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What Does Clear Mucus Like Rectal Discharge Indicate?

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Posted on Thu, 17 Aug 2017
Question: I thought I was going to have a bowel movement but I passed a clear mucus like substance.
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (10 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
mucus usually means inflammation

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

a small amount of mucus can be seen in normal stool (although in most cases it is not evident). During the course of gastrointestinal infections (gastroenteritis) the mucus content may be higher due to inflammation of the intestinal walls.

Other potential causes may include chronic inflammatory disorders like ulcerative colitis for example. Tumors may cause the production of mucus as well. There is a particular type of tumor (called villous adenoma) that produces excessive amounts of mucus in the lower part of the intestine. Benign disorders like the irritable bowel syndrome may cause the production of mucus too.

If you had mucus only once then there is probably nothing to worry about. If you see mucus regularly then you'd better talk with either your primary care physician or a gastroenterologist for further investigation, particularly if your bowel habits have changed.

I hope you find my comments helpful!
Kind regards!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3809 Questions

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What Does Clear Mucus Like Rectal Discharge Indicate?

Brief Answer: mucus usually means inflammation Detailed Answer: Hello, a small amount of mucus can be seen in normal stool (although in most cases it is not evident). During the course of gastrointestinal infections (gastroenteritis) the mucus content may be higher due to inflammation of the intestinal walls. Other potential causes may include chronic inflammatory disorders like ulcerative colitis for example. Tumors may cause the production of mucus as well. There is a particular type of tumor (called villous adenoma) that produces excessive amounts of mucus in the lower part of the intestine. Benign disorders like the irritable bowel syndrome may cause the production of mucus too. If you had mucus only once then there is probably nothing to worry about. If you see mucus regularly then you'd better talk with either your primary care physician or a gastroenterologist for further investigation, particularly if your bowel habits have changed. I hope you find my comments helpful! Kind regards!