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Overview
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Most people open their bowels once or twice a day and the faeces passed
are soft, dark brown and with a characteristic smell. They are mainly
made up of undigested and indigestible food, mucous membrane, mucus, bacteria
and water.
The characteristics normal faeces may vary according to age and diet. For instances, if a large amount of fluid is taken the faeces will
tends to be soft. A dry diet gives rise to hard faeces. A high
protein diet tends to make the faeces smell offensive and appear dry.
A milk diet will render the faeces dry and crumbly and pale in colour.
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Types of Stools and Indications
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Hard
stools: an indication of constipation.
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Frequent,
loose stools: an indication of diarrhoea.
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Bright
red blood in the stool: an indication of bleeding in the lower intestinal
tract, such as the large intestine or rectum. It could also due
to hemorrhoid.
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Dark
tarry and sticky stools: usually results from bleeding in the upper
intestinal tract. The characteristic of the stools is known as melena
where blood has undergone changes in the digestive track.
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Black
stools: may indicate bleeding in the upper intestinal tract, such
as the stomach or the person may be taking medication such as iron supplements.
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Pale,
bulky, greasy, offensive stool: an indication that the patient may
be suffering from liver or gall bladder problems.
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Green
stools: an indication of digestive disorder.
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Yellow,
greasy, foul-smelling: Excess fat in the stool, such as due to a
malabsorption disorder.
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Consult your doctor if you are concerned about the color of the stool.
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Stool Consistency
Diagram
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