Constantly different chair. Constantly unformed stool in an adult. Preparing a patient for a benzidine test

Frequent cramping pain in the abdomen, flatulence, as well as constant alternation of constipation and liquid, often mushy, shapeless stools - characteristic symptoms a disease that affects everyone more people. Irritable bowel syndrome (irritable bowel syndrome), or, in the language of experts, Colin irritable, can become a real torment for the patient.

Official medicine often considers this disease as caused by mental factors. Unresolved conflicts, neurotic developmental disorders or depression - this is what the final “diagnosis” often looks like when not a single study helps to establish anything. But no matter how comforting the judgments may be modern medicine- for many patients this is not true. Irritable bowel syndrome has specific organic causes!

As in the case of an irritable stomach, we are talking about a disorder of organ function. Irritable bowel needs to be taken seriously for two reasons. Firstly, the ailments associated with it are painful for the sick; secondly, these are alarming signals from the body and often a prelude to an intestinal disease.

An irritable bowel is a sure sign that something is wrong with your bowel.

Beginning: indigestion

Increased acidity of the body due to an excess of “sour” and lack of “alkaline” food leads to the fact that there are not enough alkalis for metabolism as a component of the digestive juices of the liver, pancreas and intestines. The body secretes the necessary enzymes only with difficulty and in insufficient quantities. Therefore, peroxidation of the body is one of the reasons why the food taken cannot be completely digested. However, other dietary errors may also be responsible for the fact that food remains “unprocessed” in the intestines. The body may not be able to digest food that is too rich or heavy.

Excess animal protein, such as too much meat, can be a tough nut to crack for digestive juices. If they fail to digest this “protein iceberg” entirely, then some bacteria are mistaken for food residues. Being agents of decay, they convert proteins into toxic substances.

The body is not always able to cope with large amounts of carbohydrates. Most often, two types of products create this situation.

Firstly, an excess of sweets is a heavy burden for digestive system any person. Along with a significant intake of acids that cause heartburn, belching and nausea, sweets are responsible for the onset of intense fermentation in the intestines. A frequent consequence of this is more or less severe flatulence. After all, even people who believe that they are “quite healthy” often suffer from intestinal disorders and flatulence.

Secondly, large quantities of raw plant foods are also often not completely broken down, fermenting in the intestines under the influence of certain bacteria. Of course, products plant origin- a particularly valuable and vitamin-rich food, but here, as in everything else, excess is harmful. How much raw plant food you can eat depends on many factors. Young people usually consume more of it than older people. This is due to the efficiency of the intestines, as well as the ability to chew food. Someone who has dentures that don’t fit well will find it more difficult to cope with a plate of salad than a person with “their own” ones. healthy teeth. The timing of meals is also of great importance. Anyone who eats plant foods in the evening will not be able to digest them properly overnight.

By the end of the day, the intestines reduce their activity, and at night, they will not be able to properly break down raw plant foods. Raw food eaten in the evening inevitably causes fermentation in the intestines and is therefore not healthy. During the processes of fermentation and decay in the intestines, toxic metabolic products are formed. The gases released during this process cause the unpleasant phenomenon of flatulence. Under the influence of body temperature, these gaseous compounds expand and put pressure on the intestinal wall. As a result, abdominal pain such as colic often occurs. Many patients report that if they “let the winds go,” improvement occurs.

Toxic substances arising during fermentation and decay, which include, in particular, phenol, skatole, cresol and fusel alcohols such as methanol, also lead to the appearance of small, sharply defined foci of inflammation in the intestines. Feeling irritation, the body tries to spare these painful areas. The affected intestinal loops reflexively contract spastically, decreasing in diameter.

An inflamed and narrowed area of the intestine has the same effect on the movement of food gruel as repair work on a highway: a traffic jam easily occurs before the narrowing. Food accumulates near the inflamed area, stretching the intestine here more and more. Fecal residues standing, so to speak, “in line” create ideal soil for decomposition processes. The warm and moist environment of the body's interior is optimal for fermentation and decay. Decomposition by putrefactive bacteria leads to swelling of the intestinal contents. A similar picture can be observed when it rises in a warm corner of the kitchen. yeast dough. When the pressure in the dilated segment of the intestine exceeds a certain threshold, feces are forced through the inflamed loop with force.

Thus, the alternation of constipation and mushy, shapeless stools is caused by the described inflammatory processes and reflex narrowing of the affected area of the intestine.

Until the intestinal contents manage to pass through the bottleneck, there is no bowel movement for several days. At this time, stagnant feces decompose, undergoing fermentation and rotting, and, finally, internal pressure “breaks through” the narrowed loop. In this case, a larger or smaller portion of stool moves further and can be eliminated.

Violation of intestinal self-cleansing mechanisms

Fecal deposits on the intestinal walls over time lead to a serious disruption of its self-cleaning mechanisms. The action of goblet cells, which produce a protective film for the intestinal mucosa, also weakens. A layer of mucus that usually protects the mucous membrane from direct exposure to aggressive and toxic decay products and provides gliding and free passage feces, is no longer produced. Therefore, toxic substances formed during fermentation and decay can easily act on the mucous membrane.

