Did you use to move your bowels frequently but now have trouble doing so? Did they use to be solid but now are runny for a long period of time? If there is blood in your feces on a recurring basis, see a doctor.
Blood can be a sign of polyps or colorectal cancer. It also can be caused by benign conditions such as hemorrhoids and anal fissures. If you see blood, keep an eye out for other symptoms: weight loss, fever, chills.
If you used to have sizeable stools but now they are always pencil thin and hard to pass, consult your doctor. In certain types of colon cancer , the bowel gets narrow, and so do your bowel movements. Thin stools do not automatically mean cancer. But if they last a long time and if going to the bathroom is difficult for you, your doctor may order a colonoscopy to rule it out. We all have bouts of diarrhea from time to time. Runny, watery stool over a short period of time can mean mild food poisoning or an infection, for example.
Notice I mentioned fruits last? That's because they should be considered a side dish, not a main course, due to their high sugar content.
Thin poop that occurs infrequently isn't something to worry about. But what if your poop has been thin or stringy for a few weeks? That's a situation in which it's a good idea to see a doctor since it could be a uterine fibroid that has grown large enough to press on the outside of the colon and become a restriction on the colon from the outside. If you're male, this would not apply to you. Other causes of thin stool can be intestinal scarring that's a result of abdominal surgery cesarean section, tubal ligation, appendectomy, cholecystectomy, removal of an ovarian cyst, etc.
You can also have thin stools when the colon is over-distended. In this case, there is stool that is basically blocking the colon, and thin, less compacted bands of stool are able to pass around the blockage.
This is another reason to seek medical advice from your physician, since it is an extreme case of constipation and often needs assistance from a medical provider to resolve. In some cases, stringy poop may be caused by a parasite or other infection, in which case you may need medication from your doctor to remedy the problem.
While thin poop is likely not colorectal or colon cancer , if your symptoms are ongoing, you may want to speak to your doctor to check. Additional warning signs for cancer can include blood in the stool, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain that is focused on the left and typically more constant than infrequent , and unexplained anemia. The take-home message here is that, most of the time, thin poop is nothing to worry about and will pass on its own.
If it lasts for longer than one to two weeks and is associated with additional symptoms, then it would be a good idea to visit your medical provider. You are now subscribed Be on the lookout for a welcome email in your inbox! Main Navigation. Log in Profile. Saved Articles. Contact Support.
Log Out. Your cart is empty. How much, and how often should…. What does it mean when your poop is stringy? Medically reviewed by Saurabh Sethi, M. Causes Diagnosis Takeaway Stringy poop is when stool appears thin or narrow, often resembling strips of ribbon. Causes of stringy poop.
Share on Pinterest Consuming an unhealthy diet increases the chance of constipation. Share on Pinterest People should talk to their doctor if they find blood in their stool. Diagnosing stringy poop. Share on Pinterest A doctor may recommend taking a stool sample test to check for bacterial or parasitic infections. Latest news Adolescent depression: Could school screening help? Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.
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