Rare stool in an adult: causes, symptoms, treatment. What should normal stool look like?

Normally, a healthy person should have a bowel movement at the same time every day. Rare bowel movements are also called constipation. In the absence of stool for a long time, stool hardens, which only complicates bowel movements and leads to various problems and pain.

A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet lead to constipation.

Understands stools that are rare compared to the usual frequency of bowel movements. It can strike suddenly or constantly torment you for a long time.

Most often, people see the cause of constipation in poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. These are indeed the most common causes of constipation, but if constipation remains even with changes, laxatives do not help well and other symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor.

Constipation can be a symptom of a serious illness.

With constipation, there is a lack of bowel movements for more than 2-3 days, as well as a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, which is possible; when defecating, you have to push hard, the feces are quite hard and formed. With constipation, the amount of feces is often significantly reduced, and after bowel movement there is a feeling that the intestines are not empty.

Rare stool in an adult occurs for various reasons: from poor diet to...
Insufficient fiber intake. When consuming large amounts of carbohydrates and not enough fiber, intestinal motility weakens, and feces move through the intestines very slowly.

Lack of fluid. Normally, stool contains about 70% water. If you don’t drink enough liquid, namely clean water, the stool becomes harder and therefore stays in the intestines.
Various intestinal diseases. Constipation can be a consequence of diverticulitis, tumors in the intestines, or irritable bowel syndrome. As a rule, such diseases have a number of other symptoms, but they can begin with constipation.
Lack of physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle slows down metabolic processes, disrupts blood flow in the pelvic area, which leads to constipation and. Constipation often occurs in bedridden patients, office workers, and car drivers.
Hormonal imbalances. Constipation can be caused by disruption of the endocrine system. Many thyroid diseases are accompanied by constipation.
Some . Constipation can occur while taking certain medications. Before taking the medicine, you should carefully read the instructions.

Types of constipation

Constipation can be atonic and spastic.

Constipation can be divided into two large groups: and spastic. They differ in the mechanism of constipation, as well as symptoms.

Atonic constipation occurs due to weakened peristalsis, when feces move through the intestines more slowly than usual.

The stool will be voluminous and dense. Pain with such constipation rarely occurs; more often there is a feeling of fullness in the abdomen. Atonic constipation often leads to cracks and, since defecation is difficult and painful due to the volume of stool.

Spastic constipation is caused by. Due to spasm, the intestinal lumen narrows and prevents feces from moving forward. Spastic constipation may be accompanied by pain in the abdomen, bloating, and difficulty passing gas. The feces are small, pea-shaped, there is no pain during defecation, but with strong straining, hemorrhoids may appear.

There is also nutritional, neurogenic and mechanical constipation. Alimentary constipation is associated with malnutrition and lack of sufficient fiber in the diet. Neurogenic constipation is associated with a psychological condition.

Severe stress, unfamiliar surroundings, and a feeling of embarrassment can lead to prolonged constipation. Mechanical constipation occurs due to a mechanical obstacle to the passage of feces. It could be a tumor.

Constipation can be proctogenic. They are associated with various proctological diseases, hemorrhoids, anal fissure, as a result of which intestinal sensitivity decreases.

Drug-induced constipation is caused by various medications. When the drug is discontinued, the stool quickly returns to normal. Antispasmodics, antidepressants and some can lead to drug-induced constipation when the dosage is exceeded or used frequently.

Organic constipation occurs due to the anatomical features of the intestine. Such constipation occurs from an early age. Constipation can be chronic or isolated. Chronic constipation occurs regularly and requires a constant diet.

Single constipation can be caused by taking one or another drug or stress.

Treatment of constipation with drugs

Duphalac is a drug for the treatment of constipation.

Chronic constipation is not treated with strong laxatives and. Such remedies do not help eliminate the cause, but only eliminate the symptom - constipation itself.

Enemas and bowel irritant laxatives may be used in rare cases when going to the toilet is simply not possible, or as preparation for medical procedures.

