Steatorrhea
Steatorrhea refers to the presence of excessive fat in your stool, indicating that your body isn't properly digesting or absorbing fats from the food you eat. You might notice your stools appear greasy, oily, pale, bulky, difficult to flush, and often have a particularly foul odor. While it can be alarming to see, steatorrhea itself is a symptom, not a disease, signaling an underlying issue with your digestive system.
Common Symptoms
- Greasy, oily, or frothy stools
- Stools that are difficult to flush or float
- Pale or clay-colored stools
- Very foul-smelling stools
- Unexplained weight loss or abdominal discomfort
Clinical Sources
- Steatorrhea (Fatty Stool): Definition, Causes, TreatmentCleveland Clinic
- Malabsorption (Syndrome): Symptoms, Causes & TreatmentCleveland Clinic
- Yellow Diarrhea: Meaning and CausesCleveland Clinic
Diagnostic Lab Tests
Tests commonly used to diagnose or monitor Steatorrhea:
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