The smell comes from bacteria in the colon that help break down digested food. It's perfectly normal for poop to have an unpleasant odor. People with GI conditions that affect fat absorption, such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease, often have floating stools. An intestinal infection or changes in your diet that introduce more gas into your digestive system, such as a high-fiber or high-fat diet, can cause stools to float. This is because the contents of feces are typically denser than water. Normally, your stool should sink to the bottom of the toilet. Other possible causes for stools that appears pale, gray, or clay-colored include viral hepatitis, gallstones, or alcoholic hepatitis. Gray Stools Light-colored stools may related to a liver or gallbladder problem.One possible problem with green stools is that when bile passes through the intestines too quickly, it stays green along with your poop, according to the Gastrointestinal Society, the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. Taking iron supplements can also turn your poop green. Green Stools Eating vegetables, such as leafy greens, can result in green colored stools.Blood in your feces could also be caused by hemorrhoids or colon cancer. But it could also mean that blood is coming from the lower area of the colon, which is a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Red Stools Certain foods, such as beets, could turn your poop red.This may be because of a problem in the liver or even a bile duct cancer. Loftus explains that this can occur due to a lack of bile and may indicate a blockage in the bile duct. White Stools On the other hand, a white color can be worrisome too.“Dark black stools could be caused by bleeding in the stomach, a duodenal ulcer, or a tumor,” says Dr. Black Stools While taking a vitamin that contains iron or medication that contains bismuth subsalicylate can cause this, black stools can also signal a more serious problem.Poop that’s a color other than brown could point to a health issue: The brown coloration of a healthy stool comes from the bile released by the liver changing colors as it travels through your intestines. RELATED: Seriously Bloated: Warning Signs You Shouldn't Ignore What Color Should My Poop Be? These conditions can alternate or be persistent and include other symptoms, such as belly pain and bloating, which may indicate an underlying health issue, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to the U.S. Diarrhea is more likely to be caused by an infection. On the flip side, diarrhea stools are more loose and watery and more frequent than normal. An enema can be used to treat the problem if necessary. Abusing high doses of laxatives can also lead to fecal impaction. This often occurs when people take prescription painkillers or if they’ve been sedentary for long periods of time. This is when you’re unable to pass dry, hard stool.īack and stomach pain are other possible signs of fecal impaction. Left untreated, fecal impaction may develop, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Stools will typically be harder and dryer than normal. The important thing to know is what’s normal for you and to pay attention to any notable changes.Ĭonstipation occurs when you have fewer bowel movements than usual. That 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. Exercise and staying active also plays a role by encouraging healthy bowel movements. Stool frequency is regulated by the amount of fiber and fluid you drink. Here’s what to look for in the color, texture, shape, and frequency of your stools so you know what’s normal and when you should see a doctor. But if it’s been going on for longer for a week, and you don’t have a good explanation, you should tell your doctor about it.” “You don’t want to react too much to one single change. “Sometimes it’s just something that they ate,” says Edward Loftus, MD, professor of gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While changes in a stool’s color, consistency, frequency, and even its smell can very well indicate a possible digestive problem, it can just as easily be a false alarm. Ideally, they should be well-formed, elliptical, and brown in color, though this can vary from person to person. Healthy stool, for instance, contains some fluids, undigested food - mostly in the form of fiber - and dead cells that have shed from the linings of your intestines. About two quarts of liquid and solid waste pass through your body each day. But the bottom line is that they can tell you a lot about your health.Ī bowel movement is the last stop in the digestive process. There are probably many other things you’d rather think about than your stools.
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