Your Most Burning Poop Questions, Answered-By Chris Iliades, MD & Natalia Johnsen, MD

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Like it or not, everybody has to poop. It’s part of being human, but talking about it is embarrassing for some. Here’s the thing, though: Our poop — its color, shape, and even smell — can tell us a lot about our health.

So what does healthy poop look like? It would contain some fluids, undigested food (mostly in the form of fiber), bacteria, and dead cells that have been shed from the lining of your intestines. Ideally, the stool should be well-formed, tube-shaped, and brown, though the hue varies from person to person.

While changes in poop’s color, consistency, frequency, and even smell can very well indicate a digestive problem, it can just as easily be a false alarm. “Sometimes it’s just something they ate,” says Edward Loftus, MD, a professor of gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“You don’t want to react too much to one single change,” says Dr. Loftus. “But if it’s been going on for longer than a week and you don’t have a good explanation, you should tell your doctor about it.”

Here are some FAQs about human poop, what’s considered a normal bowel movement, and when you should see a doctor.

How Often Should You Poop?

How often you go No. 2 is determined by the amount of fiber you eat and fluid you drink. Exercise, general activity, and hydration all play a role in encouraging healthy bowel movements.

This means the frequency of bowel movements can vary quite a bit and still be considered normal, ranging from three bowel movements a day to three a week. The important thing to know is what’s normal for you and to pay attention to any notable changes.

If you’re straining or having difficulty passing stool, you might have constipation, which is defined simply as fewer bowel movements than usual.

Left untreated, severe constipation may lead to fecal impaction. This is when stool is hard and dry and you’re unable to pass it. Back and stomach pain are other signs of fecal impaction. It often occurs when people take prescription painkillers or if they’ve been sedentary for long periods of time. Abusing high doses of laxatives can also lead to fecal impaction. An enema can be used to treat the problem if necessary, but in some cases, manual disimpassion by a doctor or nurse may be required.

On the flip side, diarrhea is stool that’s more loose and watery and frequent than normal. Diarrhea is likely to be caused by an infection, a food intolerance, or a side effect of certain medications like antibiotics.

These conditions can alternate or be persistent and include other symptoms, such as belly pain and bloating, which may indicate an underlying health issue like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

What Color Should My Poop Be?

The brown color of a healthy stool comes from the bile released by the liver, which changes colors as it travels through your intestines. Poop that’s a color other than brown or even green could point to a health issue in some cases.

  • Green Leafy green vegetables can end up as green-colored stools. Iron supplements can also turn your poop green. One possible problem associated with green stools is that when bile passes through the intestines too quickly, it stays green along with your poop.

  • Black A vitamin that contains iron or medication that contains bismuth subsalicylate, such as Pepto-Bismol, can cause this, but black stools can also signal a more serious problem.

    “Dark, black stools could be caused by bleeding in the stomach, a duodenal ulcer, or a tumor,” says Dr. Loftus.

  • White A pale or white color can be worrisome, too. This can happen because of a lack of bile and may indicate a blockage in the bile duct, Loftus says. This may be because of a problem in the liver, stones in the bile duct, or even bile duct cancer.
  • Red Certain foods, such as beets, can turn your poop red. But it could also mean that blood is coming from the lower area of the colon, which could be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

    Blood in your feces can also be caused by hemorrhoids (swollen tissues around the anus) or colon cancer.

  • Gray or Clay-Colored Light-colored or grayish stools may be related to a liver or gallbladder problem. Other common causes for stools that appear pale, gray, or clay-colored include viral hepatitis, gallstones, or alcoholic hepatitis.

Illustrative graphic titled What Color Should My Poop Be shows black, white, red and grey are not okay and brown and green are okay. Everyday Health logo
Poop can come in various colors. Everyday Health

Is the Shape of My Poop Important?

While stools aren’t one-size-fits-all, changes in shape and consistency can offer clues to the state of your digestive health. There’s even a diagnostic scale to help you tell what’s normal and what’s not.

The Bristol Stool Chart classifies feces into seven categories:

  • Type 1: Separate hard lumps, resembling pebbles, which are difficult to pass
  • Type 2: Hard, sausage-like lumps
  • Type 3: Sausage-shaped stool with cracks on the surface
  • Type 4: Thinner, more pencil-like stools that are smooth and soft
  • Type 5: Soft blobs with clear edges
  • Type 6: Mushy pieces with ragged edges
  • Type 7: Liquid with no solid pieces
Types 3 and 4 are optimal, while type 5 may indicate a lack of fiber. People who are constipated typically experience types 1 and 2, and types 6 and 7 are indicative of diarrhea.

Why Does Poop Sometimes Float?

Normally, your stool should sink to the bottom of the toilet. This is because the contents of feces are typically denser than water. An intestinal infection or changes in your diet that introduce more gas into your digestive system, such as a high-fat diet, can cause stools to float.

People with digestive conditions that affect fat absorption, such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease, often have floating stools.

How Should Healthy Poop Smell?

It’s perfectly normal for poop to have an unpleasant odor. The smell comes from bacteria in the colon that break down food during digestion. Poop may smell different because of changes in your diet.

But very foul-smelling feces can be a sign of a serious medical condition, such as:

  • Celiac disease
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Infection
  • Malabsorption
  • Short bowel syndrome

Why Does It Hurt When I Poop?

Bowel movements should pass easily with little strain. There are a number of reasons it could be uncomfortable. The most likely explanation is that you’re not eating enough fiber.

According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the recommended daily fiber intake for women is 25 to 28 grams (g); for men it’s 31 to 34 g. After age 50, though, fiber intake recommendations decrease to 22 g for women and 28 g for men.

Research has shown that eating more fiber is beneficial for overall health.

Difficulty pooping could also be the result of anal fissures (tears in the anus), as well as hemorrhoids. Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other conditions that trigger inflammation along the digestive tract can also lead to painful bowel movements. Pain that’s severe can be a sign that a tumor is blocking the anus or rectum.

The Takeaway

Knowing the facts about poop is crucial for understanding your health. While color, consistency, and frequency can vary, any drastic changes might signal an issue. Always inform your doctor if you notice bloody, black, or pale stools as well as changes accompanied by other symptoms, such as pain or fever.

The color, texture, and smell of poop can offer important insight into your overall health.

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