Stool is more than just the waste product of digestion. It can tell you a lot about your digestive health.
A bowel movement is the last stop in the digestive process. About two quarts of liquid and solid waste pass through your body each day. The solid waste is your stool. Healthy stool contains some fluids, undigested food — mostly in the form of fiber — and old cells that have shed from the linings of your intestines.
However, Changes in its color, consistency, frequency, and even its smell can be important clues to digestive problems.
How Often Do You Go?
The normal number of bowel movements varies quite a bit from person to person. Anywhere from three bowel movements a day to three a week can be considered normal. The important thing to pay attention to is a change in what is normal for you.
Stool frequency is usually regulated by how much fiber you eat, how much fluid you drink, and how much exercise you get.
Constipation occurs when you have fewer bowel movements than usual. Your stool is usually harder and dryer than normal. If you go more than four days without a stool, you may be constipated.
If constipation is left untreated, fecal impaction may develop, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This is when you are unable to pass dry, hard stool. Pain in your back or belly is another possible sign of fecal impaction. This can develop if you are taking prescription painkillers, known as opioids, if you are sedentary for a long period of time, or if you frequently use high doses of laxatives. Fecal impaction is usually treated with an enema, the NCI notes.
On the flip side, diarrhea stools are more loose and watery and more frequent than normal. Diarrhea is more likely to be caused by an infection.
Prolonged belly pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation could also be warning signs for an underlying health issue, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
What Color Is Your Poop?
A normal stool has a brown color that comes from the bile released by your liver changing colors as it travels through your intestines.
Poop that appears to have a different color could be a sign of another health issue:
- Black. It's common to have black stools if you are taking a vitamin that contains iron, or medications that contain bismuth subsalicylate, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. However, sticky, foul smelling, black stools are a sign of bleeding in your upper-digestive tract — which is often a sign of a more serious problem.
- Red. Certain foods, such as beets, could turn your poop red, reports the NCI. Red stool could also mean that blood is coming from the lower area of the colon, a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Blood in your feces could also be caused by hemorrhoids, or tiny tears in your anal tissue. If you notice blood in your poop, it's important to let your doctor know.
- Green. Usually, green stool is associated with eating green foods, such as leafy greens. Taking iron supplements can also turn your poop green. Having green stools, however, could also be a sign that your digestion is happening quickly. The digestive liquid, bile, is green, but usually gets darker as it passes through the large intestine. If it moves too quickly, it stays green along with your poop, according to the Gastrointestinal Society, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research.
- Gray. Very light-colored stool may be a warning of a liver or gallbladder problem. Possible causes for stool that appears pale, gray, or clay-colored include viral hepatitis, gallstones, or alcoholic hepatitis.
Does Your Poop Float?
If your food has been digested properly, your stool should sink to the bottom of the toilet. This is because the contents of feces are typically denser than water, the GI Society notes.
Stool that floats can be a sign of an intestinal infection or a change in your diet that introduces more gas into your digestive system, such as a high-fiber or high-fat diet. People with GI conditions that affect fat absorption, such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease, often have floating stools, the GI Society adds.
How Does It Smell?
It's normal for poop to have an unpleasant odor. The smell comes from the bacteria in your colon that help break down your food. The important thing to pay attention to is a change in the way your poop usually smells. In most cases, this is just due to a change in your diet, but very foul-smelling feces can be a sign of a medical condition, like celiac disease, Crohn's disease, pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis, infection or malabsorption.
Does It Hurt When You Poop?
A healthy bowel movement should pass easily with little straining. There are some reasons why pooping could be uncomfortable, explains the GI Society. Anal fissures, or tears in the anus, as well as hemorrhoids can lead to painful stools.
Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or other conditions that cause inflammation along the GI tract can also lead to painful bowel movements, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Severe pain can also be a sign that a tumor is blocking the anus or rectum, the GI Society adds.
It's important to let your doctor know if you have blood in your stool, black stool, pale stool, fever, cramps, mucus in your stool, pain, floating stool, or weight loss. Knowing the facts about feces is no joke.
Mary Elizabeth Dallas contributed to this report.
Last Updated: 2/13/2015