What are stool changes?

Stool changes are a change in your usual bowel habits. Normal stools (faeces or poo) are sausage-shaped and easy to pass. It should take about 1 to 2 minutes to empty your bowels when you go to the bathroom. The volume and frequency of bowel movements varies from person to person. A range from 3 times per day to 3 times per week is normal.

Changes in your bowel habits can be due to underlying issues in your digestive system. It’s important to be aware of how long it takes to empty your bowels. Notice also if you have blood or worms in your stools, or changes in:

• colour
• texture
• shape
• frequency

Stools in young babies can vary in firmness, colour and frequency from those in older children and adults. This is especially true for babies who are exclusively breastfed. Breastfed babies have more frequent bowel movements than babies who only have infant formula.

If you’re concerned about stool changes in your child, it’s a good idea to check your child’s health by speaking with their doctor or child health nurse.

What colour should my stool be?

In adults, stools are normally light to dark brown in colour. Bile gives it the brown colour. The colour can change based on:

• what you eat and drink
• any medicines you’ve taken
• how long food has spent in your digestive system

Some foods (such as beetroot) can affect stool colour. If your stools are black, very light grey or pale in colour, you should visit your doctor.

What texture should my stool be?

Stools can vary from loose to hard. If you eat foods high in fibre and drink plenty of water, your stools should be soft and easy to pass.

Checking your stool’s texture is important:

• If you have diarrhoea, your stool will be soft and loose.
• If you have constipation, your stool will be hard and lumpy.

If you have diarrhoea or constipation that is not getting better, or you find blood in your stools, see your doctor.

Stools in children should be soft, brown and passed without difficulty. You should take your child to a doctor if they:

• have white, red or black stools
• have had diarrhoea for more than a few days
• experience soiling (poo accidents) after they are toilet trained
• have pain or bleeding when passing stools

You can read more about constipation and diarrhoea in children.

What is the Bristol stool chart?

The Bristol stool chart is used by doctors and other health professionals to assess stool texture. Stool texture is classified from type 1, small hard lumps, to type 7, completely liquid. A healthy stool is typically type 3 or type 4, which is sausage-shaped with minimal cracks.

Your doctor or dietitian may ask you to use the chart to identify the texture of your stools so they can better understand your symptoms.

What if I see blood in my stools?

If you notice bright red blood on the toilet paper after a bowel motion, it might be due to haemorrhoids or small tears around your anus (fissures). See your doctor to check the cause of the bleeding.

If you have large amounts of blood in your stools, or your stools look black, see your doctor right away. Blood in your stool can also be a sign of other health problems such as stomach ulcers or cancer.

What if I see worms in my stools?

If you see worms in your stool or feel itchy around your anus, you should see your doctor.

‘Worms’ is a term used for a range of parasites that can affect your digestive tract (gut). If you become infected, the eggs travel to your bowels where they hatch into worms. Worms can be easily treated by your doctor.

Learn more about worms in your stools, what they look like and how to treat them.

Resources and support

• Continence Health Australia has resources and information on bowel health and incontinence.
• All Australians aged between 45 and 74 years are eligible for the free bowel cancer screening test every 2 years. The test helps to detect bowel cancer early.

You can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.

Languages other than English

Continence Health Australia has incontinence resources available in other languages.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Continence Health Australia has resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples on bowel health, constipation and diarrhoea.