Pasty stool. The softness of this shapeless stool is explained by the fact that it is loosened by the resulting gases. Many people consider mushy stools, which often have the appearance of flakes, to be normal for them.

Patients often rejoice at their “excellent” digestion when they have mushy stools once or even several times a day. Meanwhile this - a clear sign digestive disorders.

Due to the absence of a slippery film, fecal contamination adheres even more firmly to the mucous membrane. In such cases, the feces leave sticky marks on the toilet bowl that can only be removed by vigorous brushing. Unfortunately, we cannot perform such a procedure in the intestines. More and more feces are deposited there, week after week, year after year. Over time, these contaminants gradually become denser. Their consistency remains viscous at first, and then becomes hard. At times, real fecal stones form, which can reach the size of a cherry pit. These fecal stones are visible when X-ray examination intestine or colon endoscopy.

Intestinal contamination despite “good digestion”. In the stretched area of the intestine located in front of the inflamed area, more and more fecal residues are deposited over time. Both along the banks of wide rivers, where rotting algae and the remains of ship cargo accumulate over the years, more and more pollution accumulates in the recesses of the mucous membrane. In the middle of the intestinal canal, where active “transit” is still taking place, the mush from recently consumed food squeezes through the growths on the wall. And the person is fully confident that his digestion is all right.

But without expensive ones medical research it can be determined whether a person has an internal blockage. If fecal contamination sticks to the intestinal walls, the filled intestines fall down under the influence of gravity. There is a so-called "fecal belly"

If the natural microflora is severely damaged by indigestion, dangerous tenants can settle in the intestines - fungi, especially of the Candida albicans. Many people use these fungi for their own metabolism. nutrients, taking them from the body. In addition, fungi produce toxic metabolic products that impede the functioning of the liver. If fungi have “settled” in the intestines, then natural treatment methods alone are no longer enough, and you need to purposefully destroy them with fungicidal agents. If the treatments suggested here do not help your irritable bowel, you should get tested by a special laboratory for the presence of fungi. To help your irritable bowel, you can take the following steps on your own:

Make sure to maintain the acid-base balance in your body. Take enough bases in your diet to ensure your metabolism has enough material to produce digestive enzymes.

Take bases in the form of an alkaline powder. This will help your body produce more digestive juices for optimal digestion of food.

Avoid unhealthy, acidic foods, such as white refined sugar and its processed products: marmalade, cakes, chocolate, confectionery, ice cream and sugar-containing lemonades, as well as sweet liqueurs.

Use to sweeten food natural products- honey, maple syrup or thick pear juice. But don't forget that everything is good in moderation!

If you really want something sweet, eat some fresh fruit or a little dried fruit. This will accustom you to the perception of natural tastes.

Eat raw plant foods in small portions and chew them especially well. Do not eat such food in the evening. At night it will not be properly processed and will begin to ferment.

Eat calmly and chew your food thoroughly! The enzymes in saliva begin to process it. The harder you chew, the better they work. salivary glands and the more enzymes saliva contains. And the smaller the pieces of food that reach your intestines, the easier it is for digestive juices to completely digest them. As a result, the processes of fermentation and rotting will be insignificant.

Avoid vegetables that make your stomach bloat, such as legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and cabbage. Although they, like all vegetables in general, belong to alkaline products, however, they contain cell membranes fiber is broken down with great difficulty by digestive juices. Undigested residues cause severe fermentation in the lower intestines, which results in unpleasant flatulence. In addition, acidic metabolic products are formed, leading to painful inflammation of the intestinal wall.

Avoid carbonated drinks. “Quiet” is much more useful mineral water. During meals, do not drink a lot of liquid so as not to “dilute” digestive juices.

Take care of good digestion. Chronic constipation due to increased decomposition processes causes inflammation in the intestines. Good digestion is the first step to getting rid of your ailments.

Naturopathic Treatment for Irritable Bowel

Extends to irritable bowel general rule: ailments signal that there is a health problem, and it is not the symptoms that should be eliminated, but the causes.

Like many others gastrointestinal diseases, irritable bowel is not a fatal coincidence, but a consequence of errors in nutrition. Therefore, the treatment methods described below are not aimed at masking symptoms, which are important warning signals of the body, but at facilitating the transition to normal bowel function in a harmless and non-causing manner. side effects way.

Medicinal plants. If you suffer from flatulence and associated pain, then gentle treatment with medicinal plants will bring you relief.

The calming effect of fennel on the intestines was known back in the Middle Ages. Together with anise, it can be given in the form of tea even to small children. Another name for fennel is dill. You can buy specially prepared dill water from us.

Crushed cumin is very effective for flatulence. Its main active substance, carvone, relieves cramping abdominal pain and helps digest hard-to-digest foods. Coriander also contains essential oils, reducing flatulence and cramps in the intestines. For flatulence and cramping abdominal pain, the following herbal mixture is recommended:

Fennel – 30 g
Cumin (crushed) - 30 g
Coriander fruits - 30 g
Chamomile flowers – 10 g

2 teaspoons of the mixture per 250 ml of boiling water, leave for about 8 minutes, drink 1 glass half an hour before meals. If it is not possible to prepare tea, the corresponding extracts can be consumed in the form of drops. For example, a completely tested ready-made drug is Carminativum Hetterich. Along with mint and chamomile extracts, it contains extracts of fennel, cumin and orange peel.

