Our stool can tell a lot about our health. The form and types of feces help to recognize what is happening inside the body. When our intestines are healthy, then the stool should be normal. If, however, sometimes you notice episodic cases of unhealthy feces, you should not sound the alarm, it depends on the diet. But if the symptoms become regular, you need to see a doctor, get tested and go through the prescribed examination.
What should be feces
Normally, normal feces are considered if they have the consistency of toothpaste. It should be soft, brown, 10-20 cm long. Defecation should take place without much stress, easily. Small deviations from this description should not be disturbing immediately. Stool (or feces) may vary due to lifestyle, nutritional errors. Beetroot gives a red color at the exit, and fatty foods make the stool smell foul, too soft and pop up. You need to be able to independently evaluate all the characteristics (form, color, consistency, buoyancy), let's talk more about this.
Color
Types of feces vary in color. It can be brown (healthy color), red, green, yellow, white, black:
- Red color . This color may occur as a result of ingestion of food colors or beets. In other cases, red feces become due to bleeding in the lower intestine. Most of all are afraid of cancer, but often it can be associated with the manifestation of diverticulitis or hemorrhoids.
- Green color . A sign of the presence of bile. Stool moving too quickly through the intestines does not have time to take on a brown color. A green tint is a consequence of taking iron preparations or antibiotics, consuming a large amount of greens rich in chlorophyll, or such additives as wheatgrass, chlorella, spirulina. Dangerous causes of green feces are Crohn's disease, celcium, or irritable bowel syndrome.
- Yellow color . Yellow feces are a sign of infection. It also indicates gallbladder dysfunction, when bile is not enough and excess fat appears.
- White stool is a sign of diseases such as hepatitis, bacterial infection, cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and cancer. The cause may be gallstones. Feces are not stained due to obstruction of bile. Non-hazardous white feces can be considered if you took barium the day before before the X-ray examination.
- Black or dark green indicates possible bleeding in the upper intestines. A non-hazardous sign is considered if this is a consequence of the use of certain foods (a lot of meat, dark vegetables) or iron.
The form
The form of feces can also tell a lot about internal health. A thin feces (reminiscent of a pencil) should alert. Perhaps some kind of obstruction prevents passage in the lower part of the intestine or there is pressure from the outside to the thick section. This may be some kind of neoplasm. In this case, a colonoscopy is necessary to rule out a diagnosis such as cancer.
Hard and small feces indicate the presence of constipation. The reason may be an inadequate diet where fiber is excluded. It is necessary to eat foods with a high fiber content, perform physical exercises, take flaxseed or psyllium husk - all this helps to improve intestinal motility, relieve stool.
Too soft stool, which clings to the toilet, contains too much oil. This suggests that the body does not absorb it well. You may even notice floating oil droplets. In this case, it is necessary to check the condition of the pancreas.
In small doses, mucus in the feces is normal. But if there is too much of it, this may indicate the presence of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
Other characteristics
According to its characteristics, feces in an adult are directly related to lifestyle and nutrition. What is associated with an unpleasant odor? Pay attention to the fact that recently you have been eating more often. Fetid odor is also associated with the use of certain drugs, it can manifest itself as a symptom of some kind of inflammatory process. In cases of malabsorption of food (Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease), this symptom also manifests itself.
Pop-up feces alone should not cause concern. If pop-up stool has an unpleasant odor, contains a lot of fat, this is a symptom of poor absorption of nutrients in the intestines. In this case, body weight is quickly lost.
A coprogram is ...
The chyme, or food gruel, moves through the gastrointestinal tract, into the feces masses form in the colon. At all stages, cleavage occurs, and then the absorption of nutrients. The composition of the stool helps to determine if there are any disorders in the internal organs. A coprological study helps to identify a variety of diseases. A coprogram is a chemical, macroscopic, microscopic examination, after which a detailed description of feces is given. Certain diseases can be detected by a coprogram. These can be disorders of the stomach, pancreas, intestines; inflammatory processes in the digestive tract, dysbiosis, malabsorption, colitis.
