Health

Is Your Poop Abnormal?

Everyone poops — but are some poops healthier than others? Find out what every kind of dump indicates about your health

by Rose Curiel | COMMENT

PHOTO 5/12

Bloody Poop What It Looks Like: There are two ways that blood can show up in poop; one is more easily recognizable than the other, appearing — as you might expect — in the form of familiar red blood, while the other is a little more insidious, presenting itself as jet-black stool.

What It Means: "If you see red blood in your stool or very dark stool, then that's something that should prompt some action — most likely you should discuss it with your doctor," says Sheth. "It can indicate a host of things — anything from an ulcer bleeding to colon polyps to something as benign as hemorrhoids."

If you have jet black stool, that's a sign of blood that's originated from higher up, like the stomach. "Blood changes color as it goes downstream," Sheth explains. If you had an ulcer, [blood] would show up black." Alternatively, the redder the blood presents itself, the more likely it is that it originated further downstream. If the bleeding is associated with constipation or hard stools, Sheth says the likely culprit is hemorrhoids but cautions individuals to get checked out if the bleeding is new and represents a change in their norm.

SEE NEXT PAGE: The Thin Poop

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