Dr Anisha Patel (MBchB, MRCP, DFSRH, DRCOG, MRCGP)
Let’s be honest, most of us give more attention to what goes into our bodies than what comes out. But your poo can be one of the best daily health check-ins you’ll ever get. As a GP (and someone who has had bowel cancer myself), I can tell you that checking your poo isn’t weird, gross, or unnecessary. It’s a quick, powerful way to spot when something isn’t quite right.
So, what should you actually be looking for when you lift the lid?
1. The Shape and Consistency
The golden poo or the gold standard is a smooth, sausage-shaped stool, soft, but formed. Doctors sometimes use the Bristol Stool Chart (you can see below) to categorise poo from Type 1 (hard little pellets) to Type 7 (watery diarrhoea).
- Hard, lumpy stools (types 1-2) may suggest constipation, dehydration, or not enough fibre.
- Very loose or frequent stools (types 5-6) and can be a sign of a variety of illnesses or condition and if persistent for more than 3 weeks, should be checked out.
2. The Colour
Interestingly, the colour can also tell us so much about what’s going on in our bodies too!
- Brown: Normal, thanks to bile pigments.
- Green: Often harmless, but can mean food is rushing through your gut too quickly.
- Black or tarry: Could indicate bleeding higher up in the gut.
- Red or maroon: May be bleeding from the lower bowel or haemorrhoids but always get this checked.
- Pale, grey, or clay-coloured: Could be linked to liver or gallbladder problems.
If you see blood, don’t just blame it on ‘something I ate’ - book a GP appointment.
3. Frequency
We all have our own rhythm. Some people go three times a day, others three times a week. Both can be normal. What matters is your pattern. A sudden, persistent change, like going much more or less often, can be a red flag worth mentioning to your doctor.
4. Effort and Comfort
Needing to strain every time you go, or feeling like you haven’t fully emptied, isn’t ideal. Over time, chronic straining can lead to piles (haemorrhoids) and other complications. Your gut should work with you, not against you.
5. Extras You Don’t Want to See
- Mucus: A little can be normal, but if it’s frequent or mixed with blood, get checked.
- Undigested food: Sometimes harmless, but if it’s happening often, it could signal malabsorption.
- Oily or floating stools: These can suggest your body isn’t absorbing fat properly
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When to Seek Help
Most of the time, odd poos are temporary and nothing to panic about. But please see your GP if you notice and of the symptoms below. Whilst they can be symptoms of bowel cancer, these can also be symptoms in many other conditions such as piles (haemorrhoids), inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
The acronym BOWEL is the simplest way to remember all the symptoms to look out for and when to see a doctor:
- B: Blood in your poo, blood in the toilet pan or on the tissue.
- O: Obvious change in bowel habits. This could mean looser stools, going more often, feeling like you have emptied your bowels fully or constipation that doesn’t settle. A change that lasts more than three weeks needs to be checked.
- W: Weight loss. Losing weight without trying should be investigated.
- E: Extreme tiredness. This can be a sign of anaemia caused by bowel cancer.
- L: Lump in your tummy or persistent tummy pain.
And remember, just because you have these symptoms, it doesn’t mean you have bowel cancer, but they are what we call red flags, so they do need to be checked by a doctor.
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Bottom Line (no pun intended)
Your poo is like a daily health report card. It takes seconds to check but could give you life-saving information. Look before you flush. Know your normal so if something changes, you know when to get help. Don’t ignore it, don’t be embarrassed by it, and don’t dismiss changes that don’t go away.
Talking about poo shouldn’t be taboo. After all, everybody does it, so let’s start giving it the attention it deserves.