What Kind of Poop is Bad?

Last updated on June 3rd, 2022 at 01:14 pm

Introduction

Poops are a regular part/output of your body which can be indicators of a healthy digestive system or a problematic one. But because we don’t normally talk about poop, it may cause you to miss any indicator of any medical conditions you might be developing.

So, read this article to get information, in brief, about poops.

What is a ‘NORMAL’ poop?

Normal poop can be defined as poops that are considered normal by the medical field based on their size, color, shape, etc.

Poop may be considered normal on the basis of its:

Size: People with normal, healthy digestive systems should poop about ~2 inches. A normal healthy person who doesn’t have medical conditions regarding digestive or any other type shouldn’t poop candy-like poop(like pellets).
Shape: Normal poops generally come in a cylindrical(not hollow) shape or you might compare them to logs.
Firmness: Normal poops generally come in somewhere in the middle ground i.e it is hard to keep its shape but also soft on touch. But don’t worry you don’t have to touch it to check it, you can guess just by looking at it.
Color: Normal person poops generally stool that is in the color brown. Other poop colors can mean:
- Black color poop can be an indicator of internal(gastrointestinal) bleeding so, go see a doctor immediately if you see this color in your poop.
- Greenish color can be an indication that the food doesn’t get broken or processed down fully or properly in the intestine may be because of eating too much food, having eaten leafy/vegetables, or drinking/eating food that contains artificial coloring.
- Red-ish color(as a layer or dot spots) in your poop can be an indicator of colon-related conditions. So, if red-ish poop isn’t a result of consuming certain types of foods (artificial coloring, eating tomatoes, etc.), go see a doctor immediately.
- Yellow poop can be an indicator that you are eating and consuming too many fatty foods, or your stomach isn’t processing food fully or properly.
- White-ish poop can be an indicator that the digestive system is unhealthy(not producing bile(responsible for making poop brown)). So go see a doctor if you observe this.
Timing: Normally, healthy people poop in the morning but there is nothing wrong with pooping in the afternoon or evening.
Timing(in the sense that how long does it take to poop): Healthy people generally take about ~2 minutes to poop, > a few minutes can be an indicator of constipation or other digestive problems.
Frequency: This is a bit more complicated because a healthy person can poop around 3/week to 3/day. So, the better question is how your poop looks like no matter the frequency. If it is brownish with a soft-hard texture, you are probably fine.
Smell: Normally, your poop stinks bad as you can already tell, but if you observe that your poop reeks extra bad than usual after eating certain kinds or groups of meals or the odor of your poop or stool makes you cry, immediately.