Poop and You 2

So in the last post we covered what normal poop should look like and a few tips to follow in order to ensure normal poop production, so now in this post we will discuss what is considered abnormal and what it might indicate.

According to the Bristol stool chart there are 7 different types of stools which i shall attempt to describe briefly below.

• Type 1 – Stools are in separate hard lumps, and kinda look like nuts. These types of stools have spent longer time than they’re supposed to in the colon and are a sign of constipation. These are the ones that have you straining and make you sore afterwards. It also means that you’re seriously lacking fibre and fluids.
• Type 2 – These are sausage shaped but lumpy. Indicates slight constipation.
• Type 3 – These are also sausage shaped but with cracks in the surface. This is normal.
• Type 4 – The ideal “normal” stool. Smooth, soft and sausage like.
• Type 5 – Soft blobs with clear cut edges. This is pretty normal if you’re pooping several times a day.
• Type 6 – Fluffy pieces of mushy consistency with ragged edges. This is on the edge of normal, just one small step from becoming diarrhea. May also be due to inflammatory process.
• Type 7 – Mostly liquid, with no solid pieces, meaning that it has passed through the colon too quickly, most likely due to a viral or bacterial infection and diarrhea is your body’s way of clearing it out.

Another factor to take note of is the color of your poop. Different colors could have different health indications as outlined below.

• Brown – This is the ideal color. Stool is naturally brown thanks to bile produced in the liver.
• Yellow – Greasy, foul smelling yellow poop may be a sign of excess fat which could be due to a malabsorption disorder like celiac disease. Or problems with the gall bladder.
• Light colored/ white/ clay colored – This means that the bile which is responsible for giving the stool it’s normal brown color is absent possibly as a result of a bile duct obstruction or liver disease or even pancreatic problems. It may also be caused by certain meds. It’s advisable to see a doctor if you notice clay colored stools.
• Black/Tarry – Black stools can occur as a result of internal bleeding. Ordinarily you would expect that such bleeding would cause your stool to turn red but when this bleeding occurs in the upper gastrointestinal tract oxidative processes cause the blood to turn black. Certain vitamins containing iron or bismuth subsalicylate could also cause black stool which is why you may have noticed your stool turn black while taking “blood tonic”
• Blood stained or red – This could also be a result of internal bleeding but this time in the lower gastrointestinal tract. It is a more alarming symptom because it could be as a result of certain cancers. However if you notice that the blood seems to be coating the stool as opposed to being mixed in with the stool this leans more towards a diagnosis of hemorrhoids which are much easier to treat but it’s very important that medical care is sought once blood is noticed in stool.
• The above lists are by no means exhaustive but are just meant to give an idea as to why it’s important to pay more attention to what you leave behind in the toilet bowl because as you now know, it can be quite telling.