Kneipp compresses. The antispasmodic effect of plants can be supported by a warm compress on the stomach. Moist heat relaxes irritated and painfully narrowed intestinal loops, making it easier for food to move through. In addition, exposure to heat improves blood circulation in the abdominal cavity and stimulates the production of digestive juices.

Homeopathy. Asa foetida (smelly ferula) D6. Severe flatulence due to chronic constipation. Cramping pain in the abdomen. The stool may be watery and foamy, or dark brown, sticky, and thick. In any case, its smell is extremely unpleasant and even stinking.

Argentum nitricum (silver nitrate) D6. Severe flatulence and cramps in the intestines after eating sweets. Due to strong fermentation, the stool is watery and somewhat mucous. It is released with loud gases. Intestinal disorders can also be caused by internal anxiety about upcoming events - for example, an exam or long trip on vacation.

Belladonna (belladonna) D6. The stomach is very swollen and reacts extremely sensitively to touch. Even slight concussion causes severe discomfort. The consistency of stool is variable with alternating frequent bowel movements and constipation.

Collinsonia Canadensis D4. Flatulence colic with chronic constipation with dry, lumpy stools. Stagnation of blood in the pelvic area often causes hemorrhoids. So sometimes patients feel like they have a plug in their rectum. Constipation alternates with spastic diarrhea. A yellow coating often appears on the tongue

Colocynthis cucumis (bitter pumpkin) D6. Unbearable, cutting, colicky pain in the lower abdomen, forcing the patient to “double up.” After bowel movements and passing gases, patients also feel better. Irritation or fear can make the disease worse.

Nux vomica (chilibuha, vomiting nut) D6. Flatulence colic, ultimately associated with the patient's hectic pace of life. He eats quickly, chews food poorly, acidifies the body with acid-containing irritants and stimulants (coffee, nicotine, strong alcoholic drinks) and, under “professional” stress, leads a sedentary lifestyle. He suffers from chronic constipation, often with hemorrhoids. With great effort, a little feces are released, and there is a feeling that not everything worked out.

Acupuncture. In Chinese medicine, the picture of irritable bowel complaints is viewed in two ways: as a disadvantage vitality(lack of “Qi”) in the functional circle “spleen - pancreas” and as a violation of the free flow of energy along the liver meridian.

The spleen in Chinese medicine is given a different meaning than in ours. It is responsible for the digestive function of the body, for its ability to break down and process ingested food into substances suitable for it. The weakening of vital energy in the functional circle “spleen - pancreas” indicates a decrease in the body’s digestive ability. Appetite disappears, flatulence and soft, mushy stools appear. Feces may sometimes contain undigested food debris. It happens that poor digestion of food causes diarrhea.

The second violation is that Vital energy can no longer flow unhindered along the liver meridian. The task of the liver, according to Chinese doctors, is to ensure normal blood circulation. As a storage organ, at night, in the resting stage, it absorbs blood and cleanses it of poisons. During the day, during physical activity human, it gives the required amount of blood to the organs of the body. The liver is also responsible for the free flow of bile. If liver function is impaired, flatulence may occur with sharp colicky pain in the abdominal area. Liver dysfunction, according to the views Chinese medicine, also causes an angry mood. Therefore, people with liver disease are prone to irritability.

Managing Symbiosis

Toxic substances released during fermentation and decay processes destroy the beneficial inhabitants of the intestines. Its natural microflora, which has great importance for effective immune protection, it needs to reproduce under certain conditions. If the normal environment in the intestines is disrupted, healthy microflora dies. As a result, rotting pathogens that decompose underdigested food multiply rapidly.

Taking strengthening medications containing natural intestinal bacteria restores the ecological balance in the intestines. At the same time, the survivor beneficial microflora receives, so to speak, “support from above.” Suitable drugs:

Omniflora, Mutaflor, Padoflor, drops Eugalan forte LC Rephalysin Colibiogen. In pharmacies you can buy bifidumbacterin, bactisuptil, lactobacterin.

Mayr procedures. The F. C. Mayr Colon Cleanse is the most thorough and comprehensive method that naturopathy has to offer for the treatment of irritable bowel.

A specific diet, adapted to the constitutional characteristics of the patient, spares the intestines, and it can regenerate. As a result, inflammation in spastically narrowed intestinal loops subsides, and the movement of food gruel through the intestines no longer causes problems.

The unhindered movement of food gruel eliminates stagnation of feces and its deposition on the intestinal walls. It moves through the intestines continuously and evenly.

Due to recovery acid-base balance During Mayr's treatment, digestive juices are produced in sufficient quantities. Thanks to this, food is completely digested. The glands of the intestinal mucosa resume their activity, creating a film of mucus, which is so important for the easy passage of feces through the intestines, as well as for protecting the mucous membrane itself.