Treatment of constipation is carried out with drugs that have a mild laxative effect, normalize intestinal function, increase the volume of feces and promote regular bowel movements.

or Normaze. Preparations based on lactulose promote regular bowel movements. They are often prescribed to treat chronic constipation in pregnant women and newborns. They are produced in the form of a viscous sweet syrup with a vanilla scent. It should be taken pure or diluted with water once a day. The dose is selected individually. In some cases, lactulose can cause. The drug is not absorbed in the intestine, but increases the volume of stool, making its consistency more liquid.
Phytomucil. The drug is based on herbal ingredients and contains fiber. It can be taken for as long as you like and for everyone without exception. Does not cause bloating or pain. The drug is available in the form of sachets with crushed substance. The contents of the sachet are dissolved in water and drunk up to 4 times a day. The composition contains only natural ingredients.
. The drug Forlax helps cleanse the intestines and improve peristalsis without addiction. It does not contain irritating components and does not cause pain or bloating. The drug contains macrogol, which is completely eliminated from the body without being absorbed.
Sorbitol. Sorbitol is an active substance that is included in some drugs, for example, Sorbitol. It is used for various purposes, including to improve intestinal function. The drug must be used in a certain dosage, otherwise abdominal pain, cramps, etc. may occur.
Exportal. Exportal refers to mild laxatives based on lactitol. At first, you may feel bloated, but after the intestines adapt to the drug, the discomfort disappears.

Folk remedies for normalizing stool

Apple juice has a good laxative effect.

Constipation should be treated with herbs very carefully, since the cause of constipation is not always known. You need to be especially careful when using senna.

This herb acts quite aggressively on the intestines, enhances peristalsis, and can cause diarrhea.

It is part of many drugs, but even in its pure form the body can have an unpredictable reaction. You should not take laxative herbs like senna. They can cause uterine tone and cause miscarriage.

They usually prefer to remain silent about this, regardless of the importance of the issue. In the article you will find a complete description of all the characteristics of stool and learn about your weak points in the gastrointestinal tract, which you did not even suspect!

“Blessed is he who has a bowel movement early in the morning without being forced:

He likes food and all other pleasures.”

A.S. Pushkin

It is said brilliantly in Pushkin’s style: elegant, ironic, life-truthful. I propose to discuss this topic, smoothly moving from poetry to the prose of life. Moreover, this prose is a vital criterion for our well-being and ability to enjoy being.

Stool or feces- this is the contents of the lower parts of the large intestine, which is the end product of digestion and is excreted from the body during bowel movements. Individual stool characteristics can tell a lot about a person's health and help in making a diagnosis. To do this, a scatological study is carried out (“scatology” translated from Greek means “the science of feces”). The feces are looked at under a microscope and the leukocytes and red blood cells in it are counted, and the amount of fat, mucus, and undigested fibers is determined.

In everyday life, any of us also sometimes need to take a look at what we usually try to quickly flush down the drain.

So, watching your stool is a way to monitor your own health. Everything is important here: the frequency of bowel movements, the daily amount of feces, its density, color, shape and smell. Let us analyze all interpretations of stool quality in normal conditions and in pathology in more detail.

1. Number of bowel movements.

NORM: regular bowel movements once or twice a day with a strong urge to defecate and without pain. After defecation, the urge disappears, a feeling of comfort and complete bowel movement occurs. Ideally, stool should be in the morning, a few minutes after waking up.

PATHOLOGY: absence of bowel movements for more than 48 hours (constipation) or too frequent bowel movements - up to 5 times or more per day (diarrhea). Violation of the frequency of bowel movements is a symptom of a disease and requires consultation with a doctor (gastroenterologist, infectious disease specialist or proctologist).

Diarrhea or diarrhea is the result of stool passing too quickly through the large intestine, where most of the water is absorbed. Loose stools can be caused by many factors, including stomach viruses and food poisoning. It can also result from food allergies and intolerances, such as lactose intolerance.

2. Daily amount of feces.

NORM: With a mixed diet, the daily amount of feces fluctuates within a fairly wide range and averages 150-400 g. Thus, when eating predominantly plant foods, the amount of feces increases, and in an animal that is poor in “ballast” substances, it decreases.

CHANGES: a significant increase (more than 400 g) or decrease in the amount of feces.

Abnormally large excretion of feces from the body for at least three days, polyfecalia, can be caused by diseases of the stomach, intestines, liver, gall bladder and biliary tract, pancreas, as well as malabsorption syndrome (impaired absorption of digested food in the intestines).

The reasons for the decrease in the amount of feces may be constipation, when, due to prolonged retention of feces in the large intestine and maximum absorption of water, the volume of feces decreases, or the predominance of easily digestible foods in the diet.

3. Passing feces and floating in water.

NORMAL: soft sinking of stool to the bottom of the toilet.

CHANGES: If there is insufficient dietary fiber in food (less than 30 grams per day), feces are released quickly and splash into the toilet water.

