7 Things Your Poop Says About Your Health
I sure know you don’t waste time looking at your poop before
flushing down the WC, talk less of talking about it, but do you know your poop
could say something about your health? Poop can give you the best clue to your
health.
You need to get familiar with how your normal poop looks like
so that you can easily spot problems earlier – when they are easy to treat.
However, you do not have to go overboard with little day-to-day changes.
Instead, look for consistent changes. That is because depending on the types of
food or drinks you have been consuming, you may observe temporary abnormalities
that won’t last for more than a day or two. But, if you notice a change that
lasts a week or more, and you are unable to link it to any recent diet change,
make a quick appointment with your doctor. Talking about your bowel movements
may not be your idea of having great fun, but it just might be a lifesaver.
Below are seven things your poop could be saying about your health;
1. If your poop is
hard, in pieces, and you have to strain to pass it – This may mean you are
suffering from constipation. Some people assume that if they use the toilet
every day, then they are not constipated. But, if your stool is consistently
hard and comes out in pieces rather than a soft, single piece that should come
out without much effort, you may be constipated. The most common cause of this
is inadequate fiber intake. The recommended fiber intake per day is 25 grams
for women and 38 grams for men. Ensure that you keep a food journal for a week
to study how much fiber you’re taking in. if you’re falling short, build up
your diet with additional fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds, and whole
grains.
2. If your poop is
bright red or black – This may be as a result of bleeding in your
gastrointestinal tract. Blood in the stool is due to either hemorrhoid, ulcer
in the stomach or colon cancer. Your poop color sometimes matters a lot. It is
very critical you alert your doctor anytime you notice blood in the toilet
bowl.
3. If your poop
floats instead of sink – This means you have excess gas in your digestive
tract. Maybe you have been taking a lot of beans, cabbage, sprouts, or very
large meals, it’s is perfectly normal to perfectly okay for stool to float
instead of sink, you should not worry much about it. However, if this becomes
more common for you or you discover an oil-slick appearance, it may mean
something is preventing your body from absorbing fats from food. For instance,
infection or inflammation in your pancreas could prevent you from producing
enough digestive enzymes. Also, an infection or a food allergy could be
damaging the lining of your intestines that’s affecting absorption. You should
request a stool sample test from your doctor to see if there’s fat that
shouldn’t be there.
4. If your poop
smells like eggs or sulfur, and you have diarrhea – It may mean you have
giardia. This parasite’s most favorite place is in fresh water, so if you have
gone camping, went swimming in a lake, or drank unpurified water recently, you
may have contacted the bug along the way. The problem is not always as obvious
as you may think. You could feel fine, but otherwise, have diarrhea for weeks
or even months. Take a stool sample test from your doctor to diagnose it, and
some certain antibiotics can treat it.
5. If your poop is
very loose, but not diarrhea – You may have celiac disease. According to the
National Foundation for Celiac Awareness in America, this disease only affects
1% of the population and it is estimated that 83% of people who suffer from
celiac disease don’t know they have it. Signs in your stool may be one of the
major (and possibly the only) symptoms you have it. With celiac disease, your
body is unable to accept gluten, a protein in barley, and wheat. Consuming
gluten damages villi (the tiny, finger-like protrusions lining your small
intestines) and you are incapable of absorbing nutrients from the foods you
eat. This adds to the loose stools you could experience several times a day.
Meet your doctor on whether you should be tested for celiac disease. Switching
to a gluten-free diet can enable absorption, firm up your stools, and address
any other related symptoms such as fatigue, bloating, pain, depression, or
rashes.
6. If your poop is
very thin – This could also mean you are constipated, or be an indication of
rectal cancer. Poop shape also matters. If you observe a pencil-thin stool for
one day or two, there’s no need for concern. It may be that you are constipated
and straining a lot, which prevents muscle in the anal sphincter from opening
and can narrow the way stool comes out. The addition of more fiber to your diet
can help. But if this pattern continues, it could indicate rectal cancer. Make
a sharp appointment with your doctor. A colonoscopy can discover what’s going
on. With rectal cancer, the tumor is fixed and rigid, and encircles the rectum
so there’s less space for stool to squeeze through so it appears very thin and
stringy.
7. If your poop is
liquid, explosive, and a seaweed green color – This may mean you have a
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection. C. diff is a normal part of the
flora in your digestive tract, but taking antibiotics can kill off the good
bacteria that normally keep C. diff in check. As a result, the bacteria may
multiply uncontrollably and cause serious stomach complications that can lead
to dehydration, hospitalization, and in extreme cases may be deadly. Reach your
doctor immediately. If you’re on a medication of antibiotics, find out if you
should stop.
These seven cases are the reasons why you should give your
poop a second glance before you flush because it could say a lot about your
health. Monitoring changes in our body like poop can aid quick discovery of
anomalies before so that it can be treated quickly before it gets chronic.
I hope this helps, stay healthy!
Credit: www.prevention.com
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