Bristol scale
English doctors at the Royal Hospital in Bristol have developed a simple but unique scale that characterizes all the main types of feces. Its creation was the result of the fact that specialists were faced with the problem that people were reluctant to disclose on this topic, constraint prevents them from telling in detail about their chair. According to the developed drawings, it became very easy to independently characterize our own emptying without any embarrassment and awkwardness. Currently, the Bristol scale of feces is used around the world to evaluate the digestive system. For many, printing a table (types of feces) on the wall in their own toilet is nothing more than a way to monitor their health.
1st type. Sheep feces
It is called so because it has the form of hard balls and resembles the feces of sheep. If for animals this is a normal result of the intestines, then for a person such a chair is an alarm. Sheep pellets are a sign of constipation, dysbiosis. Hard feces can cause hemorrhoids, damage to the anus, and even lead to intoxication of the body.
2nd type. Thick sausage
What does the appearance of feces mean? It is also a sign of constipation. Only in this case, bacteria and fibers are present in the mass. It takes several days to form such a sausage. Its thickness exceeds the width of the anus, so emptying is difficult and can lead to cracks and tears, hemorrhoids. It is not recommended to prescribe laxatives for yourself, since a sharp exit of feces can be very painful.
3rd type. Cracked sausage
Very often people find such a chair normal, because it passes easily. But do not be mistaken. Hard sausage is also a sign of constipation. With the act of defecation, you have to strain, which means there is a chance of anal fissures. In this case, the presence of irritable bowel syndrome is possible .
4th type. Perfect chair
The diameter of the sausage or snake is 1-2 cm, the stool is smooth, soft, easily amenable to pressure. Regular stool once a day.
5th type. Soft balls
This type is even better than the previous one. A few soft pieces are formed that gently exit. Usually occurs with heavy meals. A chair several times a day.
6th type. Unformed chair
Feces come out in pieces, but unformed, having torn edges. It comes out easily without injuring the anus. This is not diarrhea, but a condition close to it. The causes of this type of feces can be laxative drugs, high blood pressure, excessive use of spices, and mineral water.
7th type. Loose stool
Watery stool that does not include any particles. Diarrhea requiring identification of causes and treatment. This is an abnormal condition of the body that needs treatment. There can be many reasons: fungi, infections, allergies, poisoning, liver and stomach diseases, malnutrition, helminths and even stress. In this case, do not postpone the visit to the doctor.
Bowel movement
Each organism is characterized by an individual frequency of bowel movements. Normally, this is from three times a day to three bowel movements per week. Ideally, once a day. Many factors affect the motility of our intestines, and this should not cause concern. Traveling, nervous tension, diet, taking certain medications, diseases, operations, childbirth, physical activity, sleep, hormonal changes - all this can be reflected in our stool. It is worth paying attention to how the act of defecation occurs. If excessive efforts are made, then this indicates a certain malfunction in the body.
Feces in children
Many mothers are interested in what feces should be in infants. Particular attention should be paid to this factor, since at an early age, gastrointestinal diseases are particularly difficult. At the first suspicion, contact a pediatrician immediately.
In the first days after birth, meconium (dark in color) leaves the body. During the first three days, light stool begins to mix . On the 4th-5th day, feces completely replace meconium. When breastfeeding, the feces are golden yellow - a sign of the presence of bilirubin, pasty, homogeneous, has an acid reaction. At the 4th month, bilirubin is gradually replaced by sterkobilin.
Types of feces in children
With various pathologies, several types of feces in children are distinguished, which you need to know about in time to prevent various diseases and unpleasant consequences.
- "Hungry" feces . Color is black, dark green, dark brown, the smell is unpleasant. It occurs with improper feeding or starvation.
- Acholic feces . Whitish-gray color, discolored, clay. With epidemic hepatitis, atresia of the biliary tract.
- Putrid . Gruff, dirty gray, with an unpleasant odor. It occurs with protein feeding.
- Soapy . Silver, glossy, soft, with mucus. When fed with undiluted cow's milk.
- Fat stool . Sour smell, whitish, a little mucus. When consuming excess fat.
- Constipation Gray color, solid texture, putrefactive odor.
- Watery yellow feces . When breastfeeding due to a lack of nutrients in mother's milk.
- Porridge-like, sparse feces , yellow color. It is formed during excessive feeding with cereals (for example, semolina).
- Feces for dyspepsia . With mucus, curled, yellow-green. Occurs with an upset diet.