If stool floats or is difficult to flush with cold water from the walls of the toilet, this indicates that it contains an increased amount of gases or contains too much undigested or undigested fat. The reason for this may be chronic pancreatitis, malabsorption, celiac disease (a dysfunction of the small intestine associated with a deficiency of enzymes that break down the gluten peptide). But! Stool can float even if you eat a lot of fiber.

4. Color of stool.

NORM: With a mixed diet, the stool is brown.

CHANGES: Dark brown - for a meat diet, constipation, impaired digestion in the stomach, colitis, putrefactive dyspepsia.

Light brown - with a dairy-vegetable diet, increased intestinal motility.

Light yellow - with a dairy diet, diarrhea or impaired bile secretion (cholecystitis).

Reddish - when eating beets, when bleeding from the lower intestines (hemorrhoids, anal fissures, intestinal polyposis, ulcerative colitis).

Green - with a large amount of spinach, lettuce, sorrel in food; with dysbacteriosis, increased intestinal motility.

Tarry or black - when eating blueberries or black currants; with bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer, cirrhosis, colon cancer), with ingestion of blood during nosebleeds or pulmonary bleeding.

Greenish-black - when taking iron supplements.

Grayish-white stool means that bile is not entering the intestines (bile duct blockage, acute pancreatitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver).

5. Density and shape of feces.

NORM: Normally, feces consists of 70% water, 30% of processed food residues, dead bacteria and desquamated intestinal cells and has a cylindrical shape in the form of a soft round sausage. But! A large amount of plant foods in the diet makes the stool thick and mushy.

Normally, feces should not contain blood, mucus, pus, or undigested food residues!

CHANGES:

Pasty stool– with increased intestinal motility, increased secretion in the intestine during inflammation.

Very dense feces (sheep)- for constipation, colitis, spasms and stenosis of the colon.

ointment-like– for diseases of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis), a sharp decrease in the flow of bile into the intestines (cholelithiasis, cholecystitis).

Liquid– in case of impaired digestion of food in the small intestine, impaired absorption and accelerated passage of feces.

Foamy- with fermentative dyspepsia, when fermentation processes in the intestines prevail over all others.

Band-like stool- for diseases accompanied by stenosis or severe and prolonged spasm of the sigmoid or rectum; for rectal cancer.

When the stool has a liquid consistency and frequent bowel movements, one speaks of diarrhea.

Liquid-mushy or watery stools can occur with high water consumption.

Curdish, foamy stools, like rising leaven, indicate the presence of yeast.

Thin (pencil-shaped) stools may be a sign of polyposis or a growing colon tumor.

6. The smell of feces.

NORM: unpleasant, but not annoying.

CHANGES: The smell depends on the composition of the food (a sharp smell comes from meat food, a sour smell from dairy food) and the severity of the processes of fermentation and rotting.

Sour smell It also happens with fermentative dyspepsia, which is caused by excessive consumption of carbohydrates (sugar, flour products) and fermented drinks, such as kvass.

Fetid- in case of impaired pancreatic function (pancreatitis), decreased flow of bile into the intestines (cholecystitis), hypersecretion of the large intestine. Very foul-smelling stool may be due to bacterial overgrowth. Some bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide, which has a characteristic rotten odor.

Putrefactive– in case of indigestion in the stomach, putrefactive dyspepsia associated with excessive consumption of protein products that are slowly digested in the intestines, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease.

Faint odor- for constipation or accelerated evacuation from the small intestine.

7. Intestinal gases.

NORM: Gases are formed due to the work of microorganisms that make up the natural intestinal flora. During and outside of bowel movements, 0.2-0.5 liters of gas are removed from the intestines of an adult per day. It is considered normal to release gas up to 10-12 times (but in general, the less, the better).

Normally, an increase in the amount of gases can be caused by eating the following foods: large amounts of carbohydrates (sugar, baked goods); products containing a lot of fiber (cabbage, apples, legumes, etc.), products that stimulate fermentation processes (brown bread, kvass, beer); dairy products for lactose intolerance; carbonated drinks.

PATHOLOGY: Flatulence, excessive accumulation of gases in the intestines (up to 3 liters), may indicate the development of certain diseases, namely: intestinal dysbiosis, chronic pancreatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic intestinal diseases (enteritis, colitis), gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenum, chronic liver diseases (cholecystitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis), intestinal obstruction.

