Bowel movement

Introduction

Defecation, also called egestion, is the process of excreting stool (feces) from the anus. It results from the digestion of food that has been consumed and is usually brown in color. The brown color is caused by the so-called sterkobilin, which is produced when the bile in the intestine is broken down.

Other colors are discussed in the following sections of this article. Most of the stool consists of water (usually 75%). The remaining components are undigested food remains, fats, intestinal bacteria (about 10%) and secretions, and digestive juices (such as bile).

As a rule, one speaks of a normal stool frequency (frequency of bowel movements) if it occurs not less than 3 times a week and not more than 3 times a day. If bowel movements occur more frequently, one does not automatically speak of diarrhoea, but of a “high stool frequency”, since the diagnosis of diarrhoea depends on the consistency of the bowel movement and is therefore only present if the bowel movement is watery (see below: Bristol Stool Scale). The same applies to constipation, which occurs when bowel movements are difficult to excrete over days.

This often involves strong pressing with the abdominal muscles, which in turn can lead to a hemorrhoidal condition. It is therefore advisable to promote bowel movement in a different way, such as by changing your diet. On average, the amount of bowel movement in an adult is 200 to 300 grams per day.

However, this can vary greatly depending on the food intake. Particularly in the case of a diet rich in dietary fiber, larger quantities of stool of up to 1 kg are produced. Odour is also an important parameter of bowel movement.

As a rule, the odor is not pleasant and is therefore considered normal if the odor is not excessively malodorous. However, if an acidic or putrid note or even metallic blood odor is added to the odor, this may indicate the presence of a disease. If complaints occur during bowel movement, these should be clarified during a visit to the doctor.