![]() Anything from a three to a five is considered healthy, she says. Look at the Bristol stool chart, a poop shape chart widely used by medical providers to determine how healthy stool is, for example. There’s a wide range of what a healthy poop can look like, says Freuman. Now that you know what ‘sick’ poop looks like, what does healthy poop look like? Usually it’s nothing to be concerned about, but if it continues for more than a few days, it may be worth a doctor’s appointment to rule out more serious causes such as steatorrhea. ![]() Floating stoolĮxtra gas trapped in your poop (from certain foods) can cause poop to float instead of sink. If it passes in a few days, it’s likely no big deal. Eating dairy when you’re lactose intolerant, consuming a lot of fiber, or experiencing a bacterial issue (like certain types of food poisoning) to name a few. There are a whole host of things that can cause loose stool, says Freuman. Pebble poop can happen because of certain medications (including some antacids, antidepressants, diuretics, and iron supplements), or not getting enough fiber or fluids. Small, pebble-like poop is typically a sign of constipation. It could also be a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction, which can be painful and impact your ability to relax and contract your pelvic floor (aka the muscles that help you go to the bathroom, among other things). Pencil-thin poop can happen for a variety of reasons, including constipation, hemorrhoids, IBS, and a colon obstruction. If you see a long, thin poop, it may mean that your anal sphincter may be tight or not completely relaxed. The shape of your poop can give you a sense of your pelvic floor and sphincter function, says Freuman. Different poop shape meanings Pencil-thin poop If left untreated, that could lead to an infection or liver disease. Bile is part of what pigments the stool, so if there’s almost no color at all, it may mean that there’s a blocked bile duct, she says. If you see pale, gray, or white poop, Freuman recommends seeing a doctor. If this, or another sudden color change, is also paired with other symptoms including vomiting, lightheadedness, or severe abdominal pain, experts say you should go straight to the emergency room. Tar-like, black stool can indicate bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. If neither of these could be the culprit, then it’s a good idea to give your doctor a call. Taking iron supplements or Pepto Bismol can cause dark or black poop. That’s another reason to talk to your doctor because it could mean there’s internal bleeding or possibly colon cancer. “You're seeing either streaks of blood outside the stool, or drops of blood in the toilet,” says Freuman. While beets usually tint the whole stool, blood usually doesn’t. If you notice your poop is red, the biggest thing is to make sure it’s not because there’s blood in your stool. One of the common causes of red poop is beets. There are a couple different red poop meanings. “You'll have horrible smelling gas you'll be losing weight potentially.” Red poop “ will often be very oily kind of greasy,” she says. But it can also happen after gallbladder surgery because of an infection in the intestines, a symptom of COVID-19, or due to excess fat in your stool (which happens when the dietary fat isn’t well absorbed during digestion, aka malabsorption).īut Freuman notes that if it is malabsorption, the color of your poop usually isn’t the only symptom. Yellow poop, light brown poop, or orange poopĮating orange or yellow foods (such as turmeric or sweet potatoes) can tint your stool yellow, light brown, or orange. In other cases, green poop may indicate food poisoning or even a bowel disorder. If you’re seeing green, it may mean you recently ate a lot of leafy vegetables, took iron supplements, or ate foods that have certain food-coloring.
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