Feces or chair, or excreta, or feces(lat. faeces) - the contents of the lower parts of the colon, removed from the body during bowel movements. Feces are the final product of digestion, resulting from complex biochemical processes in the gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that feces are formed from chyme in the large intestine.

The daily amount of feces in healthy people can vary markedly. Plant foods increase the amount of feces, animal foods reduce them. With a mixed diet, the daily amount of feces usually does not exceed 190-200 g.

The original stool of newborn babies is called meconium. Black, tarry feces with a foul odor are called melena.

The medical scale of forms of human feces, which includes 7 gradations of the type of feces, from hardened dark lumps to watery slurry, is called “”.

Characteristics of feces healthy person

Normal stool has a dense consistency and a cylindrical shape. A large number of Plant foods in the diet make the stool thick and mushy. Stool may have a thin, mushy or watery consistency if you drink a lot of water.

The color of stool with a normal mixed diet is dark brown, with a meat diet - black-brown, with a vegetarian diet - light brown, with a dairy diet - light brown or light yellow. Taking bismuth and bismuth-containing medications (De-Nol, Ventrisol, Novobismol, Pilocid, Vikanol Life, Bismuth tripotassium dicitrate, Vitridinol, Ulcavis, Escape, Tribimol, Gastro-norm, Pepto-Bismol) makes the stool black. Iron gives stool a black color with a greenish tint. Sorrel and spinach give the stool a greenish tint, pork - a reddish tint. Blueberries and black currant stains stool black or black-brown.

The stool is usually soft, bad smell, which is due to the presence in it of indole, skatole, phenol, creasols and other substances formed as a result of bacterial breakdown of proteins.

Feces should normally not contain mucus, blood, pus, or food debris.

Microorganisms in the feces of a healthy person

Qualitative and quantitative composition of the main microflora of the colon in a healthy person in colony-forming units (CFU) in terms of 1 g of feces (according to OST 91500.11.0004-2003 “Protocol for the management of patients. Intestinal dysbiosis”):

Types of microorganisms	*Age, years*
Types of microorganisms	less than 1	1–60	more than 60
Bifidobacteria ( Bifidobacterium)	10 10 –10 11	10 9 –10 10	10 8 –10 9
Lactobacilli ( Lactobacillus)	10 6 –10 7	10 7 –10 8	10 6 –10 7
Bacteroides ( Bacteroides)	10 7 –10 8	10 9 –10 10	10 10 –10 11
Enterococci ( Enterococcus)	10 5 –10 7	10 5 –10 8	10 6 – 10 7
Fusobacteria ( Fusobacterium)	<10 6	10 8 –10 9	10 8 –10 9
Eubacteria ( Eubacterium)	10 6 –10 7	10 9 –10 10	10 9 –10 10
Peptostreptococci ( Peptostreptococcus)	<10 5	10 9 –10 10	10 10
Clostridia ( Clostridium)	⩽10 3	⩽10 5	⩽10 6
E. coli ( Escherichia coli) typical	10 7 –10 8	10 7 –10 8	10 7 –10 8
Lactose-negative E. coli	<10 5	<10 5	<10 5
Hemolytic Escherichia coli	0	0	0
Other opportunistic bacteria: Klebsiella ( Klebsiella), enterobacter ( Enterobacter), hafnium ( Hafnia), serratia ( Serratia), proteus ( Proteus), morganella ( Morganella), providence ( Providencia), citrobacter ( Citrobacter) and others	<10 4	<10 4	<10 4
Staphylococcus aureus ( Staphylococcus aureus)	0	0	0
Staphylococcus saprophytic ( Staphylococcus saprophyticus) and epidermal ( Staphylococcus epidermidis)	⩽10 4	⩽10 4	⩽10 4
Mushrooms of the genus Candida	⩽10 3	⩽10 4	⩽10 4
Non-fermenting bacteria: pseudomonas ( Pseudomonas), Acinetobacter ( Acinetobacter) and others	⩽10 3	⩽10 4	⩽10 4

Fungi are found in the stool of approximately 65-70% of healthy people Candida albican(Burova S.A.)

Stool acidity

The acidity of the feces of a healthy person eating a mixed diet is determined by the vital activity of the colon microflora and is equal to 6.8–7.6 pH. Stool acidity is considered normal in the range from 6.0 to 8.0 pH. The acidity of meconium is about 6 pH. Deviations from the norm for stool acidity:

sharply acidic (pH less than 5.5) occurs with fermentative dyspepsia
acidic (pH from 5.5 to 6.7) may be due to impaired absorption of fatty acids in the small intestine
alkaline (pH from 8.0 to 8.5) may be due to the rotting of food proteins not digested in the stomach and small intestine and inflammatory exudate as a result of activation of putrefactive microflora and the formation of ammonia and other alkaline components in the large intestine
sharply alkaline (pH more than 8.5) occurs with putrefactive dyspepsia (colitis)

About constipation, diarrhea, fecal incontinence

You can read more about constipation: Recommendations of the American Gastroenterological Association “Constipation. The crux of the problem." Part I and Part II, “Constipation. Practical guide of the World Organization of Gastroenterology", "Nutrition in children with constipation", "Non-drug measures for constipation", "10 tips from the American College of Gastroenterology for constipation and fecal incontinence" and the article "Constipation".

