Most
of
us
don’t
spend
a
lot
of
time
studying
the
toilet
bowl
before
we
flush
after
going
number
two.
But
gastroenterologists
say
we
probably
should
at
least
glance
at
our
stool.

That’s
because
what
you
see
there
can
tell
you
a
surprising
amount
about
what’s
happening
inside
your
gut,
or
at
least
give
you
a
clue
that
something
is
off.

While
watery
diarrhea
or
blood
are
pretty
obvious
signs
of
a
potential
issue,
what
does
it
mean
when
your
stool
has
ragged,
jagged
or
fluffy
edges?
Below,
doctors
share
what
you
should
know.

What
can
ragged
or
jagged
edges
mean?

“In
gastroenterology,
we
use
the

Bristol
Stool
Scale
to
evaluate
digestive
health,
and
it
basically
serves
as
a
daily
report
card
for
your
gut,”
said

Dr.
Rosario
Ligresti,
chief
of
gastroenterology
at
Hackensack
University
Medical
Center.
“A
smooth,
sausage-like
stool
means
your
digestion
is
running
at
the
perfect
pace
―
your
colon
has
just
enough
time
to
absorb
water
and
pack
the
waste
neatly.”

Ragged
or
jagged
edges
tell
a
different
story,
however.

“When
your
stool
has
ragged,
jagged
or
fluffy
edges
―
what
we
call
a
type
6
stool
―
it
means
the
waste
moved
through
your
colon
a
bit
too
fast,”
Ligresti
explained.
“The
colon
simply
didn’t
have
enough
time
to
absorb
the
water
and
form
it
into
a
smooth
shape.”

The
Bristol
Stool
Scale
classifies
poop
into
seven
types
based
on
shape
and
consistency.
While
the
ragged
or
jagged
edges
tend
to
fall
into
the
category
of
type
6,
the
ideal
that
Ligresti
described
would
be
a
type
3
or
4.

“Stool
with
ragged
edges
often
indicates
stool
moving
somewhat
quickly
though
the
GI
tract,
and
can
be
described
as
loose
or
semi-formed,”
said

Dr.
Hassan
Dakik,
a
gastroenterologist
at
Houston
Methodist
The
Woodlands
Hospital.
“In
clinical
terms,
it
is
known
as
Bristol
Type
6.”

Dr.
Savita
Srivastava
―
a
gastroenterologist,
microbiome
specialist
and
author
of

“First
1000
Days:
How
Your
Baby’s
Gut
Microbes
Shape
Lifelong
Health”
―
explained
the
underlying
mechanism.

“As
digested
food
moves
through
the
colon,
one
of
the
colon’s
main
jobs
is
to
absorb
water
and
shape
the
waste
into
a
smooth,
cohesive
log,”
she
said.
“If
the
colon
contracts
too
quickly,
stool
passes
through
before
the
colon
has
enough
time
to
absorb
water
and
form
the
beautiful
smooth
edges.”

There
are
many
potential
causes
behind
ragged
edges,
and
most
are
fairly
ordinary.

“This
faster
movement
time
is
very
common
and
is
usually
caused
by
a
lack
of
soluble
fiber
in
your
diet,
a
sudden
change,
a
spike
in
stress
or
even
just
drinking
too
much
coffee,”
Ligresti
said.

Dakik
offered
a
broader
list
of
common
culprits.

“Dietary
factors
such
as
excess
artificial
sweeteners
or
too
much
caffeine,
intolerances
such
as
lactose
intolerance,
certain
medications
like
metformin
or
antibiotics,
and
an
increase
in
stress
or
anxiety
can
do
this,
though
typically
transiently,”
he
said.

Mild
infection,
inflammatory
bowel
syndrome,
microbiome
imbalances,
food
sensitivities
and
general
inflammation
could
also
play
a
role.

When
should
you
be
concerned?

“I
always
tell
my
patients
not
to
panic
over
the
occasional
weird
bowel
movement,”
Ligresti
said.
“If
your
stool
looks
a
bit
ragged
after
a
stressful
week
or
a
weekend
of
eating
rich
foods,
that
is
actually
completely
normal.”

A
one-off
change
in
your
bowel
movements
just
happens
sometimes
and
is
usually
not
a
reason
for
concern.

“An
occasional
day
of
ragged
or
fluffy
stool
is
completely
normal
―
it
often
just
means
your
gut
reacted
to
a
spicy
meal,
an
extra
cup
of
coffee
or
a
stressful
morning,”
Srivastava
said.

But
at
other
times,
there
might
be
signs
that
something
more
is
going
on.

“It
becomes
concerning
when
it
isn’t
an
isolated
event,”
Srivastava
explained.
“If
ragged,
loose
stools
persist
for
more
than
four
weeks,
or
if
they
are
accompanied
by
urgency,
frequent
rushing
to
the
bathroom,
alternating
with
diarrheal
stools
or
abdominal
cramping,
it
warrants
attention
to
determine
the
root
digestive
distress.”

She
explained
that
chronic
ragged
stool
can
point
to
underlying
issues
like
irritable
bowel
syndrome
with
diarrhea
(IBS-D),
dietary
intolerances
like
lactose
or
fructose
malabsorption,
gluten
sensitivity
or
Celiac
disease,
small
intestinal
bacterial
overgrowth
(SIBO)
or
inflammatory
bowel
disease
(IBD).

