Mucus in stool: causes, when it is normal and when to see a GP

Plymouth Hospitals describes mucus as a jelly-like substance produced by the bowel wall. When it is visible in your poo, the NHS and other UK sources link it with several conditions. Mucus alone cannot tell you which one; the other symptoms, how long it has gone on and your age matter.

The NHS lists pooing mucus among the other symptoms of IBS. The main symptoms of IBS are stomach pain or cramps that are usually worse after eating and better after a poo, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation, which may flare up and calm down over days.

There is no test for IBS, but the NHS says a GP may arrange a blood test to check for problems such as coeliac disease and a poo test to check for infections and inflammatory bowel disease. See a GP if you think you might have IBS and have had symptoms for over 4 weeks.

The NHS lists the main symptoms of IBD as diarrhoea that lasts longer than 4 weeks, tummy pain, blood or mucus (clear slime) in your poo, bleeding from your bottom, feeling tired all the time and losing weight without trying. In ulcerative colitis, diarrhoea may contain blood, mucus or pus, and in Crohn's disease there can be blood or mucus in the poo.

IBD is diagnosed in hospital with tests that can include blood tests, a poo sample, scans, a colonoscopy and a biopsy.

Mucus on its own is not a typical sign of bowel cancer, but it can occur alongside other bowel changes, so any persistent change should be reported. The NHS lists the symptoms of bowel cancer as changes in your poo such as softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you, needing to poo more or less often, blood in your poo that may look red or black, bleeding from your bottom, often feeling you need to poo even if you have just been, tummy pain, a lump in your tummy, bloating, losing weight without trying and feeling very tired or short of breath.

The NHS stresses that these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions, and that having them does not definitely mean you have bowel cancer, but that finding it early may make it easier to treat. It says to try not to be embarrassed, as the doctor or nurse will be used to talking about these symptoms.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust explains that a rectal prolapse happens when the rectum is insufficiently supported and drops outside the back passage, often because the anal sphincter muscle has become weakened. It usually presents as a lump protruding from the back passage, which can be uncomfortable.

The leaflet says the weakened muscles can lead to leakage of poo or sometimes mucus, a jelly-like substance produced by the bowel wall. It says rectal prolapse is more common with increasing age and in women, and lists constipation with prolonged straining, childbirth and neurological problems among causes.

See a GP if you have mucus or blood in your poo that keeps happening, particularly with other symptoms.

• See a GP if you have diarrhoea that lasts more than 7 days, tummy pain or bloating that does not go away or keeps coming back, blood or mucus in your poo, or you are losing weight without trying to (NHS, on IBD).

• Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if your poo is black or dark red or you have bloody diarrhoea.

• Call 999 or go to A&E if you have severe tummy pain, are bleeding non-stop from your bottom, there is a lot of blood or you see large blood clots when you poo, or you are vomiting blood or poo. The NHS says not to drive yourself.

The NHS says the doctor will ask about your symptoms, general health and medical history, including whether anyone in your family has had bowel cancer. Depending on your symptoms they may feel your tummy and do a rectal examination, where a gloved finger is placed inside your bottom to check for lumps. You can ask for a male or female doctor or nurse, and for someone else to be in the room.

You may be asked for a poo sample or given a home test kit called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT), which checks for bleeding from the bowel. You may also have a blood test. If the GP thinks your symptoms could be cancer you may get an urgent referral, which does not definitely mean you have cancer.

On the NHS, the GP is the usual first step, and a poo test such as FIT or faecal calprotectin, blood tests and referral for a colonoscopy follow if needed. Hospital gastroenterology teams look after IBD and colorectal teams look after prolapse.

Private gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons can offer assessment and colonoscopy. Whichever route you use, a persistent change in your poo should be investigated rather than assumed to be minor.