Caution! Look Before You Flush

Unless you’re a parent with young children, nobody wants to give the toilet bowl a second glance after doing number two. Yet if you ignore what you deposit in the loo, you could be flushing your health down the toilet! March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Let’s get down to business and see what’s normal and what’s not in the bathroom department. 

- Jennifer Ho

 

As skittish as you feel about openly discussing your bowel movements, what comes out of your body says a lot about what is happening inside it. The best marker to know how well your gastrointestinal (G.I.) tract is functioning, which is responsible for your overall wellbeing, is really your stool.

You can learn a great deal about your health status just by looking at your stool and noting its colour, size, shape, consistency, odour and other features. Your stools can also give you clues about serious disease processes that could be occurring, like infections, digestive problems, and even cancer!

Getting familiar with your bowel movements can help you identify when normal goes awry, but keep in mind that “normal” is defined as what is comfortable to you. Look for consistent changes rather than day-to-day changes. After all, your stools are the result of your diet and lifestyle choices so if it’s something that lasts a week or more, schedule an appointment with your doctor.

Bristol Stool Chart

A handy tool that can help you understand what constitutes a “normal” and healthy bowel movement is the BristolStool Chart. It is a medical aid that classifies stools into seven basic categories.

Type 1: This type is typical of people on postantibiotic treatments or on a diet that is lacking in fibrebecause there is nothing to retain water. There is a high possibility of rectal bleeding due to the hard and abrasive nature of the lumps as they pass through the region.