What can cause soft narrow stools?
Causes of Narrow or Stringy Stools
- Constipation.
- Colorectal Cancer.
- Anal Cancer.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
- Parasitic Gut Infections.
Are narrow stools always a sign of cancer?
Sometimes size is a concern Thin stools do not automatically mean cancer. But if they last a long time and if going to the bathroom is difficult for you, your doctor may order a colonoscopy to rule it out.
How to treat thin stools?
If you don’t eat enough fiber or drink enough fluids, stool loses its bulk and may become thin and stringy. Increasing your fiber intake may be as simple as making a few changes to your diet. Whole grains, like bran, whole wheat, or oats, are an easy way to increase your fiber.
Can narrow stools be normal?
Answer From Michael F. Picco, M.D. Narrow stools that occur infrequently probably are harmless. However in some cases, narrow stools — especially if pencil thin — may be a sign of narrowing or obstruction of the colon due to colon cancer.
When to worry about thin stool?
Check with your doctor if you notice any changes in your bowel habits — such as narrower than normal stools — that last longer than one to two weeks. Consult your doctor immediately if your bowel changes are accompanied by rectal bleeding or severe abdominal pain.
Why are my stools so narrow?
Narrowing of the stool may be due to a mass in the colon or rectum that limits the size of the stool that can pass through it. Conditions that cause diarrhea can also cause pencil thin stools. Persistent pencil thin stool, which may be solid or loose, is one of the symptoms of colorectal polyps or cancer.
What does it mean when you have narrow stools?
However in some cases, narrow stools — especially if pencil thin — may be a sign of narrowing or obstruction of the colon due to colon cancer.
Why is my stool so thin after a bowel movement?
Constipation. If you haven’t had a bowel movement for 3 days or more and you poop small amount of thin stool, you should increase your fiber and fluid intake. Some other ways to relieve pencil thin stool and constipation include: Food intolerances or allergies.
Is it normal to have a pencil thin stool?
Narrow stools that occur infrequently probably are harmless. However in some cases, narrow stools — especially if pencil thin — may be a sign of narrowing or obstruction of the colon due to colon cancer.
What does it mean when your stool is stringy?
If you have stool that’s suddenly stringy or poop that gets pencil-thin over time, does it mean you have cancer? Doctors used to link narrow BMs to colorectal or colon cancer. That’s because they thought that cancer in your coloncaused it to become narrower, and your poop would look narrow after it passed through.
What could be some causes of extremely thin stool?
- Diarrhea. Any diarrheal illness can lead to thin stools.
- Constipation. Thin stool s can also occur in constipation.
- Growth. Polyps are growths that extend from the bowel wall.
- Foreign Object. A foreign object in the gut is any indigestible substance that is not part of food.
- Cancer.
- Pseudo-Obstruction.
- Hernia.
- Twisting and Telescoping.
- Stricture.
What would cause stringy stool?
Stringy stool may be caused by something simple, such as a low-fiber diet. In some cases, the cause is more serious. Stringy poop may also be referred to as stools that are pencil-thin, ribbon-like, thin, or narrow. Normal stool is about one to two inches in diameter. Stringy poop is narrow and, in some cases, almost flat,…
Is it normal to have narrow stools?
For the majority of people, normal stool is one or two inches in diameter, so suddenly producing a thin or narrow stool can be startling. To have it happen once or twice may not be harmful, but if you have narrow, thin stools on a regular basis, it could be a sign of an underlying health problem that requires medical intervention.
What causes narrow or stringy stools?
What Causes Narrow or Thin Stool? Constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Pencil thin stools are often a sign of irritable bowel syndrome that can cause chronic abdominal pain and discomfort. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) Another chronic digestive disorder that can result in having stringy poop in a bowel movement is inflammatory bowel disease. Abdominal hernias.