Talking about stool can be embarrassing. If you think something is “disabled” with your routine, you may not feel comfortable comparing your schedule for number two with friends. However, how often we poop, how long it takes to do it and what our stool looks like really reveal a lot about our health. We spoke with three frequency gastroenterologists you should have stools, and more, to help you understand what is normal.
Find out more: Signs that your intestine could be unhealthy and how to fix it
How often should you poop?
You probably have someone in your family (if you are honest, maybe you) who are convinced that they need to poop every morning. However, a healthy poop schedule is not the same for each person. You don’t need to panic if you are not one of those people who go to the toilet like a clock after your morning coffee.
Dr Lance Uradomo, interventional gastroenterologist at City of the County of OrangeExplains: “the term” regular “generally means that a person’s sole frequency continues without any change.” In fact, the number of times you poop each week could vary considerably from other people in your house .
Dr Michael Schopis, gastroenterologist and attending physician at Manhattan gastroenterologysaid: “The normal poop frequency can go quite considerably depending on the person. Pooping anywhere from every two days up to three to four times a day can be considered regular.”
As a rule, Dr. Uradomo advises: “Three times a day to three times a week is considered a healthy range”. However, the doctor warns: “It is important to recognize your own regular routine so that if the frequency suddenly changes, you can alert your doctor.”
Is it healthier to poop less or more often?
Dr Natasha Chhabra, gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Associates of New JerseySaid how little you poop can be less important than if you poop enough. She explains: “Having an adequate BMS (stools) with full evacuation is an excellent goal, because having a BM is a way that our body gets rid of toxins and waste. Some may have a daily BM and not feel that they have emptied. “In other words, having less frequent but complete stools can be healthier than having frequent intestinal stools.
How often you need to poop can also depend on the difficulty for you to go number two. According to Dr. Schopis, “if it requires a lot of tension and push to have a saddle or it forces you to spend 30 minutes on the toilet, then it is probably better for you to try to poop more often.” He says you should introduce changes in lifestyle to help induce a poop in this situation. THE Mayo clinic Recommend eating fiber -rich foods, staying hydrated and exercising as natural means of preventing constipation.
On the other hand, it is possible to poop too often. Dr. Schopis says: “If someone goes 4 to 5 times a day, it’s aqueous and with a significant emergency, then this person is probably poop too much.” THE Mayo clinic Note that everything, stomach viruses and bacterial infections to lactose intolerance, can make you poop frequently. Antibiotics can also lead to temporary diarrhea.
What does the healthy poop look like?
Many doctors use the Bristol stool graphics To help assess the health of stool. The graph is a form scale, which means that it assesses the stool according to factors such as size and consistency. The stools are evaluated from 1 to 7, 1 being the firmer and 7 entirely liquid.
Bristol Tool Type 1-2: Rabbit or grape excrement that is quite difficult and can be difficult to pass.
Bristol Tool Type 3-4: Corn on the ear stool or sausage which are soft and easy to pass.
Bristol Tool Type 5-7: Liquid ground intestinal stools which may or may not include solid parts.
As Dr. Chhabra explains, “the middle of the graph (Bristol 3-4) describes a healthy BM, which is generally described as a sausage or a snake.” The poop in these categories is also solid, while it can be smooth or have cracks on the surface.
A healthy poop in the 3-4 Bristol 3 categories indicates that someone gets both enough water and Enough fibers in their dietAccording to Dr. Schopis. He notes that this type of stool is often easier to pass, while “the types of Bristol 1-2 stools are often hard, pebbles and difficult to pass, indicating constipation”.
If your pole fleet, you might have excessive gasEat a diet with a content-rich content or have a gastrointestinal tract problem (GI). Your poop should flow most often.
Color
You also want to consider the color of your stool. Dr. Uradomo reports that “healthy poop can be brown or even greenish but should never be black or contain blood. This could indicate the presence of cancer or other health problems.” If your The stools are particularly paleYou may want to tell your doctor about your liver, your pancreatic health and the gallbladder.
Smell
According to Mount Sinai HospitalThe smell also counts. Although the poop is never supposed to feel pleasant, if it suddenly has a new or particularly foul smell, you could experience a condition as a chronic pancreatitis or an ulcerative colitis. The good news is that changes in your diet can also produce really stinking stool. So, if you just have a BM seriously poor smell, it could come Eat or drink something fermented or consume a lot of garlic.
How long should you poop you?
It shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to poop. Dr. Schopis says: “Ideally, someone should spend 5 minutes or less without pushing or collapsing to have a saddle.” Dr. Chhabra agrees, explaining: “spending more than a few minutes to have a BM should raise concerns for constipation, especially if you are trying.”
Dr. Uradomo offers a little more latitude, saying: “It should take a person between 5 and 15 minutes on the toilet to have a saddle.” He warns that sitting on the toilet longer than it can “cause problems such as hemorrhoids, reduced traffic or dysfunction of the pelvic floor”.
What are the signs of an unhealthy intestine?
There are several key signs that you can have a unhealthy intestine. These include:
Pain: Frequent pain during poop can be a source of concern. This could mean that your stool is too hard or there is a larger gastrointestinal problem.
Blood: Blood in the bowl after your poop can also point out an unhealthy intestine. Dr. Uradomo warns: “Blood in the stool can be caused by a relatively minor problem such as hemorrhoids, but it can also be an indicator of cancer, intestinal disease or major internal bleeding. “” You should closely monitor the bleeding and consult your doctor.
Intestinal control loss: If you feel intestinal incontinence (Fécale), you can live Weaken rectal or anal muscles. Muscle and nerve lesions resulting from childbirth can also affect your ability to control stool.
Black stool: Dr. Uradomo warns that black or black stools can indicate bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This includes your esophagus, your stomach and your small intestine.
Chronic diarrhea: If you often suffer from diarrhea of more than a few days, you can face irritable colon syndrome or Crohn’s disease. Celiac disease can also cause frequent and pale diarrhea.
When to talk to your doctor about your poop
Whenever you feel a painful poop or the inability to have a saddle, it is worth talking to your doctor. THE NHS warns that chronic constipation can lead to a dangerous fecal impaction, and Healthline Recommends looking for medical care if it was a full week without saddle.
In general, Dr. Schopis says: “If you notice that the stools control your life, either because of the lack of frequency, or too much,” it’s a great idea to see a doctor. Black or bloody poop also reports that it is time for a medical assessment.
How to keep your poop healthy
Sometimes, lifestyle changes are everything you need to create healthier shit habits. For example, make sure you drink enough water. Dehydration can cause constipation or make your stools more difficult to pass. Dr. Chhabra also recommends eating fibers daily through whole fruits and vegetables. She says that “helps keep your stools more complete and easier to pass.”
More specifically, Dr. Schopis advises people to target 2-3 liters of water per day and 25-30 grams of fibers per day in order to reach healthy and normal stools. Aside from these tips, you may want to consider practicing more to help your intestine operate without clashes.
The bottom line
You don’t need to poop every day, but you have to follow your habits and notice when there is a dramatic change. Symptoms such as tension to poop or experience chronic diarrhea are signs that it is time to make an appointment with your doctor. In the meantime, eating fibers and drinking a lot of water is easy ways to help you poop regularly.