Doctor has message for anyone who notices stool getting stuck to toilet bowl
Three experts have shared their advice on what 'sticky stools' can tell you about your health
Rhiannon Ingle
The great thing about humans is that we're all extremely unique and different to one another. Some of us may, ahem, do our business and meticulously inspect every single facet of it, while others may simply never think twice about it before flushing it on its merry way.
Obviously, no one's going to blame you for not wanting to deal with your own faecal matter any longer than absolutely necessary - but there are some things doctors have said are important to be mindful of when it comes to answering nature's call.
For starters, experts have warned you to go to the doctor immediately if your dumps are a certain colour, why you should never hold in your poo and what narrow stools could mean for your health, but now a doctor has issued a message for anyone who notices their stool getting stuck to the toilet bowl.
The likes of Dr Asma Khapra, a gastroenterologist at Gastro Health in Fairfax, Virginia, and the chief medical officer at Pandora Health, have explained all we need to know about our 'stickier' number twos, along with two other experts on the subject.
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"I wouldn’t say that if poop sticks to the bowl that it’s any type of emergency," she assured. "Poop sticking to the bowl could just be a normal variant."
While there may be nothing to be concerned about, it may be an indication that your diet is high in fat.
"Sticky stool can be caused by excess fat in the stool, a condition called steatorrhea, which can occur when the body isn’t absorbing fat properly," added Dr. Brynna Connor, health care ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com, to the Huffington Post.
Dr Connor did, however, note that sticky poop could be a sign of celiac disease or pancreatitis. Equally, it might simply be due to the medication you’re taking that affects fat absorption.
She added that just one high-fat meal can cause a sticky stool, or it may be that your fibre intake is too low.
"If you notice your poop sticking to the bowl, you can try increasing your fibre intake through fruit, vegetables, and/or whole grains, adequately hydrating, and/or cutting back on ultra-processed, fatty foods for a week, monitoring any changes that occur," she recommended.
If you continuously notice 'sticky poo' after a week of making changes in your diet, it's always a good shout to check in with your doctor - just to be on the safe side.
Additionally, if you find your faeces is sticky and black or tar-like, then you may want to listen up.
Again, this might be nothing to worry about with Dr Connor explaining that iron supplements and certain medications like Pepto-Bismol can turn a stool into something black and tar-like.
"The active ingredient, bismuth subsalicylate, reacts with sulfur in the digestive tract to form bismuth sulfide, which is a black-colored substance that temporarily darkens the stool," she said.
If what you’re seeing is dark black and tar-like, that’s known as melena. It can signal bleeding, 'often from an upper GI tract or small bowel source, such as a gastric ulcer,' Dr Khapra said. She also noted that stool with an 'oily type' or 'mucusy' quality for weeks, paired with feeling unwell, deserves a doctor’s attention.
If this sticky situation doesn’t clear up and you’re not taking iron or Pepto-Bismol yet still passing black, tarry stool, both Dr Connor and Dr Khapra advised booking an appointment.
Poop that’s red, sticky or not, gets attention.
"Red bowel movements can be caused by red foods but also by bleeding," said Dr. David Clarke, board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.
Red foods can include red meat and even spinach. It sounds odd given the colour, but spinach is high in iron, and iron can tint stool. Tomatoes, beetroot and red liquorice also get blamed.
So, before spiralling, think about recent meals, as there may be a harmless reason for the colour.
Dr Clarke added that if your stool is liquid red and seems more blood than anything else, it’s time to see a doctor, adding that it’s an emergency if you also have abdominal pain or cramping, feel weak or short of breath, have a rapid heartbeat, feel dizzy or are vomiting blood 'or material that looks like coffee grounds'.
If the red sticks around after diet changes and a week has passed, all three doctors recommended contacting your GP.
In short, you ideally don't want anything black and tarry, red, oily, mucusy or endlessly sticky.
Dr Connor added: "Ideally, stool should be smooth, sausage-shaped and easy to pass."
She noted that the colour should be 'medium to dark brown' as this means both bile and digestion are working appropriately.
In the best case, it shouldn’t float and floating may point to a high-fat diet with Dr Connor saying it could also relate to dairy, high fibre intake or even stress and anxiety.
No need to panic over the occasional floater, though.
"Most folks are fixated over their stools, but the reality is, stools will vary by so many things - by what you are eating, how much water you are drinking, how much fibre you get in," Dr Khapra said.
"It’s important to look at trends over time instead of one snapshot of one day with a mild variation."