Often, stool could also be flat, squarish, or stringy. That is hardly ever a trigger for concern.
Poop ought to usually resemble the place from which it comes: the intestines. It’s usually barely rounded, like a sausage, and clean, with some cracks on the floor.
It may be regarding if stools are all of a sudden not “regular.” More often than not, nevertheless, a change within the look is short-lived and nothing to fret about.
Non permanent adjustments to the form or coloration of stool are widespread and never essentially an indication of sickness.
Generally, they stem from the particular person’s food plan. For instance, meals containing colorings can change the color of poop. An extra of fatty meals can result in oily or greasy poop, and consuming too little fiber can likewise give stool an uncommon look.
Learn more about different types of poop here.
If the adjustments solely final for one or two bowel actions, and even a few days, they’re doubtless no trigger for concern.
Nevertheless, if adjustments in stool form or coloration last more or accompany different signs, the trigger could also be an underlying situation that requires medical consideration.
Whereas adjustments within the coloration or look of stool typically stem from the food plan and are momentary, some underlying well being points could cause extra lasting adjustments.
Under, we describe some circumstances which will trigger flat poop:
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) refers to a bunch of gastrointestinal signs that happen with none seen indicators of injury or illness within the digestive system.
Signs
Remedy could embody:
Learn more about the signs of IBS here.
Constipation
Constipation entails having fewer bowel actions than traditional or having arduous stool that’s troublesome to move.
Signs
Remedy could include:
Find home remedies for constipation here.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is the passage of unfastened or watery stools
Signs
Remedy could contain:
- taking over-the-counter diarrhea treatment
- treating the underlying trigger
- changing misplaced fluids and electrolytes
Learn how to stop diarrhea fast here.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) refers to an enlargement of the prostate. It normally impacts urination, however it will possibly additionally have an effect on the colon and trigger stringy or flat stool.
Signs include:
- a persistent feeling that the bladder is full, even proper after urinating
- trouble urinating
- needing to push or pressure to urinate
Remedy could embody:
- keeping track of the signs and notifying the physician of any adjustments
- taking prescription treatment
- present process surgery
Colorectal most cancers
Adjustments within the form of stool could be one signal of colon or rectal most cancers. If a tumor grows in both space, it will possibly change the form of the bowel, and so trigger stool to be flat or skinny and pencil-like.
Signs
Remedy could embody:
- surgical procedure, to take away the cancerous cells
radiofrequency ablation , which entails killing these cells with a probe containing tiny electrodes- cryosurgery, which freezes and destroys the irregular tissue
- chemotherapy, which entails stopping most cancers’s development with medicine
radiation therapy , which entails utilizing high-energy X-rays, for instance, to kill cancerous cells or hold them from rising.- focused remedy, which entails attacking cancerous cells, with out harming common cells, utilizing medicine or different substances
- immunotherapy, which entails utilizing the immune system to struggle the most cancers
You will need to keep in mind that the sooner a health care provider diagnoses most cancers, the higher the chance of profitable therapy.
Learn more about colorectal cancer here.
Different potential causes
Something which will trigger the colon or rectum to slender might also trigger flat poop. These points embody:
The very best method is dependent upon the reason for the difficulty. Some dwelling care strategies contain:
Fiber
If constipation causes flat stool, consuming extra fiber-rich meals can assist.
Meals with excessive fiber contents embody entire grains and plenty of vegatables and fruits. Go away the skins on, when potential.
Learn about high fiber foods here.
Water
Ingesting numerous water can ease the passage of stool, making it much less prone to be flat.
Learn about the symptoms of dehydration here.
Train
Some evidence means that gentle bodily exercise can have a optimistic influence on gastrointestinal issues.
Strolling, jogging, biking, swimming, rowing, lifting weights, and collaborating in organized sports activities can all
Low FODMAP food plan
Flat poop is never a trigger for concern. Nevertheless, search medical recommendation if any of the next signs happen:
- blood in stool
- darkish stool
- pus or mucus in stool
- a high fever
- belly ache or cramping
- sudden, extended constipation
- pooping roughly typically than traditional
- drastic adjustments within the consistency of stool
Total, if skinny or flat stool happens for greater than 3 days, even with none of the above signs, contact a health care provider.
Bowel actions naturally fluctuate from everyday, and these momentary adjustments are normally nothing to fret about.
Nevertheless, extended adjustments can point out an underlying well being difficulty. If flat poop happens for greater than 3 days, search medical recommendation. It might be clever to take action earlier if there are different signs.
