{"id":19930,"date":"2022-10-19T09:12:13","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T14:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=19930"},"modified":"2023-03-06T15:34:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T20:34:09","slug":"what-your-poop-says-about-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/what-your-poop-says-about-you\/","title":{"rendered":"What Your Poop Says About You"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everybody poops. But does everybody\u2019s poop look more or less the same? What does it mean if your stool looks or smells a little funkier than usual \u2014 could it point to an underlying health condition?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We talked to experts<\/a> about all things poop to help make sense of the different colors, textures and scents you could notice after your next number two.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What\u2019s in a stool?<\/h3>\n

Your poop can tell you a lot about your overall health, says<\/span> Dr. David Kim<\/span><\/a>, a Texas-based gastroenterologist.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour bowel movements provide direct evidence of how your digestive tract is functioning,\u201d Kim says. \u201cBowel movements can change from chronic conditions and medications, but can even change as a reflection of stress and mental health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If poop talk makes you squeamish, you\u2019re not alone. But try to set aside any embarrassment when you go to the doctor. Medical professionals are used to discussing the details of patients\u2019 bathroom trips.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The first thing I talk to my patients about is \u2018How are your bowel movements?\u2019\u201d says<\/span> Dr. Alfredo J. Hernandez<\/span><\/a>, a gastroenterologist in Miami. \u201cYou\u2019ve just got to be open about it. A lot of patients are scared to talk about stool or their poop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s normal?<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s hard to define a \u201cnormal\u201d stool, since everyone is different, Kim says. But in general, \u201cthe ideal bowel movement should be brown, solid or semi-solid and easy to pass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Doctors use the<\/span> Bristol stool chart<\/span><\/a> to assess stool consistency on a scale from one (hard and pebble-like) to seven (liquid). Ideally, your stool should land around a three or four: sausage-like and smooth or a little cracked on the surface. A lower number is associated with constipation, and a higher number indicates diarrhea.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the Bristol chart is just one way to evaluate what you see in the toilet.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>You should pay attention in particular to any changes in color, consistency, frequency and smell,\u201d Kim says. \u201cAny of these changes would indicate a change in your health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What does a change mean?<\/h3>\n

If you notice a new hue in the loo, it might be from something you ate. But in some cases, a change can point to a possible illness or health condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Here\u2019s a rundown of what different stool characteristics might indicate. When in doubt, reach out to your doctor. A one-off odd stool isn\u2019t usually a cause for concern, but if the change persists for two to three weeks, that\u2019s a problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Hard stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

A firm, hard-to-pass stool is a telltale sign of constipation. You might experience constipation if you\u2019re dehydrated or not getting enough fiber.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis can be helped by increasing fiber and drinking plenty of water,\u201d says Kim.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other<\/span> causes of constipation<\/span><\/a> can include irritable bowel syndrome, some medications or certain lifestyle changes, such as aging, traveling or pregnancy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loose stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

Loose, watery stools are usually caused by diarrhea, \u201cor when not enough water is absorbed in your colon,\u201d Kim says. \u201cThis could be due to infection, inflammation (such as inflammatory bowel disease) or be medication-related.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Black stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

It might seem alarming, but black stools are often caused by medications <\/span>like Pepto Bismol<\/span><\/a> or even from <\/span>eating licorice<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In more severe cases, \u201ctar-like or jet-black stools could be an indicator of bleeding within the GI tract, particularly in the upper gastrointestinal tract, such as the esophagus, stomach and small intestine,\u201d Kim says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yellow stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

If you notice your stools are yellow, it could suggest malabsorption \u2014 especially if the stool looks greasy or fatty. \u201cThese stools tend to float in the toilet bowl and can be seen with diseases related to the pancreas, or with certain infections,\u201d Kim says.<\/span><\/p>\n

A yellow stool <\/span>might also suggest celiac disease<\/span><\/a>, which can be triggered by gluten in the diet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Green stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

Green stools are almost always related to something you ate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably spinach,\u201d Hernandez says. \u201cOr sometimes blue dyes turn out green in the stool.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pale stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

If you notice pale, chalky or white stools, especially if you also start losing weight unintentionally, reach out to your doctor right away.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPale or chalky, white stools could be an indicator of a blockage in the bile duct,\u201d Kim says. \u201cThe pancreas, liver and bile ducts should be investigated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Red or orange stool\u00a0<\/i><\/h3>\n

Think back on your last few meals: If beets were on the menu, there\u2019s a good chance a red stool was caused from food, not blood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been eating a lot of carrots or sweet potatoes and your stool is orange, \u201cthere\u2019s probably a lot of beta carotene in it,\u201d Hernandez says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you notice a persistent blood-like hue, reach out to your doctor to rule out other causes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pencil-thin stools<\/i><\/h3>\n

An isolated incident of very thin stools is not cause for concern, Kim says. But in some cases, pencil-thin stools could indicate a blockage in the colon.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf stools are consistently looking thinner or associated with alarm symptoms such as bleeding or weight loss, a colonoscopy should be considered,\u201d Kim says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Slimy stools<\/i><\/h3>\n

\u201cMost of the time, mucousy stools might just be hemorrhoids or the anal glands creating mucous,\u201d Hernandez says; as hemorrhoids become enlarged, <\/span>they can produce mucousy discharge<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re noticing a high volume of mucous in the stool, mention it to your doctor. They may order further testing for <\/span>inflammatory bowel diseases<\/span><\/a> like ulcerative colitis or Crohn\u2019s disease.<\/span><\/p>\n

Changes in frequency<\/em><\/h3>\n

You don\u2019t necessarily need to have a bowel movement every day, Hernandez says, although some people do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re having an easy bowel movement every other day or every third day, that\u2019s normal,\u201d he says. But any time your frequency decreases (or increases) dramatically without explanation, you should check in with your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Changes in smell<\/em><\/h3>\n

\u201cBowel movements should smell bad, but an unbearably bad smell could indicate certain infections such as Clostridium difficile (a bacterial infection) or Giardia lamblia infection (a parasitic infection),\u201d Kim says. If you\u2019re worried, mention it to your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the time, it\u2019s nothing,\u201d Hernandez says. \u201cIt\u2019s related to what you\u2019re eating and how your body is digesting.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

When to see the doctor<\/h3>\n

Any time you notice a major change in bowel habits lasting more than a couple of weeks, reach out to your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were having nice sausage-like stools your whole life, then you started having diarrhea or soft stools or pasty stools, that\u2019s when I start getting concerned,\u201d Hernandez says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weight loss is another red flag for gastroenterologists. If you\u2019re having unintentional weight loss, your doctor may order testing such as blood work, stool sample studies or a colonoscopy to rule out pancreatic, colon and liver cancers.<\/span><\/p>\n

For most poop concerns, you can go to your primary care provider. <\/span>\u201cA lot of changes in bowel habits occur from medications that doctors give,\u201d Hernandez says.<\/span><\/p>\n

If your GP can\u2019t get to the root of the issue, they will likely refer you to a gastroenterologist. From there, your provider could<\/span> end up recommending a colonoscopy \u2014 but that\u2019s not the starting point for most patients, Hernandez says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have stool studies that look for inflammation, blood, the function of the pancreas, infection,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t go to get a colonoscopy first thing. Every patient is different.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Need an appointment with a gastroenterologist<\/a>? Find one on Zocdoc.<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poop can be all different colors and textures. Doctors weigh in on when to get it checked out. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":19931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\nGreen, Black, Yellow: What Your Poop Says About Your Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Different colored and textured stools can indicate health issues. 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