About fecal incontinence: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services resource "Fecal Incontinence."

Feces in children with various diseases

In the first day or two of life, healthy newborns secrete meconium - feces, which is a thick, viscous mass of dark olive color, odorless, accumulated in the intestines before the birth of the child, before the first application to the breast. The absence of epithelial cells in meconium may be a sign of intestinal obstruction in a newborn. The admixture of meconium in the amniotic fluid at the beginning of labor indicates intrauterine asphyxia. Feces in breast-fed children of the first year of life are mushy, golden-yellow in color with a slightly acidic odor. The number of bowel movements is up to 7 times a day in the first half of the year, and 2–3 times a day in the second. With artificial feeding, the stool is thicker, putty-like consistency, light yellow in color, with an unpleasant odor, the number of bowel movements is 3-4 times a day for up to six months and 1-2 times a day for up to a year. In older children, feces are shaped (sausage-type), dark brown in color, and do not contain pathological impurities (mucus, blood). Bowel movements occur 1–2 times a day. With various diseases, the nature of the stool changes, they are distinguished:

dyspeptic stool, liquid with an admixture of mucus, greens, white lumps, foamy, sourish odor, occurs with simple dyspepsia - “fermentative dyspepsia”
“hungry” stool, scanty, reminiscent of dyspeptic stool, but thicker, darker, occurs with malnutrition
stool with toxic dyspepsia is watery, light yellow in color with an admixture of mucus
with colienteritis, the stool is liquid, ocher-yellow, less often greenish, mixed with mucus and white lumps
with salmonellosis, the stool is liquid, swamp green in color, there is a small amount of mucus, there is no blood
with dysentery, stools are frequent (up to 15 times), contain a large amount of mucus, pus and streaks of blood, there is almost no feces, defecation is accompanied by tenesmus
with typhoid fever, the stool is frequent (up to 10 times), liquid, fetid, in the form of pea puree, occasionally containing an admixture of bile
with cholera, stool is almost continuous (up to 100 times a day), copious, in the form of rice water, never contains blood
in case of food poisoning, the stool is liquid, frequent, profuse, greenish-yellow in color with an admixture of mucus, rarely streaked with blood
with amoebiasis, stools are frequent, raspberry jelly-colored
with giardiasis, stool 3-4 times a day, yellow-green in color, soft consistency
with viral hepatitis, the stool is acholic, gray-clay colored, without pathological impurities
Malabsorption syndromes are characterized by polyfecalia, when the amount of feces exceeds 2% of the food eaten and liquid drunk. This syndrome is observed with disaccharide deficiency (lactose and sucrose), celiac disease (gluten intolerance, gliadin), cow's milk protein intolerance,

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Unstable chair

Almost every patient who has encountered disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract reports the occurrence of various types of stool disorders ( unstable chair). Such a disorder is caused by frequent changes in constipation and diarrhea, changes in the color and amount of feces, which significantly depletes the patient’s body and makes it difficult to treat the underlying disease.

It is worth noting that unstable stool is most often associated with intestinal diseases, however, problems with the stomach, liver and pancreas can also cause stool disorders.

Stool instability against the background of improper functioning of the stomach is associated with the intensity of its secretion of digestive juices. If the stomach produces them in excess (occurs when gastritis, stomach ulcer), then most likely the patient will be bothered by constipation. With gastritis, unstable stool will be pronounced - there may be no stool for 3-4 days (less often - a week), the patient feels pain during bowel movements, but during remission of the underlying disease, there are no problems with stool.

When diagnosed with a stomach ulcer constipation may be accompanied by significant pain along the large intestine (more often in the lower abdomen, on the left and/or right). The reason is that the acidic gastric contents from the stomach entering the intestines irritate the walls of the organ, resulting in noticeable spasms. Along with spasms and constipation, the quality of stool leaving changes - the amount of exiting masses decreases significantly, taking on the appearance of “sheep feces”.

For diseases of the stomach with reduced production of gastric juice ( chronic gastritis, stomach tumors), on the contrary, stool becomes more frequent and the patient regularly experiences diarrhea. This is due to the fact that food is not sufficiently processed by juices and enters the intestines almost in its original form. Diarrhea is an increase in bowel movements up to 2-3 times a day, which is naturally not the norm. With diarrhea associated with a decrease in the secretion of gastric juice, the feces do not change qualitatively - there are no impurities in the masses, and its quantity does not increase.

With unstable secretion of gastric juices (periods of exacerbation and remission of stomach diseases, periods of initiation of treatment for such diseases), unstable stools are most pronounced, constipation and diarrhea very often alternate.

But still, the main reason for the development of unstable stools is intestinal diseases, this is due to the fact that it is this organ that is responsible for the digestion, absorption and final formation of feces.

