Changes in Bowel Habits/Stool Should Be Tracked

Changes in the color, consistency, and frequency of bowel movements is known as a "change in bowel habits." Stool changes color with changes in diet, but also with various medical conditions. Stool color may also be associated with bloody stool (causing varying degrees of color change to the stool), mucus stool, and also with related symptoms such as black stool, stool odor or other stool symptoms. Seek prompt professional medical advice about such symptoms.

Color - You should be concerned if your stools are deep red, black, or "tarry." This can indicate that there’s blood in the stool. Small amounts of bright red blood on stool or toilet paper are probably due to a scratch in the rectal area or caused by hemorrhoids and generally should not cause concern. However, if more than a few bright red streaks are visible in the stool or on the toilet paper, you should notify your health care provider.


Consistency — Stools should be soft and pass easily. Hard, dry stools might be a sign of constipation. As indicated below, you should notify your health care provider if constipation lasts longer than two weeks.

If stool becomes impacted or lodged in the rectum, mucus and fluid will leak out around the stool, leading to fecal incontinence. Call your health care provider if you have mucous or fluid leakage from the rectum.

Watery, loose stools that increase in frequency are a sign of diarrhea. If abdominal pain or severe discomfort accompanies diarrhea and is not relieved by the passage of stools or gas, call your health care provider. Also call your health care provider if:

• Diarrhea is accompanied by fever of 101 degrees or higher, chills, vomiting, or fainting.
• Severe diarrhea lasts longer than two days in an adult, one day in a child under age 3, or eight hours in an infant under six months.
• Mild diarrhea continues for one to two weeks without obvious cause.

Frequency — The normal length of time between bowel movements ("stools") ranges widely from person to person. Some people have bowel movements three times a day; others only once or twice a week.

Going longer than three days without having a bowel movement is too long. After three days, the stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass. Constipation then occurs as bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. If you have constipation for more than two weeks, you should see a doctor so he or she can determine the source of your problem and treat it.

Only a small minority of patients with constipation have a more serious medical problem (such as poor function of the thyroid gland, diabetes, or colon cancer). For a patient who has colon cancer, early detection and treatment might be life-saving.

If you have unexplained, sudden urges to have a bowel movement, you should also contact your health care provider. This could be a sign of a mass in the rectum.

In some cases, an unusual stool color is harmless and can be attributed to a particular food or medication—but not always. Changes in bowel habits that persist can be a serious matter and should always be investigated by a physician. Black or red stools can indicate internal bleeding somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.