The idea of ​​seeing a poop, even your own, seems gross. But maybe you'll put it differently, knowing that the shape, appearance, color and smell of stools can tell a lot about our he alth. what should the feces of a he althy person look like and what changes in its appearance may suggest that something in the body is defective.

The appearance of your stoolscan tell you a lot about your he alth, so keep an eye on what you excrete, even if you don't feel enthusiastic about it.

During a bowel movement, a person loses about 100 ml of water, and still it constitutes about 70-75% of the stool. The remainder of the stool is waste. Nearly 1/3 are bacteria and another 1/3 are plant fibers. People who eat more fiber pass more faeces.

Correct poop is brown, banana-shaped, toothpaste-like. This appearance of the stool indicates proper digestion and good condition of the entire digestive tract. There are deviations from the norm, which, if there are no other reasons, most often are the result of dietary mistakes.

When we are he althy, everything returns to normal after a few days. However, there are times when we should get a better look at the poop and also talk to the doctor about it.

The correct number of bowel movements a day should not exceed 3. When we need to use the toilet more often, we probably have diarrhea. If your bowel movements are less than 3 times a week, you will suffer from constipation.

Loose stools or sparse poop, but not diarrhea

Loose stools may signal hypersensitivity to certain food ingredients. If this is the case, the food irritates the digestive system and more mucus is produced, which makes the stool loose.

Intolerant food ingredients can be recognized by the elimination method, i.e. put them aside for a week and check if the stool is closer to the norm.

Probiotic supplements can help with food hypersensitivity.

But loose stools can also be a symptom of pancreatic malfunction. You need to see a doctor. Before we get to it, it is worth eliminating raw fruit and vegetables from your diet.

Stools that look like thin linters may indicate that your colon is not working properly. Then it is worth introducing more greens to the diet,leafy vegetables and fiber. If this does not help, specialist advice is required.

Fatty stools

A fatty stool is one that sticks to the toilet bowl. May be a sign of liver problems or ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

Colon cancer manifests itself in a similar way. It is necessary to visit a doctor and specialist tests to determine the cause of the abnormalities and implement the appropriate treatment.

Poo hard or bean-shaped

This appearance of your stool may mean your body is getting too little water and fiber, causing constipation.

Constipation makes you feel an unpleasant overflow in your stomach. They can also provoke gas, generate more gas, not to mention the need to spend a lot of time in the toilet.

Constipation is also a problem of our beauty. People who often struggle with constipation have an unsightly complexion (sallow, prone to pimples). Mouth odor, chronic fatigue, heaviness or weakness may appear.

Frequent constipation is also the cause of hemorrhoids and a greater risk of erosions, anal fissures and cancer.

Persistent constipation should be treated. Often, over-the-counter laxatives are not enough.

It is necessary to properly hydrate the body (minimum 2 liters of water), often change the diet to one rich in dietary fiber, vegetables, fruit and more exercise.

It is worth remembering that a sedentary lifestyle is also a cause of constipation. It is best to fight constipation under the supervision of a doctor, as the chronic use of laxatives is not recommended.

Light poop

Poop, which is pale, some say discolored, may suggest that the liver is not working properly, which is not producing enough bile. The consequence of this is that the body is not properly detoxified.

Clear stools also appear in people whose bodies are not good at digesting fat-rich foods, especially animal fat. But clear poop may be a signal that you are not supplying enough polyunsaturated fatty acids.

To make up for deficiencies, you need to take omega-3 fatty acids.

It is also worth discussing this with your doctor, as it may turn out that the liver needs pharmacological support.

Black poop

In most cases this is a sign of blood in your stool. People taking iron, codeine, or anti-depression drugs may also have black stools.

Black poop with clear bloodstains (bright red) indicates cord bleedingdigestive system.

Another cause of traces of fresh blood on the stools may be bleeding from hemorrhoids, which is often the case in people who are constipated.

Consult a doctor and perform a simple fecal occult blood test in each case.

Even slight gastrointestinal bleeding can be dangerous to our he alth. They are often the cause of anemia, which affects the functioning of the entire body.

Yellow poop

It happens in people who prefer fatty foods and those who have impaired intestinal absorption.

If the color of the stool does not return to normal after changing the diet, it is necessary to visit a doctor who will check if we do not suffer from celiac disease, i.e. celiac disease. It is a genetic disease with an immune background, which is characterized, among others, by gluten intolerance.

Floating poop

If the poop is floating in the water in the toilet bowl, we may have a gastrointestinal infection.

Another cause of a stool that is too light may be malabsorption of nutrients from food.

People who have such stools are also often bothered by excess gas. It is worth visiting a doctor.

Kupa like a pencil

This situation must not be taken lightly. A pencil-sized stool may be a symptom of various forms of colon cancer, in which a developing tumor is blocking the lumen of the gut.

This stool can also appear when polyps develop in the intestine that block the lumen of the intestine and make it difficult for the fecal masses to pass through and shape them properly.

If you find yourself in such a situation, it is better not to delay your colonoscopy, i.e. endoscopic examination of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

During the examination, the doctor will assess not only the condition of the intestine, but can also remove the polyps there.

Smelly poop

Each defecation is associated with the need to smell nasty smells. But when the smell is extremely disgusting, it is worth examining the feces to make sure that there is no bacterial, viral or parasitic infection.

Foul-smelling stools are often experienced by people suffering from constipation, because food that remains in the stomach or intestines for a long time is subject to putrefactive processes. Digestive gases are formed, mostly methane, sulfur, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and hydrogen.

Stool odor may also be unnatural due to digestive problems caused by celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, and Crohn's disease.

Choose a toilet seat with a shelf

When renovating a bathroom, it is worth carefully choosing a toilet bowl. Most moderntoilet seats do not have the so-called the shelf onto which the excreted feces fall.

Yes, the shell without a shelf seems more aesthetic, but it makes it very difficult or impossible to accurately see the stool systematically.

Therefore, if you can afford it, replace the toilet seat with the old-fashioned one. Also, when it becomes necessary for various reasons to collect a stool sample for testing, it will be easier to do so.

And finally, remember that the incorrect consistency, color, shape or smell of the faeces, if it lasts longer, should make you visit a doctor and tell you about the problem.

Defecation is a natural part of our lives. And its quality can tell a lot about our he alth condition, sometimes even determine our future.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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