The 7 types of stool (and what diseases or problems they indicate).

A classification of the types of feces that helps us to understand how the digestive system is.

Feeding is a process through which living beings incorporate into their organism a series of nutrients, coming from products foreign to the subject itself. But the process of feeding also generates residues and food remains that cannot be digested and must be expelled from the body.

These residues take the form of feces, which are eliminated through defecation. But the feces that we expel are not always the same, and sometimes we may be concerned about the possible existence of problems with possible abnormalities in our stool.

The presence of different types of stool may be offering a great deal of information regarding our digestion or our state of health. In fact, there are even stool classifications that are intended to analyze indications of possible diseases or problems. One example is the Bristol Stool Scale, which classifies our stool into a total of seven stool types. It is these seven types that we are going to talk about in this article.

Stool: basic definition

Although it is a term that we all understand since defecation is something that we all carry out, it may be useful in order to analyze the seven types of feces to review the concept of feces.

We call feces or excrement, among many other more colloquial denominations, to the set of residual material of fecal type that is expelled by the anus of the that is expelled through the anus in solid or liquid form. These are the remnants of the food we consume, specifically those parts that cannot be absorbed by the digestive system along with cellular debris from the intestinal walls that have flaked off during the digestion process.

But as we have said before, feces are not always the same but can have different consistencies and shapes. This is not merely formal, but provides information as to how the stool provides information as to how the digestive process has goneand could even be an indication of the presence of some type of alteration or disorder. That is why some scales have been generated to compare and analyze the type of excrement produced.

Types of stool according to the Bristol Stool Scale

One of the main scales used to assess stool is the Bristol Stool Scale, which divides the different types of stool into seven. This scale is of great use to clinicians, as it allows patients to identify the type of stool that they usually allows patients to identify the type of stool they usually excrete, and makes it and make it easier to identify potential problems. The seven main stool types are as follows.

Type 1: goat stool

This is stool in the form of small, hard, nut-shaped fragments that are difficult to excrete and resemble goat feces. These small fragments contain hardly any water. This type of stool usually appears in people with severe constipation, the food having been in the digestive system for a long time. The subject usually has a lack of fiber in his diet..

They can also appear before obstructions of the digestive tract or megacolon.

Type 2: earthy sausage, composed of ball-shaped structures.

This type of stool is usually healthier than the previous one, although it is also typical of constipated people. typical of constipated persons (although of lesser severity than the previous one). The stools are in the form of a single elongated sausage, but in which large balls can be perceived as in the previous case. They have a hard consistency, also indicative of a lack of fiber in the diet. Despite being indicative of some constipation, it does not usually have a serious implication.

Type 3: cracked sausage

Although similar to type 2, in this case we are dealing with a type of stool in which we observe a single structureAlthough it is possible to observe that different cracks and small bulges run through it. In this case we are in front of an excrement of soft consistency, and it is one of those considered as feces indicative of a normative digestive process.

Type 4: soft sausage

Considered together with type 3 as the ideal dregs, this type of excrement is characterized by a unique is characterized by having a unique and smooth shape.. It would have a sausage or Blood sausage shape without cracks or bulges, and a soft consistency. It would indicate normal digestion.

Type 5: pieces of doughy mass with defined edges.

These types of stools would be indicating a possible a possible fiber deficit and a relatively fast and smooth transit.. These are pieces of fecal mass with well-defined borders, of pasty consistency.

Type 6: pasty fragments with irregular edges.

This type of stool is characterized by being almost liquid, appearing only fragments of which it is difficult to recognize the edges. It is usually produced in moments of light diarrhea.It usually appears during indigestion or viral processes and can cause dehydration.

Type 7: totally liquid stools

This last type of stool corresponds to situations in which the food has passed very quickly through the digestive system, appearing in situations of acute diarrhea of great importance. The stool is totally liquid, in the form of puree, not appearing any type of solid element.. This type of stool is produced at times when there is a risk of dehydration.

Color is also important

The previous types are especially important when it comes to identifying what our stools are like, but there are other factors such as color that can also be indicative of different problems. can also be indicative of different problems. In this sense it is necessary to consider what the following colors imply.

1. Brown stools

Brown is the usual color of feces, being indicative of normality. The coloration can be lighter or darker depending on the diet..

2. Green stools

Although it may seem striking, the green color of the stool is usually the result of a diet rich in chlorophyll-containing is the result of a diet rich in chlorophyll-containing vegetables or the intake of certain drugs.. They are common in the first week of life. It may also be indicative of food intolerances, gallbladder obstructions or rapid intestinal transit.

3. Yellow stools

A yellow color in the stool may be indicative of more serious problems. It occurs as a result of an excess of fats in the stool.. It may be communicating liver problems (including hepatitis), gastric reflux problems, gallstones, some bacterial infections or celiac disease.

4. Red stools

Red color in the stool may come from foods such as beets or tomatoes. However, especially when stains appear in the stool or in toilet water, may be due to the presence of blood in the stool.. This may be caused by lesions in the lower part of the digestive system.

5. Black or dark stools

The presence of black stools can be an indication of danger. It is usually due to the presence of bleeding or hemorrhage in the upper part of the digestive tract (which may even arise from (which can arise even as a consequence of cancer or an ulcer), such as the stomach, or due to an excess of iron. Also the consumption of large quantities of some foods can also generate them. It requires a consultation to the doctor.

6. White stools

It is not usual, but it can also happen that the stools are white or whitish. This is abnormal and may be indicative of obstructions, lack of bile or liver or pancreatic problems.. Also lymph node problems or certain tumors can generate them. Also the consumption of some drugs can generate this coloration. If our stools are white, we should go to the doctor as soon as possible.

Bibliographic references:

• Martínez, A.P. and de Azevedo, G.R. (2012). Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the Bristol Stool Form Scale. Rev. Latino-Am. Enfermagem, 20 (3).
• Ricard, F (2008). Treatise on visceral osteopathy and internal medicine. Volume II. Digestive System Written by François. Buenos Aires; Madrid: Editorial Médica Panamericana.