Occasionally, you may notice red-colored particles in the stool that appear like rolled up tomato skins. It may make you feel confused and anxious, so you want to know what causes and treatments are available. For now, though, it appears not to be an essential issue.
The main question is, what exactly are these rolled up tomato skins in stool? Where do they come from?
Rolled up tomato skins in stool means you have dark red feces, or could be another, which are caused by undigested food particles, Liver Fluke, Stomach illness, and maybe due to blood clot appearing in stool which often is not severe.
You are definitely curious whether they can harm you or not. Therefore, let’s discuss its causes and symptoms along with the treatment.
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Rolled Up Tomato Skins In Stool – All You Need to Know
The rolled up tomato skins in the stool may be some food particles like tomato skins that sometimes pass through undigested and may be caused by anxiety or other digestive tract problems. Red food coloring may also cause red stools by passing through the system undigested.
Causes
The dark red feces that look like rolled up tomato skins are caused by different things. Some of the most fundamental reasons for it:
Blood Clots
Blood Clots Can Appear As Red Pieces In The Poop. Anal fissures may also cause it. Blood clots in the stool have multiple causes. Some are minor, such as hemorrhoids, but others are serious. Nevertheless, other serious causes include colitis (colon inflammation), polyps in the colon, diverticulosis, and cancer.
The term rectal bleeding is usually used to describe bright red blood flowing from the most distal part of the digestive tract.
Parasite Action
Parasites, especially Liver Fluke, are also responsible for producing these red feces. A liver fluke is a parasitic worm. The liver fluke goes from your intestines to your bile ducts in the liver, where it grows and multiplies. You may experience abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea.
This parasite causes the reddish appearance of the faces, and in rare cases, long-term complications can also occur.
Stomach or Intestinal Illness
There’s also a possibility that stomach or intestinal disorders are behind it. Gastroenteritis is an infection caused by viruses or bacteria resulting in norovirus or food contamination. This infection is characterized by bloody diarrhea.
It is sometimes treated with antibiotics for bacterial gastroenteritis. Blood in the stool could also result from stomach cancer or pelvic ulcers.
Undigested Food
Stool quality is greatly influenced by the food consumed every day. Undigested food may indicate that food is being digested too quickly and is not adequately absorbed, and you might notice food fragments in the stool.
Most of these are high-fiber vegetables, which are not usually digested and absorbed in the digestive system. The beets, cranberries, tomatoes, etc., can turn your stools red.
Undigested Tomatoes Skin
A tomato skin contains a matrix of cellulose packed with several vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
Human lacks a bacterial biome that produces enzymes that digest cellulose, so cellulose is digested as fiber by the digestive system and excreted once its nutritional components have been absorbed. It appears in stool that resembles tomato skins.
Stress
Anxiety or stress are leading causes of digestive system disorders. As a result of confusion or mood swings, the body cannot perform its usual functions if it is not rested or at rest.
Several Celiac diseases could be caused by such a disorder, such as diarrhea, constipation, and rectal bleeding that causes blood in the stool.
Other Symptoms
Undigested food in stool is usually not a problem, but sometimes there may be some exceptions. Stools containing blood can be alarming but are not always cause for concern. Blood may be present for a benign reason.
Following are some of the severe symptoms that might be present along with rolled up tomato skins in stool:
- Poop with little blood in it
- Flukes can cause indigestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or constipation.
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
Diagnosis
It is possible to detect the rolled up tomato skin in stool by simply noticing its presence. To treat some severe conditions, it is vital to determine the source of the defect, especially the blooding point.
The below-mentioned ways can be used in the determination of the source:
- Colonography is a surgical procedure involving the insertion of a scope through the rectum to view the colon. Additionally, tissue samples are collected for biopsy.
- A barium X-ray makes the digestive tract appear bright on an X-ray by using a barium contrast agent. Barium can either be swallowed or injected into the rectum.
- Nasogastric lavage can tell your doctor if bleeding occurs in the upper or lower digestive tract.
- Angiography and endoscopy may also be used to diagnose digestive tract dysfunction.
