Why Is My Poop Yellow? Causes & When It’s Serious

Key takeaways:

• Yellow stool should not be ignored, but should also not be a cause for panic.
• Many cases of yellow stool can be managed at home with conservative measures.
• Chronic yellow stool with additional associated symptoms should always be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

The color of poop can range from white to dark brown to black and everything in between. Some colors indicate more serious conditions than others. Yellow poop may be visually alarming, but is not always a reason for concern.

In this article, we will explore the various causes of yellow stool, which causes can be treated conservatively, and when it is time to consult your healthcare provider.

Is yellow poop normal?

Yellow poop is not always a cause for concern, especially if it is temporary. The color of stool is influenced by many factors, including diet, digestion, and bile production.

While brown is the most common stool color, it is important to understand that variations can occur. However, variations should be transient, and persistent yellow stool should warrant further investigation.

Causes of yellow poop

Although not necessarily normal, yellow poop is typically not the result of a serious, life-threatening emergency. Some underlying causes can be treated conservatively at home, while other causes may need medical intervention.

Diet

Fatty foods such as fried foods or those with high saturated fat content can be responsible for yellow poop and yellow diarrhea. If you have a food intolerance such as celiac disease, eating foods containing gluten can also lead to yellow stool.

Malabsorption

Yellow poop may indicate a malabsorption issue, particularly related to the malabsorption of fat or carbohydrates. Liver disease, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, and chronic pancreatitis are a few examples of disease processes that cause malabsorption.

Liver and gallbladder disease

Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder and is responsible for giving stool its brown color.

When there is a complete obstruction of bile flowing from the gallbladder to the intestines, stool will appear light and even white. When there is restricted or altered flow of bile to the intestines without a complete obstruction, stool may appear yellow. Examples of gallbladder issues include gallstones and inflammation of the gallbladder and bile duct. Liver issues affecting bile include hepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis.

Infection

Certain infections affecting the intestines can lead to yellow poop. When patients with COVID-19 experience gastrointestinal symptoms, yellow-green diarrhea is common.

Another infection known as Giardiasis is caused by the parasite Giardia and can cause gastrointestinal manifestations such as abdominal pain, diarrhea that has a fatty, greasy appearance and is yellow in color, and gas. Giardia comes from drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, or by close contact with another person who is infected.

What yellow poop may mean based on appearance, consistency, or another symptom or condition

Yellow poop can indicate different health conditions and causes need to be properly identified to receive correct treatment. Additional details about appearance, consistency, or other symptoms can help your healthcare provider narrow in on a possible diagnosis:

• Pale yellow poop: Pale yellow poop may suggest insufficient bile production or flow to the intestines.
• Yellow and brown poop: If your stool is yellow and brown, it may indicate a mix of undigested food and normal digestive processes. Abnormal causes would include the presence of undigested fat secondary to malabsorption.
• Yellow and orange poop: Yellow and orange poop may be related to dietary choices and eating foods high in beta-carotene.
• Yellow liquid poop: ​​Liquid yellow stool may indicate a gastrointestinal infection such as gastroenteritis. It can also occur when stool passes rapidly through the intestines due to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
• Yellow, oily poop: Yellow, greasy stools can indicate fat malabsorption, often associated with conditions like pancreatitis or celiac disease.
• Yellow poop with mucus: The presence of mucus may be due to inflammation in the intestines, usually as a result of infection or inflammatory bowel disease.
• Yellow poop before a colonoscopy: Yellow poop may be common before a colonoscopy, especially after taking a laxative and/or following a specific diet to cleanse the bowels.
• Yellow poop while pregnant: Pregnant women are at an increased risk of developing something known as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. This is when the flow of bile from the liver to the intestines is either slowed or blocked leading to yellow or even white stool depending on the degree of restriction.

Read our guides on different types of stool for more.

When to see a doctor about yellow poop

Some cases of yellow poop can be easily managed at home and will resolve on their own. It is important to know when home remedies are no longer recommended and when you should speak with a healthcare provider.

You should see a doctor if:

• Yellow stool persists for more than a few days.
• You experience accompanying symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.
• You notice the symptom as a result of certain dietary choices.

