The 7 Types Of Stool (and What Diseases Or Problems They Indicate)
Feeding is a process through which living beings incorporate a series of nutrients into their bodies, coming from products other than the subject itself. But the process of eating also generates waste and remains of food that cannot be digested, and that must be expelled from the body.
These wastes take the form of feces, which are eliminated through defecation. But the feces we expel are not always the same, and sometimes we may be concerned about the possible existence of problems due to possible anomalies in our bowel movements.
The presence of different types of stool They may be offering a large amount of information regarding our digestion or our state of health. In fact, there are even classifications of feces that aim to analyze signs of possible diseases or problems. An example is the Bristol Stool Scale, which classifies our bowel movements into a total of seven types of stool. It is these seven types that we are going to talk about in this article.
Although it is a term that we all understand since defecation is something that we all carry out, it may be useful in order to analyze the seven types of feces to review the concept of feces.
We call feces or excrement, among many other more colloquial names, when set of fecal-type residual material which is expelled through the anus in solid or liquid form. These are the remnants of the food we consume, specifically those parts that cannot be absorbed by the digestive system along with remains of cells from the intestinal walls that have been shed during the digestion process.
But as we have said before, stools are not always the same but can have different consistencies and shapes. This is not merely formal, but provides information regarding how the digestive process has been, and could even be an indication of the presence of some type of alteration or disorder. That is why some scales have been generated to compare and analyze the type of excrement produced.
Types of stool according to the Bristol Stool Scale
One of the main scales used to assess stool is the Bristol Stool Scale, which divides the different types of stool into seven. This scale is very useful for doctors, since allows patients to identify the type of stool they usually excrete and make it easier to identify possible problems. The seven main types of stool are as follows.
Type 1: goat feces
These are feces in the form of small, hard nut-shaped fragments, difficult to excrete, which resemble goat feces. These small fragments barely contain any water. This type of stool usually appears in people with severe constipation, the food having been in the digestive system for a long time. The subject usually lacks fiber in their diet
They can also appear due to obstructions in the digestive tract or megacolon.
Type 2: earthy sausage, composed of ball-shaped structures
This type of stool is usually healthier than the previous one, although it is also usually typical of constipated people (although less serious than the previous one). The stools are shaped like a single elongated sausage, but in which large balls can be perceived as in the previous case. They have a hard consistency, also indicative of a lack of fiber in the diet. Despite being indicative of a certain constipation, it does not usually have a serious implication.
Although it resembles type 2, in this case we find a type of deposition in which we see a single structure, although it is possible to see that different cracks and small bulges run through it. In this case we are dealing with an excrement with a soft consistency, and it is one of those considered feces indicative of a normative digestive process.
Type 4: soft sausage
Considered together with type 3 as ideal feces, this type of excrement It is characterized by having a unique and smooth shape It would be shaped like a sausage or blood sausage without cracks or bulges, and a soft consistency. It would indicate normal digestion.
Type 5: pieces of doughy dough with defined edges
These types of feces would be indicating to us a possible fiber deficiency and a relatively fast and smooth transit These are pieces of fecal mass with well-defined edges and a pasty consistency.
Type 6: pasty fragments with irregular edges
This type of stool is characterized by being almost liquid, with only fragments appearing, the edges of which are difficult to recognize. It usually occurs at times of mild diarrhea generally appearing due to indigestion or viral processes and can cause dehydration.
Type 7: totally liquid stools
This last type of stool corresponds to situations in which the food has passed very quickly through the digestive system, appearing in situations of acute diarrhea of great importance. The feces are completely liquid, in the form of a puree, no type of solid element appearing This type of stool occurs at times when there is a risk of dehydration.
Color is also important
The previous types are especially important when identifying what our stools are like, but there are other factors such as color that also They can be indicative of different problems In this sense, we must consider what the following colors imply.
Brown is the usual color of stool, being indicative of normality. The coloring It may be lighter or darker depending on the diet
2. Green stools
Although it may seem striking, the green color of stools generally It is derived from a diet rich in vegetables with chlorophyll or the taking of some drugs They are common in the first week of life. It can also be indicative of food intolerances, gallbladder obstructions or rapid intestinal transits.
3. Yellow stools
A yellow color in the stool can be indicative of more serious problems. It occurs as an effect of an excess of fat in the stool It is possible that you are reporting liver problems (including hepatitis), gastric reflux problems, gallstones, some bacterial infections or celiac disease.
4. Red stools
The red color in stool can come from foods such as beets or tomatoes. However, especially when stains appear in feces or toilet water, It may be due to the presence of blood in the stool This can come from injuries to the lower part of the digestive system.
5. Black or dark stools
The presence of black feces can be an indication of danger. It is generally due to the presence of bleeding or hemorrhage in the upper part of the digestive tract (which can even arise as a result of cancer or an ulcer), such as the stomach, or due to an excess of iron. The consumption of large quantities of some foods can also cause them. Requires a doctor’s consultation.
6. White stools
It is not common, but it can also happen that the stool is white or whitish. This is anomalous and may be indicative of blockages, lack of bile, or liver or pancreatic problems Nodal problems or certain tumors can also cause them. Likewise, the consumption of some drugs can generate this coloration. If our stools are white, we must go to the doctor quickly.
