What Could be Causing Oily Stools?

What Causes Oily Stools?

Oily stools can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'minor' to 'needs attention'. 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 oily 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 "oily stools" as a symptom. Here are four possibilities:

Liver Congestion
Short Bowel Syndrome
Giardia
Inadequate Fiber Intake

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:

diminished perspiration

mild abdominal discomfort

strong-smelling urine

significant diesel exhaust exposure

high dairy product consumption

cysts in breasts

recent onset nausea

itchy skin

diarrhea for 1-3 months

very pale stools

slightly pale stools

excessive flatulence

... and more than 50 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of oily stools:

Cause	Probability	Status
Giardia	92%	Confirm
Inadequate Fiber Intake	23%	Unlikely
Liver Congestion	5%	Ruled out
Short Bowel Syndrome	3%	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.

If you indicate irregular stools, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

Do you pass stools that are sticky, oily, or greasy but not black? These often tend to leave streaks or residue down the sides of the toilet bowl after flushing.

Possible responses:

→ No / they are black / don't know
→ Yes, sometimes slightly sticky/oily
→ Yes, often slightly sticky/oily, sometimes very
→ Yes, my stools are usually/always very oily/sticky

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate slightly oily/sticky stools, oily/sticky stools or very oily/sticky stools, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Giardiasis Infection

Liver Detoxification / Support Requirement

Short Bowel Syndrome

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™