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

Eating is a process through which living beings incorporate a series of nutrients into their body, from products foreign to the subject. But the process of eating also generates waste and remains of food that cannot be digested, and that must be expelled from the body.

These wastes 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 due to possible abnormalities in our bowel movements.

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

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Stool: basic definition

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

We call feces or excrement, among many other more colloquial names, when faecal waste material set that is expelled by the anus in solid or liquid form. It is about the remnants of the food we consume, specifically those parts that cannot be absorbed by the digestive system along with remnants of cells from the intestinal walls that have been shed during the process of digestion.

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 on how the digestive process has been, and it could even be an indication of the presence of some type of alteration or disorder. That is why some scales have been generated to be able to compare and analyze the type of excrement produced.

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The 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 very useful for physicians, since allows patients to identify the type of stool they usually excrete and make it easier to identify potential issues. The seven main types of stool are as follows.

Type 1: goat feces

It is faeces in the form of small and hard walnut-shaped fragments, difficult to excrete, which resemble the faeces of goats. These small fragments hardly contain 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 their diet.

They can also appear with 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 usually typical of constipated people (although less serious than the previous one). The stools are shaped like 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 it resembles type 2, in this case we find a type of deposition in which we observe a single structure, although it is possible to observe that different cracks and small bumps run through it. In this case we are dealing with 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 stool, this type of excrement it is characterized by having a unique and smooth shape. It would be in the shape of a sausage or blood sausage without cracks or bulges, and a soft consistency. It would indicate normal digestion.

Type 5: pieces of doughy dough with defined edges

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

Type 6: jagged-edged pasty fragments

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 at times of mild diarrhea, generally appearing before 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. Stools are totally liquid, in the form of a 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 important too

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 also can be indicative of different problems. In this sense, we must consider what the following colors imply.

1. Brown stools

Brown is the usual color of stool, indicating normality. Coloring may be lighter or darker depending on the diet.

2. Green stool

Although it may seem conspicuous, the green color of the stool usually it is derived from a diet rich in vegetables with chlorophyll or the taking of some drugs. They are common in the first week of life. It can also be indicative of food intolerances, gallbladder obstructions, or rapid intestinal transit.

3. Yellow stool

A yellow color in the stool can be indicative of more serious problems. It occurs as an effect of excess fat in the stool. It is possible that he is communicating to us liver problems (including hepatitis), gastric reflux problems, gallstones, some bacterial infections or celiac disease.

4. Red stools

Red color in stool can come from foods like beets or tomatoes. However, especially when stains appear in the stool or in toilet water, it may be due to the presence of blood in the stool. This can come from injuries to 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 generally due to the presence of bleeding or hemorrhage in the upper part of the digestive tract (which can arise even as a result of cancer or an ulcer), such as the stomach, or due to an excess of iron. Also the consumption of large amounts of some foods can generate them. It requires a consultation with the doctor.

6. White stool

It is not usual, but it can also happen that the stool is white or whitish. This is anomalous and may be indicative of blockages, lack of bile, or liver or pancreatic problems. Lymph node problems or certain tumors can also generate them. Also, the consumption of some drugs can cause this coloration. In case our stools are white, we must go to the doctor quickly.

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.