Feces, feces, or feces is a byproduct of digestion. Food mixtures with bile from the liver and digestive enzymes from the pancreas provide the possibility of enzymatic breakdown (digestion) of proteins, carbohydrates and fats of food in suspension. The suspension passes through the small intestine, where nutrients and much of the water are absorbed into the blood. Liquid waste is passed into the large intestine. In the large intestine, some more water is absorbed and feces are formed. Normal stool contains bacteria, undigested food, cellulose from undigested plant products, and bile.

More than 900 ml of fluid - saliva, gastric juice, gallbladder, pancreas and intestinal secretions - enter the gastrointestinal tract every day. About 500-1500 ml of this fluid reaches the large intestine, and only about 150 ml is excreted in the stool (feces). Water and electrolytes are absorbed in both the small and large intestines. The large intestine can only absorb about 300 ml; if the amount of water exceeds this volume, the stool becomes liquid and causes diarrhea. Figure 1 shows the volumes of fluid secreted and absorbed by individual organs of the gastrointestinal tract during the day. There is no single definition of normal stool. There is a whole spectrum of what can be considered normal, and the regularity of bowel movements varies from person to person. There are, however, several signs that the stool is no longer within your personal normal range and should be discussed with your doctor.

Many people believe that normal bowel movement is one bowel movement every day, but this is not true for everyone. There is no rule for the frequency of bowel movements, the general range is from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Less than 3 bowel movements per week indicates constipation, and more than 3 bowel movements per day and watery stools reflect diarrhea.

Size and shape of stool

For self-orientation about the state of the gastrointestinal tract, English gastroenterologists proposed a scale table of stool (stool) forms - the Bristol scale of stool forms - is a self-diagnostic chart that helps patients characterize their bowel movements without embarrassment or embarrassment. The Bristol Stool Shape Scale is now used throughout the world as a tool for assessing the intestines and digestive system.

Based on the Bristol Stool Shape Scale, normal stool should be soft and easy to pass, although some people may have harder or softer stool than others. The stool should be brown or golden brown in color, formed, have a texture similar to peanut butter, and be similar in size and shape to a sausage. In many cases, if the stool changes slightly from what is described, there is no cause for concern, especially if it is an isolated incident. But if your stool suddenly changes and differs significantly from usual, this is a reason to visit a gastroenterologist.

Macroscopic analysis of stool can be a great help in diagnosing some diseases, but not enough to make definite conclusions about the presence or absence of some kind of digestive disease.

Some changes in the characteristics of feces are common to various diseases: colitis, tumors, benign polyps, hemorrhoids, poor nutrition, functional diseases. This means that the detection of an abnormal indicator in the feces should be considered taking into account the clinical condition of the patient and the final assessment should be made by a doctor who, if necessary, will refer to the appropriate specialists.

Indicators that should be taken into account during macroscopic analysis of stool.

Composition of stool

Feces consist of 75% water and 25% solids. The dry residue of the solid fraction varies greatly and consists of residues (fiber) of undigested cellulose. Fiber is very hygroscopic and it is they that retain water in the stool, which is why a diet low in protein produces soft, large stools, and a diet high in protein and lacking fiber (fiber) causes constipation. 30% of the dry weight of feces is due to bacteria of the intestinal microflora, 15% to inorganic substances (calcium and phosphates), 5% to fats and their derivatives. There are also small amounts of desquamated (desquamated) intestinal lining cells, mucus and digestive enzymes.

Thus, a significant part non-food stool masses and feces are formed even during fasting.

The weight of feces depends significantly on the nature of the diet, and, in particular, on the fiber content in it. With a normal diet, the normal value for the mass of feces excreted in adults is 150-300 g per 24 hours. Higher values may occur with a vegetarian diet.

Stool color

Normal stool color ranges from light brown to dark brown. This is due to the chemical conversion of bilirubin and its metabolite stercobilin into urobilinogen by intestinal bacteria and enzymes. Bile is formed in the liver and released in the intestines, where it is involved in the digestion and absorption of food fats.

Let's look at what color stool can be painted and why.

Green feces

Gives green color to feces biliverdin , a precursor of bilirubin, which comes with bile and during rapid transit through the intestine does not have time to complete its complete metabolism by intestinal microflora. For this reason, diarrhea and laxative use cause stool to be greenish in color.

We find green color in stool when there is a predominance in the diet of leafy vegetables rich in chlorophyll (green plant pigment) - spinach, arugula, parsley, green beans, etc.

Additives containing chlorophyll and antibiotics give stool its green color.

