Kids Health Notes

What your poo may be telling you

by Grace on April 13th, 2008

Seriously now.

A new book is out and it’s called “What’s your Poo Telling You?”, and it’s written by Josh Richman and Dr. Anish Sheth (a.k.a. Dr. Stool), a gastroenterologist from Yale University. “What isn’t as well known is that you can learn about your health by looking in the bowl,” Dr. Sheth told Reuters.

Dr. Sheth told Reuters about what your poo may be telling you about your health. For example -

The Floater - bad smell and grease may be a sign of underlying GI problems, usually related to the liver or pancreas and the body’s ability to digest fat.

The Snake - thin stools seen progressively over a longer period of time might indicate a colonic blockage due to rectal cancer.

Color. Green stools can indicate a gastrointestinal infection, while white or grey stools may be the result of a bile duct blockage or liver disease. Red, that with blood, is often an indication of gastrointestinal bleeding. Black may indicate blood as well. Blood in stool can be from something as minor as a hemorrhoids, or something serious like colon cancer.

As per doctor’s advice, consult him if you see blood in the stool, or if you suspect something is wrong with you (from looking at your poo). (Or your kids, as this is a kids health site)

The Reuters article has the scoop on Log Jam and how to prevent constipation. Dr. Stool Dr. Sheth (sorry, it doesn’t get any better, really *joke*) also has a website where he entertains questions about poo, so pay him a visit. (OK I am horribly laughing now).

So, to properly end this on a humorous note, here’s the song “Everything Comes Down to Poo” courtesy of your doctors at Scrubs.

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POSTED IN: Books, Diseases and Medical Conditions, Family and Home, Nutrition and Recipes