Explainer | What healthy and unhealthy poop looks like, when to be worried, how often you should defecate, and tips for great stools
- Unhealthy poop can signal a range of health conditions, from IBS to cancer, so it is essential you check what yours look like and can describe them to a doctor
- Also be aware of the sensations that come with pooping: straining, pain, bloating or a feeling of incomplete evacuation can be a sign of something wrong
Do you look into the toilet bowl after you have had a bowel movement? You should do.
You need to check what your poop looks like so you can notice changes or describe it if a doctor asks. It can tell us about our digestive health and much more.
From its texture to its colour, our poop offers insight into our overall health, says Hong Kong-based nutritional therapist Katia Demekhina. That is why two of the first questions she asks a client are how often they go to the bathroom and what their stools look like.
Women are more comfortable discussing bowel movements than men, she says, but “everyone apologises for being graphic”.
This is where the Bristol Stool Form Scale comes in handy, which classifies stool into seven types. The scale was designed by two doctors from the University of Bristol in the UK with the help of 66 volunteers who obliged by adopting different diets to affect the end product.
“Normal” poo, says Hong Kong gastroenterologist Choi Wai-lok, registers as types three, four or five on the scale. Types one and two are hard, six is very loose and seven liquid.
