Narrow stools can be caused by constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the use of certain medications. Less commonly, thin poop can point to something serious such as colorectal cancer.
Chronic constipation often leads to blockages that develop in the colon, leading to the passage of thin, stringy stools. A simple way to counter constipation is to increase intake of fruits and vegetables, wholegrain bread and cereal, beans, and lentils.
Scan for Color Changes
Colon cancer can cause bleeding in the digestive tract and make your stool a dark brown, maroon, or black.
Parasitic Gut Infections. Parasites like tiny worms can get into your gut and cause thin, stringy BMs or stringy, loose diarrhea. These bugs are also called roundworms.
Yes, hemorrhoids can cause narrow stools.
Changed Digestion - Anxiety releases adrenaline, and adrenaline may slow down the speed of your digestion. Any time your digestion speed changes, it may cause either diarrhea or constipation.
Narrow stools that occur infrequently probably are harmless. In some cases, however , narrow stools — especially if pencil thin — may be a sign of narrowing or obstruction of the colon due to colon cancer.
In chronic diverticulitis, inflammation and infection may go down but never clear up completely. Over time, the inflammation can lead to a bowel obstruction, which may cause constipation, thin stools, diarrhea, bloating, and belly pain.
When diverticulosis is far advanced, the lower colon may become very fixed, distorted, and even narrowed. When this occurs, there may be thin or pellet-shaped stools, constipation, and an occasional rush of diarrhea.
Narrow stools that occur infrequently probably are harmless. In some cases, however , narrow stools — especially if pencil thin — may be a sign of narrowing or obstruction of the colon due to colon cancer.
Thin stools are a sign of colon cancer. Any time you notice a narrow or ribbon-like stool, it indicates changes in your colon.
Narrow or pellet-like stools: if you have advanced or severe diverticulitis, your large intestine may narrow, causing stool to become thin, narrow, or pellet-shaped.
Dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stool and softens it. A bulky stool is easier to pass, decreasing your chance of constipation. If you have loose, watery stools, fiber may help to solidify the stool because it absorbs water and adds bulk to stool.
Research suggests chronic constipation occurs in about 29% of people with GERD. In some cases, the condition may have links to issues with how food moves through the digestive system. In other cases, constipation may have associations with medications people use to treat GERD.
Common causes of benign strictures include diverticular disease, IBD, ischemic colitis, radiation-induced colitis, and anastomotic strictures. Other rare causes include cytomegalovirus colitis, amyloidosis, tuberculosis, amebic colonic strictures, and endometriosis.
The most common symptom of diverticular disease is intermittent (stop-start) pain in your lower abdomen (stomach), usually in the lower left-hand side. The pain is often worse when you are eating, or shortly afterwards. Passing stools and breaking wind (flatulence) may help relieve the pain.
Tenesmus is a frequent urge to go to the bathroom without being able to go. It usually affects your bowels, but sometimes your bladder. Severe inflammation that irritates the nerves involved in pooping or peeing is often the cause. Your nerves overreact, telling your muscles that you constantly have to go.
Screening Recommendations
Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer and finding it early. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) recommends that adults age 45 to 75 be screened for colorectal cancer.
They may be hard and small, pencil-thin, or loose and watery. The way stools pass changes. You may strain, feel an urgent need to have a bowel movement, or feel that you haven't completely passed a stool. You may have bloating or a feeling of gas in the intestines.
Stress and anxiety can have many physical effects on the body, including speeding up the digestive process. As a result, the body may not be able to absorb all of the nutrients in food, which may lead to diarrhea or yellow stool.