What Poop Color, Shape, Odor and Contents Reveal About Your Health

Examining Poop: What Your BM Reveals About Your Health

Few people enjoy discussing bowel movements, let alone looking closely at their poop. However, paying attention to the contents of your toilet can provide valuable insight into your digestive health and overall wellbeing. From scent to shape and color, your poop provides clues about whats happening inside your body. Heres what you need to know about reading the tea leaves in your toilet.

Stool Consistency

One of the first things to evaluate is the consistency of your poop. Stool form can range from loose and liquidy to hard and lumpy or pellet-like. The Bristol Stool Chart is a useful visual guide to the ideal stool type and various deviations:

• Type 3 or 4 on the chart are considered normal poop consistency. Type 3 is sausage-shaped while type 4 has a smoother, snake-like shape.
• Types 1 and 2 indicate constipation. Type 1 describes hard, pellet-like poop while type 2 has lumpier texture but still no shape.
• Types 5 through 7 point to progressively looser stools associated with diarrhea. Type 7 is entirely liquid with no solid pieces.

Pay attention if your poop frequently differs from the normal type 3 or 4 range, especially if it corresponds with other symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, straining, or fatigue. Consistency can vary day-to-day, but chronic looseness or hardness signals an underlying issue.

Stool Color

Poop color is predominantly influenced by your diet but can also indicate potential problems. Heres what different hues suggest:

• Brown Normal poop is usually brownish due to bilirubin, a pigment created as old red blood cells break down. Shades of brown are considered healthy.
• Green Green stool is commonly caused by consuming leafy greens, nutritional supplements, or green/blue food dye. It can also result from speeding up transit time.
• Yellow/Pale Stool that is yellow or clay-colored can signify a blocked bile duct, impaired bile flow, or conditions like hepatitis that reduce bile salts.
• Black Black poop is often caused by iron supplements or consuming black licorice, blueberries, or activated charcoal. If unexplained, it can indicate bleeding.
• Red Noticeable red hues likely stem from bleeding in the lower GI tract, like from hemorrhoids or an anal fissure.
• White A pale, white stool may point to problems with the pancreas, gallbladder, or liver that reduce bile production and lead to fat malabsorption.

Stool Shape and Size

Bowel habits differ from person to person, but the following poop shapes or sizes can signal issues:

• Pencil-thin stools Thin, ribbon-like poop that looks pencil-sized often occurs with obstruction or inflammation in the colon.
• Segmented poop Stool that is abnormally lumpy or separated can indicate constipation.
• Mucus Passing mucus or jelly-like substance points to irritation and inflammation in the GI tract.
• Oversized stools Poop that appears very large and difficult to pass may indicate an obstruction like a tumor or polyp.

Odor

Its normal for poop to have an unpleasant smell, but extremely foul-smelling feces can signify an underlying problem. Some potential causes include:

• Infection from bacteria, viruses, or parasites
• Medications like antibiotics that alter gut bacteria
• Mistakes in diet like consuming dairy if lactose intolerant
• Malabsorption issues or disorders like celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohns or ulcerative colitis

Notice if foul smell is persistent rather than temporary. Also pay attention to drastic changes in odor like an unusually potent sulfur or rancid smell.

Gas and Oil Slicks

Its normal to pass some gas daily, but excessive flatulence or oil droplets in the toilet can indicate:

• Trouble digesting and absorbing fats, pointing to pancreatic insufficiency or celiac disease
• Carbohydrate malabsorption from lactose, fructose or sorbitol intolerance
• Food intolerances like gluten or FODMAPs
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Changes in gut microbiome allowing for more gas-producing bacteria

Notice associations between your diet, supplements like probiotics, and symptoms of excessive gas or oily discharge.

Presence of Worms or Eggs

Seeing worms or eggs in your stool is most likely caused by a parasitic infection. Intestinal worms may appear as tiny threads or larger roundworms. Microscopic examination or an ova and parasite test can check for presence of eggs. Common culprits include:

• Pinworms
• Roundworms
• Tapeworms
• Hookworms
• Whipworms

Contact your doctor immediately if you suspect a parasitic infection, which often requires prescription anti-parasitic medication to eradicate.

Food Remnants

Stool normally contains some undigested material like fiber, but noticeable food fragments or kernels can indicate:

• Poor chewing of food
• Low stomach acid
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Celiac disease
• Crohns disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Certain cancers

Problems properly breaking down food and absorbing nutrients can contribute to passing intact pieces in stool. See your doctor if this persists.

Blood

Rectal bleeding will result in poop that is partly bloody or entirely red. Causes include:

• Hemorrhoids
• Anal fissures
• Inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis
• Infections from bacteria, viruses, or parasites
• Diverticulosis
• Colon polyps or cancer

Bright red blood usually stems from issues in the lower colon like hemorrhoids while darker blood may indicate bleeding in the small intestine or upper colon. Seek medical care for bloody stool.

Hard Lumps

Lump-like or pellet-shaped poop that is also dry and hard to pass flags constipation. Causes include:

• Dehydration
• Diet low in fiber
• Not enough exercise
• Various medications
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Celiac disease
• Diverticulosis
• Some neurological conditions

Try adjusting hydration, diet, exercise, and medications to improve constipation. See your physician if it persists despite lifestyle remedies.

Greasy, Shiny Appearance

Stool that appears oily, greasy, or shiny can occur with:

• Malabsorption of fats
• Celiac disease
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Infection with the bacteria Giardia
• Conditions leading to overflow of fats into stool like chronic pancreatitis

See your doctor if you notice your poop looks extremely fatty or slick with oil. Fecal fat tests and other analyses can check for underlying causes.

Foul Smell

While poop normally smells unpleasant, an extremely foul odor can signify:

• Infection from bacteria like Salmonella or Clostridium
• Inflammation from inflammatory bowel disease
• C. difficile infection
• Giardia infection
• Malabsorption from celiac disease
• Changes in diet

Sudden foul odor, especially if combined with loose stools, points to an underlying problem needing medical assessment.

Presence of Undigested Food

Seeing recognizable food fragments means your body didnt fully break down that food. Reasons can include:

• Not chewing thoroughly
• Low stomach acid
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Celiac disease
• Crohns disease
• GI surgeries like gastric bypass

Problems properly digesting food can allow particles to pass intact and appear in stool. See a doctor if this becomes an ongoing issue.

When to Seek Medical Care

While inspecting your poop provides insight, also discuss significant findings or ongoing changes with your physician, especially if you have:

• Repeated diarrhea or constipation
• New onset of bloody, black, or pencil-thin stool
• Constant excess gas or greasy discharge
• Presence of worms, substantial undigested food, or significant foul odor
• Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain, cramping, bloating or discomfort

Your doctor can run tests to pinpoint causes, such as infection, inflammation, malabsorption issues, or other GI disorders. Though discussing BMs might seem awkward, don't hesitate to raise concernsyour poop provides important medical clues!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.