Among intestinal diseases, which can provoke the development of fecal disorders, the following are distinguished:

Inflammation of the small intestine - chronic enteritis- (causes frequent bowel movements, 2-3 times a day with unformed feces in the form of liquid porridge of golden yellow color);

Chronic inflammatory processes in the colon - colitis, enterocolitis- (the stool is unstable: constipation alternates with diarrhea; during constipation, the feces look like sheep's: it is very dry and is excreted in small portions, sometimes with an admixture of blood or mucus; with diarrhea: stool can be up to 10-15 times a day, emptying cause rumbling, flatulence and severe cramping pain in the lower abdomen).

Functional disorders in the colon - irritable bowel syndrome- (the stool is disturbed in the direction of constipation, from minor to persistent and prolonged, with severe pain and significant discomfort - emptying seems incomplete, unsatisfactory).

Intestinal vascular disorders - hemorrhoids, anal fissures- (the stool is disturbed in the direction of constipation: severe pain during defecation forces patients to be forced to restrain the act of bowel movement, which over time leads to chronic constipation: hard stool, sometimes mixed with blood).

Nervous shocks - stress- (severe stress shocks can provoke one-time cases of diarrhea).

What diseases cause unstable stools:

Which doctors should you contact if you experience unstable stools:

Gastroenterologist
- Therapist
- Proctologist

Are you worried about Unsteady stools? Do you want to know more detailed information or do you need an inspection? You can make an appointment with a doctor– clinic Eurolab always at your service! The best doctors will examine you, study external signs and help you identify the disease by symptoms, advise you and provide the necessary assistance. you also can call a doctor at home. Clinic Eurolab open for you around the clock.

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If you have previously performed any research, Be sure to take their results to a doctor for consultation. If the studies have not been performed, we will do everything necessary in our clinic or with our colleagues in other clinics.

Do you have unstable stools? It is necessary to take a very careful approach to your overall health. People don't pay enough attention symptoms of diseases and do not realize that these diseases can be life-threatening. There are many diseases that at first do not manifest themselves in our body, but in the end it turns out that, unfortunately, it is too late to treat them. Each disease has its own specific signs, characteristic external manifestations - the so-called symptoms of the disease. Identifying symptoms is the first step in diagnosing diseases in general. To do this, you just need to do it several times a year. be examined by a doctor, in order not only to prevent a terrible disease, but also to maintain a healthy spirit in the body and the organism as a whole.

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If you are interested in any other symptoms of diseases and signs of human diseases, or you have any other questions and suggestions, write to us, we will definitely try to help you.

Our stool can tell a lot about our health. The shape and types of feces help to recognize what is happening inside the body. When our intestines are healthy, then our stool should be normal. If, however, sometimes you notice occasional cases of unhealthy feces, do not sound the alarm, it depends on the diet. But if the symptoms become regular, you need to see a doctor, get tested and undergo the prescribed examination.

What should stool be like?

Normally, stool is considered normal if it has the consistency of toothpaste. It should be soft, brown, 10-20 cm long. Defecation should occur without much strain, easily. Small deviations from this description should not immediately cause alarm. Stool (or feces) can change depending on lifestyle and dietary errors. Beets give the output a red color, and fatty foods make the stool foul-smelling, too soft and floating. You need to be able to independently evaluate all the characteristics (shape, color, consistency, buoyancy), let's talk about this in more detail.

Color

Types of stool vary in color. It can be brown (healthy color), red, green, yellow, white, black:

Red color. This color may result from ingesting food coloring or beets. In other cases, the stool becomes red due to bleeding in the lower intestine. Everyone's biggest fear is cancer, but this can often be associated with diverticulitis or hemorrhoids.
Green color. A sign of the presence of bile. Stool moving too quickly through the intestines does not have time to turn brown. A green tint is a consequence of taking iron supplements or antibiotics, eating large amounts of greens rich in chlorophyll, or supplements such as wheatgrass, chlorella, spirulina. Dangerous causes of green stool are celiac disease or syndrome
Yellow. Yellow feces are a sign of infection. This also indicates gallbladder dysfunction, when there is not enough bile and excess fat appears.
White color feces are a sign of diseases such as hepatitis, bacterial infection, cirrhosis, pancreatitis, cancer. The cause may be gallstones. Stool does not stain due to bile obstruction. The white color of feces can be considered harmless if the day before you took barium before an x-ray examination.
Black color or dark green indicates possible bleeding in the upper intestine. A sign is considered harmless if it is a consequence of consuming certain foods (lots of meat, dark vegetables) or iron.

Form

The shape of your stool can also tell you a lot about your internal health. Thin stool (resembling a pencil) should alert you. Perhaps some kind of obstruction is blocking the passage in the lower part of the intestine or there is pressure from the outside on the colon. This could be some kind of neoplasm. In this case, it is necessary to perform a colonoscopy to exclude a diagnosis such as cancer.

Hard and small feces indicate the presence of constipation. The cause may be an inadequate diet that excludes fiber. You need to eat foods high in fiber, do physical exercise, take flaxseed or psyllium husk - all this helps improve intestinal motility and ease stools.