You should go to the emergency room if:

• You have severe abdominal pain.
• You develop jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
• You experience significant changes in appetite or weight.
• You have an accompanying fever.

Questions to ask your doctor about yellow poop

• What could be causing my yellow poop?
• Should I consider making changes to my diet?
• What tests will be done to determine the cause of my symptoms?
• What treatment options are available for my symptoms?

How to stop or treat yellow poop

Stopping or treating yellow poop may be as simple as making changes to your diet. If this symptom is persistent, you may require treatment from a healthcare provider.

Dietary changes

If you eat a diet high in fatty foods, this may be the cause of your yellow poop.

Changing your diet to eat more dietary fiber such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can be helpful. You may notice that consuming foods containing gluten or lactose is contributing to your symptoms. Eliminating these things from your diet can return stools to a normal color.

Treat the underlying condition

If your healthcare provider has identified that you have an underlying condition such as inflammatory bowel disease or a malabsorption issue, treatment will be tailored accordingly.

Addressing these underlying conditions and getting them under control can help stop or at least minimize any gastrointestinal tract symptoms.

Supportive measures

If you are experiencing yellow stool as the result of an infection, sometimes the only treatment necessary is supportive measures.

Maintaining adequate hydration and eating a balanced, high-fiber diet can help manage gastrointestinal symptoms that are associated with infections.

How to prevent yellow poop

Some causes of yellow poop may be preventable, while other causes cannot be controlled. Below is advice on how to stay ahead of this symptom.

Avoid dietary triggers

As we have already reviewed, diet may be a cause for yellow-colored poop. If you can easily identify a dietary cause such as gluten in the case of celiac disease, avoiding known triggers can prevent yellow-colored poop.

Food and water safety

Some bacteria, viruses, and parasites that come from contaminated water and food can lead to yellow stool and diarrhea.

Being conscious about your food and water source and making sure to boil all water when you are camping or do not have access to filtered water can help prevent these infections.

Medication

Some underlying malabsorption conditions such as inflammatory bowel diseases (like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) require long-term treatment with prescription medications.

Following up regularly with a treating specialist and taking maintenance medications as prescribed can prevent associated symptoms such as yellow poop due to malabsorption.

Frequently asked questions: yellow poop

You likely still have some questions regarding yellow poop. Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about this symptom.

Can ulcers cause yellow poop?

Stomach ulcers in the case of peptic ulcer disease are more likely to cause dark stool due to the presence of digested blood. However, ulcers in the intestines due to ulcerative colitis can lead to pus and mucus in the poop, giving it a yellow discoloration.

Is yellow poop a sign of COVID?

Most people associate COVID with upper respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath. COVID can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms and when someone experiences diarrhea as a result of COVID, it is often yellow to green in color.

What if you have yellow poop and do not have a gallbladder?

Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder where it is then slowly released into the intestines.

Bile is what gives poop its normal light to dark brown color. If you do not have a gallbladder, bile release into the intestines will not be as regulated and can lead to color abnormalities in the stool.

Final thoughts

Ultimately while yellow stool can be alarming, it’s important to remember that it can result from a variety of factors, including dietary choices, digestive processes, and even temporary illnesses. Pay attention to your body and the context in which this symptom occurs so you can make the best decision when it comes to symptom management.

General Medicine follows a strict editorial process, including using real experts to write our articles, vetted primary sources, fact-checking, a secondary medical review, and updates as necessary. This article was medically reviewed and fact checked by Dr. Lane Thaut, DO.

Sources

“Giardia Infection: Causes and How It Spreads.” CDC, 15 May 2024, www.cdc.gov/giardia/causes/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2024.

Jones, Mark W., et al. “Physiology, Gallbladder.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 1 May 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494095/

Pillarisetty, Leela Sharath. and Ashish Sharma. “Pregnancy Intrahepatic Cholestasis.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 4 June 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31855347/

Semrad, Carol E.. “Approach to the Patient with Diarrhea and Malabsorption.” Goldman's Cecil Medicine (2012): 895–913. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4377-1604-7.00142-1 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7152045/

Sharma, Ashish. and Shivaraj Nagalli. “Chronic Liver Disease.” StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 3 July 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32119484/