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The survey asked 2,000 adults to identify their most common poo shapes in relation to the medically recognised Bristol Stool Chart. Type three and four are deemed healthy, while type one and two suggest constipation. A stool which looks like type five could be due to a lack of fibre while types six and seven are likely due to inflammation of the intestine<\/p>\n
Debra Gordon, a so-called \u2018poo-ologist\u2019, is now calling for people to seek medical help if they have concerns over their bowel habits.<\/p>\n
This is because dodgy stools can be an early indicator of serious health issues such as bowel cancer or Crohn\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
Ms Gordon, head of education and medical affairs at ostomy care specialist Coloplast, said: \u2018Our bowels play a vital role in maintaining our general health, so it\u2019s concerning that most Brits have a very limited understanding of what healthy bowel function is.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018For instance, constipation is a common problem but the condition is often dismissed, or even laughed off, but if left untreated can lead to more serious health problems.<\/p>\n
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Boy, 5, who was so terrified of the loo he didn\u2019t go for\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\u2018We hope this study gets people thinking about their bowel health and gives them a better understanding of whether their stool type and pattern is healthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018For some, it might be that a simple lifestyle change is needed \u2013 but for others, this simple two-second stool self-assessment could be life changing.<\/p>\n
\u2018If people have any concerns about their bowel health, they need not to be afraid to speak up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018If you are worried, we would always recommend booking an appointment with a GP so you can find the right solution for you.\u2019<\/p>\n
The survey, commissioned by Coloplast, asked 2,001 adults to identify their most common poo shapes in relation to the medically recognised Bristol Stool Chart.<\/p>\n
It found:<\/p>\n
* The most common type of stool among 58 per cent of people was a healthy stool in the form of a smooth sausage-shaped dropping \u2013 type four.<\/p>\n
* Around 17 per cent of people claimed their stool looked like the \u2018normal\u2019 type three \u2013 like a sausage but with cracks on the surface.<\/p>\n
* However, 14.5 per cent identified with types of poo which indicated constipation.<\/p>\n
* The separate hard lumps of type one droppings were common in 4.4 per cent of people often a sign of severe constipation, while the lumpy cucumber-shaped stool was common for those with slight constipation.<\/p>\n
* Just under five per cent of adults claimed to have type five, with the soft blobs suggesting a lack of fibre.<\/p>\n
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* Meanwhile 4.6 per cent of participants identified with the fluffy droppings of type six \u2013 which could be a sign of cancer and is often caused as a result of inflammation in the bowel.<\/p>\n
*Thankfully, only 0.8 per cent claimed to have the liquid based stools of type seven \u2013 which is an indicator of a bowel problem such as IBS<\/p>\n
On average, British people empty their bowels once a day, but it can be as little as three times a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The survey also found a third of Brits have a takeaway more than once a week, while almost one in five enjoy more than one ready meal in the same time frame.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nA third of people admitted to having \u2018little\u2019 knowledge of their bowel health while 20 per cent claimed to know nothing as experts warn British people have a severe lack of knowledge of their toilet habits<\/p>\n
Less than half of adults drink a healthy amount of water, with over 60 per cent consuming less than two litres a day. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The survey follows Coloplast\u2019s recent Cost of Constipation report which revealed one in five people were too embarrassed to talk to their GP about issues related to constipation.<\/p>\n
The report revealed that bowel health was second in the list of embarrassing things to talk to a GP about with 19 per cent, topped only by sexually transmitted infections at 35 per cent.<\/p>\n
Blood in stools is the tell-tale sign of bowel cancer, while changes in appearance can be a sign something sinister is up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bowel or colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, with nearly 1.4 million new cases diagnosed in 2012 \u2013 the most recent figures to date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP MY BOWEL MOVEMENTS?<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n
Healthy lifestyle<\/span><\/p>\n
It is important to try to make time for your bowels each day. Most bowels respond best to a regular habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
About 30 minutes after eating is the most likely time for the bowel to work. This is because of the \u2018gastro-colic response\u2019 which means that eating sets waves of activity in motion in the bowel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Try not to rush going to the toilet. If you have a tendency to be constipated, set aside about ten minutes in the toilet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Preferably this should be at a time when you are not rushing to do other things. Find a toilet that you feel comfortable to use and where you do not feel inhibited by lack of privacy or time.<\/p>\n
Remove constipating medication<\/span><\/p>\n
If you are taking any medicines (prescribed or bought from the chemist) ask your doctor or chemist if they could be contributing to your constipation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If possible, try to remove constipating medications, e.g codeine.<\/p>\n
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Correct positioning\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Firstly, make sure you are comfortable on the toilet. It is most-natural for humans to squat to pass a stool.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You may find that having your feet on a footstool, about 20-30cm (eight to ten inches) high helps by improving the angle of the rectum within the pelvis and making it easier to pass stools.<\/p>\n
Relax and breathe normally. Do not hold your breath as this will encourage you to strain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tighten your abdominal muscles.\u00a0You should feel them push forwards and sideways. This is called the brace.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Concentrate on relaxing the anus (back passage) to allow the stool to pass. Do not push from above without relaxing the anus below.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Drink more water<\/b><\/p>\n
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Try to drink at least 1.5 litres (six to eight cups) of fluid per day, unless advised otherwise by your doctor as the body may become dehydrated if it is not replaced.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dehydration can result in constipation. Try to limit the amount of coffee and alcohol you drink as this can irritate the bowels as well as causing dehydration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
High fibre diets aren\u2019t always the best\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Eating regularly is the best stimulant for your bowels. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can lead to a sluggish or irregular bowel habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Contrary to popular belief a high fibre diet is not always the best diet for people who suffer from constipation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Regular meals and an adequate fluid intake are more important. Too much fibre can lead to an increase in bloating and discomfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you do feel your diet is short on fibre, try to use fruit and vegetables (soluble fibre) rather than cereals (insoluble fibre) as they are less bloating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Be careful not to eat excessive amounts of fibre as this could lead to loose bowel motions that are difficult to control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some foods can act as natural laxatives in some people, such as liquorice, chocolate, prunes, figs and spicy food.<\/p>\n
Keep active<\/span><\/p>\n
Exercise can help to improve bowel habits as it helps to stimulate the bowel to work regularly but be careful not to overdo it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you lead a very inactive lifestyle (driving to work at a desk job) even taking a regular walk at lunchtime can make a difference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are specific exercises for your sphincter and pelvic floor that may help to improve both bowel function and control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Source<\/span>: NHS\u00a0<\/p>\n
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One third of British people have no idea what a \u2018normal poo\u2019 should look like, a survey has revealed. Only 62.7 per cent of us knew what a healthy stool looked like, meaning many of us are unsure about our bowel health.\u00a0 And even more worrying is that a quarter of us have stools which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42818\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}