:

Drink plenty of water
Reduce fiber and fat intake
Reduce the amount of potassium oxalate intake

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Take away

There are various causes for this condition, however, steatorrhea treatment is simple dietary control. Start consuming food that contains tea fat-soluble vitamins and increase the intake of foods rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K. Additionally, increasing the intake of folic acid, vitamin B-12, magnesium, iron, and calcium will have a better outcome.

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