Let's Talk Poop

 What, no one wants to talk about POOP, Poo, Crap... Stool talk is generally not socially acceptable in today's society. TMI!!  Historically it was not so taboo. People would sit next to each

other in public restrooms and chat while voiding. Times change. It may not be comfortable to talk to friends about your stools but we are nurses and you can talk poop with us. It is a topic we are trained in.  This topic and evaluation parameters can tell us about how well your intestines are functioning. 

How fast do I poop? It takes 2-5 days to digest foods and have the remains leave the body as stool. Surprising isn't it. This video from Doctor Gut is very informative on the digestion process. What you eat can cause this variance. More fiber can speed the process. People with inflammatory bowel disease may have a faster timeframe for food processing. Inflamed guts push food through faster due to the irritated bowel lining, stools are also looser or thinner because the stool does not say in the large intestine as long. 

How often do you poop? It is normal to poop up to 3 times a day to 3 times a week. More or less frequency can be signs of constipation or diarrhea, see your doctor if these persist. 

How to score your stool? the Bristol stool scale gives some general definition of different types of stool. 

What do different colors mean?

• Yellow stool - can be a sign of liver or pancreatic problems, too Much fat infection, Giardia, Celiac disease or poor diet. 
• Black stool - bleeding in upper GI track or eating liquorice, Bisthmus, or iron supplements
• Red stool - bleeding in lower intestine, hemorrhoids, or eating red foods
• Orange stool - Look for orange foods you may have eaten, pumpkin, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes
• Green stool - Food mass passing too quickly or excessive greens intake or green food coloring 
• White stool - pale or clay colored - possible bile duct blockage, see a doctor!
• Brown stools - dark or light, are normal color for stools. This color comes from the bile - a substance in your liver that helps you digest fats. As it moves through your intestines it changes color to brown and colors your food waste as it goes. 

Is gas bad or good? 

Gas is an indicator of the food you have eaten as it breaks down in your intestine. These foods can cause more gas than others, alcohol, asparagus, beans, cabbage, coffee, cucumbers, dairy, eggs, fish, garlic onions and prunes. If you have problems digesting some foods they may move more slowly through your intestine and ferment causing smell or gas. 

Why do stools smell?

Stools are digested food. Food that has been broken down by various enzymes, acids, and mechanical breakdown as it moves through the digestive tract. Bacteria in our intestine break down, ferment and further digest and eat this food. These chemical processes cause various smells.  Severe or unusual smells over time may be a sign of infection. 

Why does my poop float or sink?

Floating stools do so due to fats. This may be a sign of poor fat absorption. See your doctor if this persists for more than a few days. Healthy stools sink.  

Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B5W4PWWX7U

https://www.health.com/condition/digestive-health/how-long-does-it-take-to-digest-food

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-do-different-poop-colors-mean#:~:text=The%20color%20is%20the%20result,chemical%20changes%20and%20turn%20brown.