by Let’s talk about appetite.
Yes, it’s a taboo subject, but it’s important to monitor your bowel movements because they can reveal a lot about your overall health.
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Your sore throat can indicate that your body is fighting off a bug like norovirus, or that you have an underlying medical condition.
Although your number two is likely to look different every time you go, they all tend to fall within one of the seven categories set out by the Bristol Stool Chart.
The helpful guide compares stools to various objects – from artwork and animals to (more embarrassing) foods.
Pouches that look a bit like soft-serve ice cream are often fluffy, chewy and have rough edges.
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Unlike harder pucks, you may not be able to control when you expel them.
This type of stool, which comes in at number six on the Bristol Stool Chart, may suggest that a person has a mild case of diarrhoea.
This usually clears up on its own, but in the meantime, the NHS advises sufferers to drink plenty of fluids, such as water or squash.
According to Healthline, runny poos can also be a sign that you need to add more fiber to your diet.
Fiber helps keep the digestive system healthy and helps prevent constipation.
It bulks up stools, making them softer and easier to pass through the bowel.
Government guidelines recommend that the average adult should eat around 30g per day as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Foods high in fiber include wholemeal bread, wholegrain breakfast cereals, brown pasta or rice, fruit, vegetables, peas, beans, nuts, seeds and potatoes with skins.
What are the risks of chronic diarrhea?
If your chile has been like Mr Whippy’s ice cream for a while, you could be at risk of certain complications, including kidney disease and malnutrition.
When you have chronic diarrhoea, your body loses a lot of water and electrolytes – minerals found in your body fluids.
Electrolyte losses can have serious consequences, such as kidney disease, which occurs when the kidneys don’t work properly, according to Healthline.
Diarrhea can also cause malnutrition as it prevents the body from absorbing nutrients from food.
This can be a problem in the long run as it can affect your heart, lungs, brain and nervous system.
What are the causes of chronic diarrhea?
Diarrhea is usually short-lived, lasting no more than a few days.
But when diarrhea lasts longer than a few days to weeks, there is usually another problem.
Loose stools can be a symptom of a medical condition such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or celiac disease.
IBS is a common disease that affects the digestive system.
It causes symptoms such as stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea and constipation.
Managing the condition requires a lifelong commitment to routine habits, which can take months or even years.
Celiac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten, damaging your intestines so your body can’t absorb nutrients properly.
Symptoms include smelly diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating after eating gluten, as well as more general fatigue, weight loss, itchy rashes and balance or speech problems due to the impact on the brain.
Following a gluten-free diet should help control symptoms and prevent long-term complications of the condition, according to the NHS.
In rare cases, runny poo can be a sign of carcinoid syndrome, which occurs when a rare cancerous tumor called a carcinoid tumor releases certain chemicals into the bloodstream.
The cancer attacks the cells that secrete hormones into the bloodstream (neuroendocrine cells).
These tumors can occur anywhere in the body but most often develop in the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain.
Although carcinoid syndrome itself is not fatal, the cancer that causes it is.
The survival rate for the disease is between 65 percent and 90 percent, depending on the stage and location of the swan.
Other types of poops
Healthline calls sausage-like poop ‘the gold standard of poop’, which is soft and easy to pass.
This is because they indicate that everything is going well with your digestion and that you are eating the right amount of fibre.
This is type three on the Bristol Stool Chart.
Snake-shaped snakes are considered softer than the sausage-shaped ones and are easier to pass as habitats as well.
According to Healthline, ideally you should get a number two like this every day or three.
But any type of poo that comes from either end of the poo spectrum probably means you need to make some dietary changes or see a doctor.
At number one on the chart are marble-like pellets. These look like nuts and are difficult to pass.
Pouches like this indicate that you are constipated, as does number two on the chart.
These are caterpillar-like shoots that are long but still lumpy.
The best thing you can do for these is to eat some fibre, which is also found in fruit, vegetables and cereals, according to the NHS,
It’s also a good idea to hydrate and move – spending long periods of time sitting or lying down can often wreak havoc on your bowel habits.
Stress, anxiety and depression can also play a role in making your cravings harder and sharper.
If you think you are suffering from any of these, it may be worth talking to your GP to see how they can help.
Amoeba and Jackson Pollock – like the soft serve – clearly indicate that you had a case of the runs, as your stool moved too quickly through your bowels to make a healthy pool.
Most cases of diarrhea should clear up without treatment, according to the NHS, but it’s a good idea to stay hydrated and choose easy-to-digest foods.