Orange feces

The color of stool is determined by food and some medications. If you have beta-carotene-rich foods in your diet that have yellow-orange hues (carrots, pumpkin, apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, etc.), your stool will turn orange. Supplements containing this antioxidant pigment and consumption of rifampicin-based medications have the same effect on stool color.

Gray-white feces

The predominance of rice and other light cereals, potatoes in the diet, and taking antacids (based on aluminum hydroxide) can give the stool a white tint. According to the generally accepted concept, the color of stool is determined by the presence of bilirubin and its metabolites. Fecal hypochromia may reflect a violation of the flow of bile into the intestines (bile duct stones or cancer of the head of the pancreas), diseases of the liver or biliary tract and pancreas, in which there is a decrease in bilirubin content (cirrhosis, hepatitis and liver cancer).

Pale, shiny, and greasy stool is typical for steatorrhea. Steatorrhea is excess fat in the stool caused by intestinal malabsorption. This type of stool is a symptom of celiac disease.

Yellow feces

Yellow stool is a sign of the presence of fat in the stool. Fat in the stool may be associated with a disease of the pancreas (chronic pancreatitis) and a deficiency of the enzyme lipase, which breaks down fats. Fatty stool is yellowish with a strong unpleasant odor.

Red feces

Red stool is a warning to the patient that he is bleeding.

However, red foods (tomato juice and tomatoes, red fruits and beets) can give stool its characteristic color. However, red stool is an alarming symptom of some kind of intestinal bleeding. The following options are possible.

Streaks of bright red blood that surrounds the stool and does not mix with the stool indicate bleeding from the rectum in the anal area (such blood is visible on toilet paper). The causes may be: hemorrhoids or anal fissures, but a malignant tumor in the last section of the intestine cannot be ruled out.

If the color of the blood is dark red and the blood is mixed with the stool, then this is an indicator of bleeding at the level of the large intestine. This kind of bleeding is observed with polyps, cancer, diverticulitis, inflammatory and vascular diseases.

Gray and black feces

Dark gray stool may indicate the presence of metals such as iron (for example, with excessive consumption of chocolate and/or meat) or bismuth. Tarry black stool indicates the presence of partially digested blood (melena), which appears in the stool during bleeding from the upper digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, duodenum). Even minor bleeding from the small intestine and cecum of the large intestine can give the stool a blackish color.

If the stool is black, you must remember that activated carbon, licorice, blueberries and black olives, red beets, red and black grapes, red wine, etc. can turn the stool blackish and black. Unlike melena, such feces do not have a fetid, nauseating odor.

Constipation is usually associated with dark stool due to longer residence time in the colon, and diarrhea is associated with light-colored stool.

Stool smell

The smell of excrement is associated with the rotting of proteins and the metabolism of amino acids that are not absorbed in the small intestine by bacteria in the large intestine. As a result of the action of intestinal bacteria, indole, skatole, putrescine, cadaverine, etc. are formed, which give an unpleasant odor to feces.

Malabsorption occurs in celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, intestinal infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, liver and biliary tract diseases, etc. In some diseases, the digestion of especially sugars and starch is impaired, which reach the colon and are fermented by local flora with the formation of gases.

The smell of feces is definitely related to food and the health of our intestines. A balanced diet, eating small portions and taking care to avoid simultaneous intake of carbohydrates and proteins ("dissociated diet"), helps regulate digestion. It reduces bloating and flatulence and the stool retains its "distinctive" smell.

Mucus in stool e

Mucus in the stool is not always a pathological phenomenon. Mucus is secreted by the large intestine, and its function is to lubricate the stool, making it easier to slide through the anus. The color of the mucus is whitish or yellowish-white, and the consistency is similar to gelatin.

An increase in the presence of mucus in the stool is an indicator of pathological conditions such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and bacterial colitis. In these cases, the mucus is accompanied by diarrhea and often bleeding. Increased mucus may be found in irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, allergies or food intolerances, and changes in the intestinal bacterial flora as a result of poor eating habits.

Excess mucus is present with polyps (especially the hairy type) and with tumors of the colon. In the latter case, the mucus is bright and/or mixed with traces of blood.

"Floating" feces

This phenomenon occurs when there is a fair amount of gas and fat inside the stool, the fat makes the gas less dense and the stool sticks to the walls of the toilet. This feature of feces is characteristic of diarrhea and in general for all situations with malabsorption, fermentation and gas formation in the intestines.