“You
should
speak
with
a
doctor
if
this
stool
change
is
consistent
and
lasting
for
over
a
few
weeks
to
a
month,
or
if
there
are
other
associated
symptoms
such
as
abdominal
pain,
blood
in
the
stool
or
unintended
weight
loss,”
Dakik
said.

That’s
why
it’s
useful
to
pay
attention
to
your
stool
and
what’s
typical
for
you.

“A
persistent
change
in
your
stool
characteristics
from
baseline
may
be
something
that
needs
further
evaluation,”
said

Dr.
Mitali
Agarwal,
a
gastroenterologist
at
the
Orlando
Health
Digestive
Health
Institute.
“Discuss
with
your
clinician
if
you
have
normal-formed
stools
and
suddenly
you
develop
constant
or
intermittent
constipation,
diarrhea,
bleeding
or
mucus
in
the
stools.”

She
added
that
things
like
stool
shape
and
texture
give
important
clues
about
digestive
health.

“If
ragged,
mushy
stools
become
an
ongoing
issue,
or
if
it’s
accompanied
by
things
like
abdominal
pain,
severe
bloating
or
waking
up
in
the
middle
of
the
night
to
use
the
bathroom,
it’s
time
to
look
deeper,”
Ligresti
said.
“At
that
point,
it
could
be
a
sign
of
a
food
intolerance
like
IBS,
a
mild
gut
infection
or
an
overgrowth
of
bacteria.”

Your
stool
might
indicate
other
potential
issues
as
well.

Jagged
edges
are
just
one
of
many
things
worth
noting.
Gastroenterologists
say
stool
color,
consistency
and
shape
all
offer
valuable
information
about
your
body.

“There
are
a
few
hard-and-fast
red
flags
that
warrant
a
call
to
your
doctor,”
Ligresti
said.
“The
biggest
one,
of
course,
is
blood.
If
your
stool
is
black
and
tarry
or
if
you
see
bright
red
blood,
you
need
to
be
evaluated
to
rule
out
bleeding
in
the
digestive
tract.”

Srivastava
broke
down
the
changes
in
color
worth
noting,
as
normal
stools
range
from
light
to
dark
brown.

“Bright
red
or
dark
maroon
stools
often
signal
active
bleeding
in
the
lower
colon
or
rectum,
while
dark
black,
tarry
stools
usually
indicate
bleeding
higher
up
in
the
stomach
or
esophagus
that
has
been
digested,”
she
said.
“On
the
other
hand,
pale,
clay-colored,
or
greasy
yellow
stools
typically
suggest
issues
with
bile
flow,
gallbladder
function
or
fat
malabsorption
in
the
small
intestine.”

Beyond
changes
in
color,
Agarwal
flagged
other
characteristics
that
can
be
concerning,
including
changes
in
size
and
shape
like
stools
that
are
narrower
or
thinner,
and
changes
in
consistency
including
firm
or
watery.
She
also
recommended
paying
attention
to
any
“change
in
the
texture
or
contents
of
the
stool
―
greasy
and

floating
or
containing
mucus.”

If
possible,
try
to
get
a
sense
of
your
family
history
with
anything
like
colon
cancer
or
IBD
as
well.
And
pay
attention
to
your
baseline
bathroom
habits.

“Don’t
be
afraid
to
look
in
the
bowl
before
you
flush,”
Srivastava
said.
“Your
stool
is
a
daily,
real-time
report
card
for
your
gut
health.”

Of
course,
you
don’t
need
to
scrutinize
the
toilet
bowl
obsessively,
but
a
quick
glance
before
you
flush
can
help
you
get
a
sense
of
what’s
typical
for
you.

“It’s
also
important
to
remember
that
‘normal’
varies
from
person
to
person,”
Srivastava
said.
“Passing
stool
anywhere
from
three
times
a
day
to
three
times
a
week
can
be
completely
healthy,
provided
it
is
a
consistent
pattern,
stools
are
formed
and
comfortable
to
pass
and
free
of
pain
or
blood.
If
you
notice
a
lasting
change
from

your
personal
baseline,
make
sure
to
follow
your
gut
instinct
and
make
an
appointment.”

And
don’t
sweat
it
if
you
don’t
have
perfect
bowel
movements
all
the
time
because
human
digestion
fluctuates.

“You
don’t
need
a
colon
cleanse
or
a
detox
to
fix
your
gut
health,”
said
gastroenterologist

Dr.
Supriya
Rao.
“Stay
hydrated,
eat
a
whole-foods
based
diet,
exercise
and
get
good
sleep.”

Focus
on
the
basics
with
daily
consistent
habits.

“Drink
plenty
of
water,
eat
a
diverse
range
of
high-fiber
foods
and
stay
active,”
Ligresti
echoed.
“And
lastly,
as
a
gastroenterologist,
I
have
to
say
it,
do
not
put
off
your
colon
cancer
screenings.
If
you
are
45
or
older,
talk
to
your
doctor
about
scheduling
a
colonoscopy.
It’s
the
easiest
way
to
prevent
colon
cancer,
and
it
truly
saves
lives.”