somethign interesting on floating stools`

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Overview & Considerations

Floating stools is seen is a variety of different situations. Most are

diet-related or caused by episodes of diarrhea that accompany an acute

gastrointestinal infection. A change in dietary habits can lead to an

increase in the amount of gas produced by bacteria in the gastrointestinal

tract.

Similarly, acute gastrointestinal infections can result in increased gas

content in the intestines due to rapid movement of food through the GI

tract. One misconception is that floating stools are caused by an increase

in the fat content of the stool. In fact, it is increased gas levels in the

stool that make it less dense and allow it to float.

Another cause of floating stools is malabsorption. More than two weeks of

diarrhea with floating stools is often seen in people suffering from

malabsorption, a dysfunction in the GI tract that affects the body's ability

to digest and absorb fat and other types of foods.

Increased levels of nutrients in the stool (which have not been absorbed by

the GI tract) are supplied to the normal bacteria that live in the gut,

which in turn produce more gas. This results in more gas-rich stool that

floats