Diarrhea with fatty stools: Origins, indications, and remedies
Steatorrhea, a medical condition characterised by fatty, greasy, and often foul-smelling stools, can be a sign of several underlying health issues that affect fat digestion or absorption. This article aims to shed light on the common causes and symptoms associated with steatorrhea.
Typically, steatorrhea is triggered by consuming high-fat, fiber, or potassium oxalate foods. However, it can also be a symptom of various medical conditions.
One such condition is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI), where the pancreas fails to produce enough digestive enzymes, leading to poor fat digestion. This can result in greasy, sticky stools, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, excessive gas, weight loss, and urgency in bowel movements.
Chronic Pancreatitis, characterised by chronic inflammation of the pancreas, can also lead to EPI and hence steatorrhea. In some cases, this may be related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis due to medication side effects or direct pancreatic involvement.
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), particularly Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, can cause malabsorption and sometimes steatorrhea. Crohn’s disease, in particular, is associated with porridge-like stools that can include fatty content.
Celiac Disease, an autoimmune condition that damages the small intestinal lining, can impair nutrient absorption and potentially cause malabsorptive diarrhea characterised by bulky, greasy, and foul-smelling stools, i.e., steatorrhea.
Short Bowel Syndrome and other malabsorptive disorders, where portions of the intestine are missing or damaged, can reduce fat absorption, leading to steatorrhea and nutritional deficiencies.
It is essential to note that steatorrhea reflects fat malabsorption, and patients often suffer from additional symptoms like weight loss, bloating, gas, and nutritional deficiencies. These symptoms require medical evaluation and management.
If a person experiences steatorrhea that does not go away, they should visit a doctor to help identify the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatment. In mild or short-term cases, limiting the consumption of foods that trigger symptoms may help reduce the frequency of fatty stool. However, severe or chronic cases of steatorrhea will typically need medical intervention.
In diagnosing steatorrhea, a doctor can ask about symptoms, review medical history, and order laboratory tests, such as a 72-hour fecal fat test. If a doctor diagnoses someone with steatorrhea, they will likely request further tests to determine the underlying cause. People with steatorrhea due to an underlying medical condition will require specific treatments, such as pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), antibiotics, or a gluten-free diet.
Long-term symptoms and complications of steatorrhea may include malnutrition, dehydration, anemia, deficiencies in certain nutrients, unintentional weight loss, reduced growth rate in children, poor bone health, headaches, bruising easily, ataxia, involuntary muscle contractions, seizures, liver complications, certain forms of cancer, and liver failure.
In conclusion, steatorrhea is a condition that warrants medical attention due to its potential underlying causes and associated symptoms. It is crucial to seek medical advice if experiencing persistent fatty stools to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.
[1] National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. (2021). Steatorrhea. Retrieved from
- Steatorrhea is a condition marked by fatty, greasy, and often foul-smelling stools, common in several health issues related to fat digestion or absorption.
- Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) is one such condition, resulting from the pancreas failing to produce adequate digestive enzymes, causing poor fat digestion and steatorrhea.
- Chronic Pancreatitis, hallmarked by chronic pancreatic inflammation, can also lead to EPI and subsequent steatorrhea.
- Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), especially Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, can induce malabsorption and occasionally steatorrhea.
- Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder, can damage the small intestine's lining and impair nutrient absorption, potentially leading to malabsorptive diarrhea like steatorrhea.
- Short Bowel Syndrome and other malabsorptive disorders, characterized by missing or damaged intestinal portions, can reduce fat absorption, resulting in steatorrhea and nutritional deficiencies.
- Steatorrhea is indicative of fat malabsorption, often involving additional symptoms such as weight loss, bloating, gas, and nutritional deficiencies, necessitating medical evaluation and management.
- Individuals experiencing persistent steatorrhea should consult a doctor to identify the root cause and recommend suitable treatments.
- In diagnosing steatorrhea, doctors may examine symptoms, review medical history, and order laboratory tests such as a 72-hour fecal fat test.
- People diagnosed with steatorrhea will likely require further tests to determine the underlying cause and receive appropriate treatments, which may include pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT), antibiotics, or a gluten-free diet.
- Complications from long-term steatorrhea may include malnutrition, dehydration, anemia, nutrient deficiencies, weight loss, and liver complications, among others.
- Adequate nutrition, including balanced diets rich in vitamins and minerals, plays a crucial role in managing chronic-diseases, cancer, and various medical-conditions, emphasizing the importance of addressing steatorrhea.
- Mental-health concerns like depression or anxiety can coexist with physical health issues like steatorrhea; therefore, it is essential to address mental-health aspects during therapy.
- Proper nutrition, coupled with fitness-and-exercise, therapies-and-treatments, skin-care, eye-health, hearing, cardiovascular-health, and neurological-disorder management, supports overall health-and-wellness, ensuring individuals live a high-quality life, even with chronic diseases or conditions like steatorrhea.
