5 things bowel movements tell about your health
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5 things bowel movements tell about your health
Talking about bowel movements may not be discussed much in polite conversations but nonetheless, taking a quick peek before you flush can reveal clues about your health. In order for our body to digest food, having a bowel movement is the last stop in the movement of food through the rectum and anus.
Bowel movement, also referred to as feces, stools, or “poop,” is made of what is left after your digestive system (stomach, small intestine, and colon) absorbs nutrients and fluids from what you eat and drink. A bowel movement, formed in the large intestine or colon, is the body’s way of getting rid of waste.
What leaves our body in the form of a bowel movement can be a telling sign of our health. This is why we should look at what has been formed, taking note of any changes in color and consistency as this could be signs of what is going on inside your digestive tract.
To be better informed on what is normal and what is not, here are 5 things you should bring up to your doctor if you notice these changes:
1. Changes in color
The color of your bowel movements depends on the foods you are eating, how much bile is in your stool, and the kind of bacteria living in your colon. Normally, the color of stools should be brown. Sometimes you may notice a greenish tint which is also considered normal. Eating green vegetables such as spinach or kale, or green food coloring found in drink mixes or ice pops can result in a greenish stool. Poop the color of yellow may be a shade normal for some people. Breastfed babies’ bowel movements are typically yellow. But if yellow stools looks greasy and smell bad, it may have too much fat, indicating your body is not digesting food properly.
2. Bowel movements shaped like rocks and pebbles
Passing stools that are hard and shaped like tiny rocks or pebbles is likely a sign of constipation. Even though you are passing a small amount of stool, it should still be considered constipation. The job of your large intestine is to concentrate waste by absorbing water. If muscle contractions in the large intestine are not working properly, waste left in the colon becomes even more concentrated resulting in hard, dry stools.
3. Black and tarry
Stools the color black and tarry is either from taking an iron supplement or a medication containing bismuth, such as Pepto-Bismol. But another more serious concern related to stools this color and consistency, is that it could indicate blood loss or hemorrhaging somewhere in your digestive tract, such as in the stomach or small intestine. Talk to your doctor about this right away.
4. Oily or greasy bowel movements
When stools appear oily with a consistency that looks greasy making it difficult to flush down, is usually a sign your body is not properly digesting fat. Consistency changes can also be due to an infection, nutrients not be absorbed due to celiac disease, or a problem with the pancreas, such as pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis.
5. Change in size of stools
One reason to be aware of your stools each day is that you learn what is normal for you size-wise. If you are used to having sizeable stools but now they are always pencil thin and difficult to pass, talk to your doctor. In certain types of colon cancer, the colon can get narrow and so will your bowel movements. However, thin stools do not automatically mean cancer. But if it is a change and it is not going away, then having a colonoscopy can rule it out.