Bowel Movements
You may think a bowel movement is nothing but the removal of things the body does not need and while this is true this is only part of the process. The status of your bowels can tell your doctor a great deal about the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Think of this area of the body as a complex processing plant that takes food, wrings out the necessary nutrients, and then passes the rest out of the body.
Ball Formation
Little balls of poo may not seem like a big deal, however when you understand the proper formation of excrement you may have a different opinion. Ideally, your poo should be soft, easy to pass and torpedo shaped. Changes in the size and formation may be a result of slow moving bowels, which allows fluid loss in the process. Pellet like poo can also be a result of a lack of fiber in your diet.
Pencil Thin
Thin may be in when it comes to models, televisions and cell phones but when you are talking about a bowel movement, this is not a good sign. If you are seeing very thin bowel movements over a period of time, you should definitely schedule an appointment with your physician. Colon cancer or its precursor polyps cause restrictions in the colon resulting in thin poo. Early detection is crucial to proper treatment and increased survival odds when you are talking about colon cancer, so in essence your bowel movement could save your life.
Dry and Extremely Hard
As discussed above bowels should be soft and easy to pass, neither of which is true of a hard and dry movement. There are several things that can lead to this type of bowel movement most of which are fairly common and easy to treat. Slow moving bowels again can be a part of the problem as the moisture is reabsorbed into the body, chronic constipation and certain medications can be the culprits in this case. Dehydration is another possibility, if your body is lacking in fluids it will pull moisture from every available source.
Watery
If you have recently begun a fiber rich diet, this may be the underlying cause. On the other hand, bacterial or viral infections may be at the root of the problem. When you have an infection, the body releases a toxin, which stimulates fluid production to move items through your gastrointestinal tract as quickly as possible.
Coloring
As you probably already know, bowel movements come in a variety of colors, some dependent upon what you have eaten. For example if you've eaten spinach, your poop may come out green. There is no exact right color for poo; however, it should not be pale or grey in color. This can indicate a variety of problems including a blockage in the liver or pancreatic problems. The liver excretes bile to help break down food and excrement. If the ducts are blocked it can result in pale stool. Pancreatic issues can result in grey stool as it is missing the enzyme produced by the pancreas.
Red
If you have not just ingested a large amount of red food or drink and you notice bright red stool your first instinct may be to panic. This is particularly true if you see a bright red streak on the stool, pink tint to the toilet water or blood on the toilet paper. Blood in or on your stool may be nothing more than a hemorrhoid problem; in fact this is the most common cause. Of course, it never hurts to get a second opinion. If you are straining to go frequently you likely have hemorrhoids, however there could be something more so call your doctor.
Dark Coloring
Have you noticed a dark or tar like stool lately? This is not too surprising in newborns, but in an older child or adult, you will want to do a bit of research. Have you recently begun taking a daily iron supplement? If so, this is a very common result, if not you will want to schedule a doctor visit as you could be having some internal bleeding. When there is, bleeding in the stomach or esophagus it can result in a very dark or tar looking bowel movement. Better to be safe and talk this over with your physician.
Foul Odor and Floating
If you notice your torpedo poo is floating around the bowel and smells to high heaven, this is an indication that the body is passing fat through the stool. While this may sound like an ideal situation, it could be an indicator of celiac disease, a malabsorption disorder. When the body is not absorbing fats correctly you may not be getting essential fatty acids the body needs. Stools of this nature may be greasy, yellow looking and will often smell very bad.
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