The Bristol stool scale categorizes stool samples into seven types, ranging from constipation to diarrhea. It was developed to estimate fecal transit time but is now used to evaluate treatments for bowel diseases. The scale is useful for clinicians and patients to monitor bowel habits, but medical advice should be sought for significant or persistent changes.
The Bristol stool scale is used to evaluate the physical appearance and shape of stool samples. There are seven types included in the scale, ranging from solid stools to watery diarrhea. The scale was developed by Dr. Ken Heaton of the University of Bristol in England as a means of estimating faecal transit time, but is generally used to help evaluate treatments for various bowel diseases. In the UK, the Bristol stool scale is sometimes called the Meyers scale.
Each category in the Bristol stool scale describes a specific shape. Type 1 stools are small, separate hard lumps, while type 2 stools are sausage-shaped, but lumpy. These two types of stool are indicative of constipation. Type 3 stools, which are sausage-shaped with a cracked surface, are considered normal when passed without effort, but can sometimes indicate mild constipation.
Type 4 stools are considered the most indicative of normal bowel movements and good digestive health. These stools are easy to pass, are smooth and soft, and are shaped like a sausage or a snake. Type 5 stools are separate soft lumps that are easy to pass. While this stool is generally considered normal, it can sometimes indicate diarrhea.
In most cases, stool types 6 and 7 are associated with diarrhea. Type 6 stools are soft lumps with rough, undefined edges, while type 7 stools are very watery and may even be completely liquid. Both of these types of bowel movements are usually passed with a high degree of urgency.
Although the intended purpose of the Bristol stool scale was to estimate the time it took for food to travel through the digestive tract and emerge as faecal waste, the validity of this idea was soon questioned. The main reason for this is the fact that fecal transit time is not the only factor that determines the form a bowel movement takes; however, the scale remains useful to clinicians and researchers for two reasons.
First, the scale’s seven categories provide a preliminary method for determining the effects of a particular treatment. By tracking a patient’s bowel movements and comparing how they look on the scale, a doctor or nurse can immediately measure whether a given treatment has had any effect. The second reason is that patients who are shy or otherwise reluctant to discuss their bowel movements may simply point to a comparison picture of the type that most closely resembles their movement.
The Bristol stool scale is often used by medical professionals as a means of evaluating stool samples, but anyone interested in monitoring their bowel habits can use the scale at home. Of course, this is not a substitute for medical advice from a doctor or other healthcare professional. Any significant or persistent changes in digestive health or bowel movements may indicate the advent of the disease and should be discussed with a doctor.
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