Stool that is too soft and clings to the toilet contains too much oil. This indicates that the body does not absorb it well. You may even notice oil droplets floating. In this case, it is necessary to check the condition of the pancreas.

In small doses, mucus in the stool is normal. But if there is too much of it, it may indicate the presence of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

Other characteristics

According to its characteristics, feces in an adult are directly related to lifestyle and nutrition. What causes an unpleasant odor? Pay attention to what you've been eating more frequently lately. A foul odor is also associated with taking certain medications and can manifest itself as a symptom of some kind of inflammatory process. In cases of food absorption disorders (Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease), this symptom also appears.

Floating stool in itself should not be a cause for concern. If the floating stool has a very unpleasant odor or contains a lot of fat, this is a symptom of poor absorption of nutrients in the intestines. In this case, body weight is quickly lost.

A coprogram is...

Chyme, or food gruel, moves through the gastrointestinal tract and fecal masses are formed in the large intestine. At all stages, breakdown occurs, and then absorption of useful substances occurs. The composition of the stool helps determine whether there are any abnormalities in the internal organs. helps identify a variety of diseases. A coprogram is the conduct of chemical, macroscopic, microscopic studies, after which a detailed description of the feces is given. Coprograms can identify certain diseases. These may be disorders of the stomach, pancreas, intestines; inflammatory processes in the digestive tract, dysbiosis, malabsorption, colitis.

Bristol scale

English doctors at the Royal Hospital in Bristol have developed a simple but unique scale that characterizes all the main types of feces. Its creation was the result of the fact that experts were faced with the problem that people are reluctant to open up about this topic; embarrassment prevents them from talking in detail about their stool. Based on the developed drawings, it became very easy to independently characterize your own bowel movements without any embarrassment or awkwardness. Currently, the Bristol Stool Shape Scale is used throughout the world to assess the functioning of the digestive system. For many, printing a table (types of feces) on the wall in your own toilet is nothing more than a way to monitor your health.

1st type. Sheep feces

It is called so because it is shaped like hard balls and resembles sheep feces. If for animals this is a normal result of intestinal function, then for humans such stool is an alarm signal. Sheep pellets are a sign of constipation and dysbacteriosis. Hard feces can cause hemorrhoids, damage to the anus, and even lead to intoxication of the body.

2nd type. Thick sausage

What does the appearance of stool indicate? This is also a sign of constipation. Only in this case are bacteria and fibers present in the mass. It takes several days to form such a sausage. Its thickness exceeds the width of the anus, so emptying is difficult and can lead to cracks and tears, hemorrhoids. It is not recommended to self-prescribe laxatives, as sudden release of feces can be very painful.

3rd type. Sausage with cracks

Very often people consider such stools to be normal, because they pass easily. But make no mistake. Hard sausage is also a sign of constipation. When defecating, you have to strain, which means there is a possibility of anal fissures. In this case, it is possible that there is

4th type. Ideal chair

The diameter of the sausage or snake is 1-2 cm, the feces are smooth, soft, and easily amenable to pressure. Regular bowel movements once a day.

5th type. Soft balls

This type is even better than the previous one. A few soft pieces form and come out gently. Usually occurs with a large meal. Stool several times a day.

6th type. Unshaped chair

The feces come out in pieces, but unformed, with torn edges. It comes out easily without hurting the anus. This is not diarrhea yet, but it is already a condition close to it. The causes of this type of stool can be laxative medications, increased blood pressure, excessive consumption of spices, and mineral water.

7th type. Loose stool

Watery stools that do not include any particles. Diarrhea requiring identification of causes and treatment. This is an abnormal condition of the body that needs treatment. There can be many reasons: fungi, infections, allergies, poisoning, liver and stomach diseases, poor diet, helminths and even stress. In this case, you should not postpone your visit to the doctor.

The act of defecation

Each organism is characterized by an individual frequency of bowel movements. Normally, this is from three times a day to three bowel movements a week. Ideally - once a day. Many factors affect our intestinal motility, and this should not be a cause for concern. Traveling, nervous tension, diet, taking certain medications, illness, surgery, childbirth, physical activity, sleep, hormonal changes - all this can be reflected in our stool. It is worth paying attention to how the act of defecation occurs. If excessive efforts are made, this indicates certain problems in the body.

Feces in children

Many mothers are interested in what baby’s stool should be like. It is worth paying special attention to this factor, since gastrointestinal diseases are especially severe at an early age. At the first suspicion, you should contact your pediatrician immediately.

In the first days after birth, meconium (dark color) comes out of the body. During the first three days, it begins to mix in. On the 4-5th day, feces completely replace meconium. During breastfeeding, golden-yellow stool is a sign of the presence of bilirubin, paste-like, homogeneous, and has an acidic reaction. At the 4th month, bilirubin is gradually replaced by stercobilin.

Types of feces in children

With various pathologies, there are several types of feces in children, which you need to know about in order to prevent various diseases and unpleasant consequences in time.

