If Your Poop Looks Like This, It's Time To See A Doctor

It can be pretty, um, crappy dealing with bowel issues.

Figuring out what’s normal and what isn’t can be a challenge if you don’t know what to look for. Stools come in all shapes and sizes and can shift forms depending on what you’re eating or what is going on in your life at the moment.

“ Bowel movements change from person to person depending on his or her diet, physical activity, how much water they consume and what medications they take,” said M. Nuri Kalkay , a retired gastroenterologist and health blogger.

Everyone has their own barometer of how often their body is used to going and what a typical stool looks like for them. But what if things change and you see something beyond the norm in the toilet? We chatted with some experts to determine what bowel habits are aren’t so ordinary and might require a trip to the doctor.

Black and/or tarry stools

Jeffery M. Nelson , surgical director at the Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases at Baltimore’s Mercy Medical Center, said if your poop is black, “not just dark brown,” you should be concerned.

“This means bleeding is happening from an upper GI source like the esophagus, stomach or small bowel,” he explained.

There are some exceptions to this: If you’re taking iron supplements, for example, your stools may appear dark green to the point where they almost look black. If you’ve taken bismuth medication like Pepto Bismol, that can also make your stools look almost black. It’s always best to check with a doctor if you’re unsure.

Bright red blood in your stools

If you find blood in your stool either by itself on the toilet paper, in the water or streaked in the stools, this can indicate a bleeding source from the anal canal or a low rectal source.

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