What Could be Causing Foul-Smelling Stools?

What Causes Foul-Smelling Stools?

Foul-smelling stools can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'very serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose foul-smelling stools, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "foul-smelling stools" as a symptom. Here are seven possibilities:

Steatorrhea
Gluten Sensitivity
Short Bowel Syndrome
Parasite Infection
Low Digestive Enzymes
Stomach Acid Deficiency
Cystic Fibrosis

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

excessive flatulence

a few white spots on fingernails

digestive enzyme use

strong appetite

moderate unexplained weight loss

dark areas under eyes

diabetes in family members

confirmed heartburn

occasional meal-related burping

confirmed delayed gastric emptying

being easily irritated

eczema

... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of foul-smelling stools:

Cause	Probability	Status
Low Digestive Enzymes	96%	Confirm
Parasite Infection	20%	Unlikely
Gluten Sensitivity	14%	Unlikely
Cystic Fibrosis	5%	Ruled out
Stomach Acid Deficiency	3%	Ruled out
Short Bowel Syndrome	3%	Ruled out
Steatorrhea	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

In the Bowel Movement Symptoms section of the questionnaire, The Analyst™ will ask the following question about foul-smelling stools:

How offensive do your stools usually smell? This is difficult to quantify, but a strong smell despite brief exposure to the air, or comments by others, are good indicators!

Possible responses:

→ Don't know / I have no sense of smell
→ Never / rarely offensive
→ Occasionally offensive
→ Often offensive
→ Always offensive

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate either non-offensive-smelling stool or offensive-smelling stool, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Digestive Enzyme Need

Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency

Parasite Infection

Short Bowel Syndrome

Steatorrhea

Steatorrhea also suggests the following possibilities:

Cystic Fibrosis

Most people with cystic fibrosis have difficulty absorbing dietary fat, which in turn leads to steatorrhea. Cystic fibrosis interferes with the ability of the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes: fat is normally broken down by lipase, a digestive enzyme that is produced and secreted by the pancreas.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™