"Hungry" feces. The color is black, the smell is unpleasant. Occurs with improper feeding or fasting.
Acholic feces. Whitish-gray color, discolored, clayey. With epidemic hepatitis, biliary atresia.
Putrefactive. Pasty, dirty gray, with an unpleasant odor. Occurs during protein feeding.
Soapy. Silvery, shiny, soft, with mucus. When feeding with undiluted cow's milk.
Fatty feces. With a sour odor, whitish, a little mucus. When consuming excess fat.

Constipation. Gray color, hard consistency, putrid odor.
Watery yellow stool. When breastfeeding due to a lack of nutrients in mother's milk.
Pasty, thin stool, yellow color. It is formed due to excessive feeding of cereals (for example, semolina).
Feces for dyspepsia. With mucus, coagulated, yellow-green in color. Occurs when there is an eating disorder.

anonymous, Male, 29 years old

Hello. About three months ago I began to notice a change in the shape of my stool. He became a little flattened. After some time, it became thin, like a ribbon. After some more time, it seemed to be shaped almost like a sausage, but the edges were slightly flattened. Then again ribbon-like. For some time there was constipation, or rather a feeling of incomplete emptying, then again it was almost complete. There is no blood in the stool. There is undigested food, especially fruits and vegetables. This is how I suffer from various doubts. I thought it was cancer. Three times, once a month, I took a general blood test, all indicators were normal. Hemoglabin 150, ESR-7, leukocytes 4.66. Sometimes I feel itching in the anal area, sometimes it’s difficult to push. Then again I seem to walk easily, but not quite like a sausage. It can be easier to go after physical work than after a sedentary day. For some time I had stomach pain in the area of the nerve node. I took pancreatin and omeprazole, the pain seemed to go away. Pain in the intestinal region does not bother me at all. I consulted with a paramedic about blood tests, she said that with such an analysis there is unlikely to be oncology, and the cause should be looked for elsewhere. Please tell me if she is right about my symptoms and the results of blood tests? And what could it be?

anonymously

Thank you very much for the detailed answer! I recently had a medical examination. Donated blood for cholesterol, glucose, clinical. I also took a urine test. Everything is okay. Previously, I tested feces for eggworm testing, but nothing was found either.

anonymously

Thank you very much for the detailed answer! Can the diseases you listed be painless? The fact is that I don’t have any pain, I don’t have diarrhea, I feel good. The only concerns are slight itching in the anus, sometimes a burning sensation after defecation, during which you have to strain, and the shape of the feces, which most likely affects the psychological and emotional state, but not as painful. And another question, I read on the same Internet that an increased ESR, low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cells can indicate possible cancer. These indicators are normal for me, I feel good, I haven’t lost any weight, I eat well, no one in my family has ever had cancer, I have never smoked or drank alcohol, is it possible to rule out oncology based on this, or are these indicators in no way affect cancer, and it can develop even with excellent tests and health? It is very important for me to rule out oncology. The rest seems to be not so dangerous and can be treated.

Hello! Get examined by a coloproctologist. Your blood flow levels are normal and if you have no complaints, then you don’t have cancer, don’t worry. To be completely sure, you can donate blood for tumor markers (CA 72-4, CA 19-9, CA 242, CEA, AFP). Sincerely, Adelshina L.R.

anonymously

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer me! To be honest, you calmed me down, otherwise I had read on the Internet about ribbon-shaped stools, and that these were symptoms of cancer; I was depressed and stressed. And my complaints are mainly about ribbon-shaped stools, and then only on a psycho-emotional level. I'll follow your advice. I will donate blood and contact a specialist on this issue to resolve all doubts.

anonymously

This is most likely, since sometimes there is constipation, sometimes the anus itches, sometimes there is a burning sensation, when washing you feel that the anus seems to be slightly swollen and protruding, but almost immediately goes back. Can you please tell me a remedy for the prevention and treatment of hemorrhoids? I was told that baths with thyme help a lot. It’s just that my work is all on the road, and it’s very difficult to get to the doctor. Sometimes there is simply no time, and sometimes you have to make an appointment with some specialists half a year in advance.

First of all, you need to achieve daily bowel movements without straining. Those. There should be no constipation. In your diet, pay attention to fermented milk products, dried fruits, boiled and raw vegetables, vegetable oils, herbs, cereals, and nuts. For hemorrhoids, it is advisable to limit as much as possible hot, spicy, salty, fried foods, rich meat broths, mushrooms, legumes, black bread, fresh milk, sweet carbonated drinks, strong alcohol, strong tea and coffee, turnips, radishes, sorrel, and semi-finished products. After each act of defecation, it is better to wash yourself and lubricate the anal area and the lower part of the rectum with relief ointment. Place a rectal suppository at night (proctosedyl, hepatrombin G, ultraproct) for 7-10 days. The simplest and safest candles are sea buckthorn candles. But you definitely need to see a doctor! Sincerely, Adelshina L.R.

anonymously

Thank you very much for your complete and detailed answers! For your responsiveness, understanding, for getting into the situation and taking the time to answer! I will definitely use your advice! Good luck to you in your work and a quick recovery to your patients!