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) involves inserting an endoscope into the stomach or duodenum through the mouth. It is used to find the source of bleeding. Also, endoscopy can collect small tissue samples for examination under a microscope. Endoscopy is also a process similar to EGD.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause and could include antibiotics or medications. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the defect-causing part.
Treatment is recommended or prescribed by your doctor based on the diagnosis.
Also, you can do many things to alleviate hemorrhoids and anal fissures, including eating a high-fiber diet to relieve constipation and taking a Sitz bath, which involves sitting in warm water to relieve the condition.
Prevention
We discussed earlier the effects of having rolled up tomato skins in the stool. If bleeding persists, you should have to take it seriously. It is essential if pain accompanies the bleeding.
The following tips can help prevent blood in stool or tomato skins rolled up in the stool:
- You can prevent liver fluke infections by thoroughly cooking freshwater fish and watercress before consuming them.
- Consume fiber-rich foods or supplements such as Metamucil, Benefiber, or prunes.
- Reduce stomach acid by using antacids and other anti-viral and anti-bacterial medicines.
- If you detect blood clots in your stool, contact your physician.
- Shower or bathe daily to maintain a clean anus and reduce straining with bowel movements.
- Avoid spicy foods since they may cause hemorrhoids.
- Exercise for 30 minutes daily, drink more water, eat yogurt, and eat less meat. These habits will improve digestion.
- Don’t eat too fast. Don’t overeat and take your time.
- Do not consume fructose and sorbitol, which cause gas.
- Stay relaxed and avoid depression and anxiety.
When to See a Doctor?
Whether you notice a faint red streak in your stool or dark blood, it could indicate something is wrong. When you notice the following symptoms, contact your doctor:
- Bowel changes, such as loss of control
- Persistent diarrhea
- Sudden weight loss
- Dark blood in the stool
- Fever or excessive weakness
- Celiac or Crohn’s disease
- Abdominal pain
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Even if none of these symptoms exist, but you consistently pass rolled up tomato skin in your stool, you should see a doctor. If you have a problem, seeking advice from your doctor is your most suitable option.
FAQs
Question: What color of poop indicates a problem?
Answer: Stools typically range in color from light yellow to brown to black. Brown is the color of a normal stool. The bile causes it in the stool. Red, maroon, black, yellow, or green colored stools are likely to indicate there is a problem.
Question: Do internal hemorrhoids cause blood clots in the stool?
Answer: Hemorrhoids often cause painless bleeding in the rectal area; blood can coat stools after a bowel movement. When your bowel movements are difficult, you can experience rectal bleeding. Hemorrhoid symptoms usually resolve independently, but sometimes, thrombosed hemorrhoids burst if they become too full.
Question: How do you diagnose if you have an infection by liver flukes?
Answer: Usually, the infection is diagnosed by examining stool samples under a microscope. This can be confirmed by observing Fasciola eggs. When doctors find fluke eggs in a patient’s stool, they diagnose Clonorchis, Opisthorchis, or Fasciola infections. Finding fluke eggs in the stool may be challenging.
Question: Can flukes be contagious?
Animals and humans can be affected by liver flukes. However, they cannot be spread from one person to another. In contrast, animals and people get liver flukes from eating contaminated fish and drinking contaminated water.
Question: Can tomatoes cause red spots in stool?
Answer: Tomato is dealt as fiber that passes throughout the digestive system undigested. This undigested tomato skin then appeared in the stool, which looked like rolled up tomato skins.
Question: What is meant by steatorrhea?
Answer: Steatorrhea results from insufficient absorption of fats in the digestive tract, thus resulting in light-colored, soft, bulky, greasy, and exceptionally foul-smelling stools. It may be difficult to flush away the stool if it floats or sticks to the side of the toilet bowl.
Conclusion
To cut a long story short. Several factors can cause the presence of rolled up tomato skins in the stool. It is often harmless to have its presence, but the persistence of symptoms and blood in the stool may be harmful. Be careful and consult a healthcare provider if these symptoms persist.
