Causes, Home Treatment, When to See a Doctor

Flat poops can happen due to changes in your diet. Some health conditions, including constipation, can cause long or flat poop. If unexplained changes last a few days, consider talking with a doctor.

Changes in stool consistency and color aren’t uncommon based on what you’ve recently eaten. Sometimes, you may notice that your poop appears especially flat, thin, or string-like. Usually, this variation isn’t cause for worry, and your poop will return to its “normal” appearance shortly after.

However, there are times when consistently flat poops may indicate a more concerning underlying condition. Keep reading to find out what they may be.

A lot of times, your poop looks a lot like your intestines. It’s slightly rounded and lumpy. Flat poop isn’t round. Instead, it’s square or string-like in appearance. Sometimes, you have flat poop along with very loose stool that may include diarrhea.

Flat poop doesn’t have a specific color or frequency. You may notice you experience more flat poops when you’ve changed your diet (such as eaten less fiber). Other times, you may see flat poop in the toilet bowl and can’t link it back to anything you did or didn’t eat.

Here’s what flat poop may look like:

Sometimes, your poop is flat and there’s no underlying cause. Just as your poop can be pebble-sized or different colors, flat poops may be one of the variations you occasionally see. However, if you start having flat poops more often, it may be due to one of the following causes.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that occurs due to an interrupted function of your gut and brain. IBS can cause abdominal pain as well as bowel movement changes that include diarrhea, constipation, or both. Those with IBS may experience a variety of stool types, ranging from very large poops to flat ones.

An estimated 12 percent of people in the United States have IBS, so this condition can be a common cause of flat poops and other stool changes.

Constipation

Constipation can be a common cause of flat stool that is usually stringy in consistency. Constipation can occur when you don’t get enough fiber in your diet to add some extra bulk to your stool. As a result, your stool may be thinner, flat, and more difficult to pass.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Sometimes, the cause of flat stool isn’t the intestinal tract itself but something around it. This is the case for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. This condition causes the male prostate gland to enlarge. The prostate is positioned just in front of the rectum and below the bladder.

While BPH more commonly affects urination (such as a weak stream when peeing), some people do have symptoms related to passing stool, such as constipation and stool changes like flat poop.

Colorectal cancer

Although rare, it’s possible that thin stool can indicate colon cancer. This is because a tumor may grow in the colon that keeps your stool from moving through in its normal shape.

While colorectal cancer doesn’t always cause a lot of symptoms in its earliest stages, it can also lead to symptoms including rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, or problems emptying your stool.

Other possible causes

Flat poop may also be due to any condition that may affect how stool moves through or exits the colon. Examples include:

• colon polyps
• fecal impaction
• hemorrhoids
• rectal ulcers

Even abdominal hernias can cause enough narrowing of stool movement so that stool may appear flat.

Treatments or remedies for flat poop depend upon what caused your poop to be flat in the first place. Your doctor may recommend keeping a food journal and noting when you have significant stool changes so you can identify the potential foods and drinks that may cause your stool to appear flat.

Other interventions are the same as those commonly used to treat constipation and IBS. Examples include:

• increasing fiber intake by eating more whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables with the skins on whenever possible
• drinking plenty of water to make stools easier to pass
• increasing physical activity, which can help increase stool movement through the body
• taking steps to reduce stress whenever possible, through meditation, journaling, listening to soft music, deep breathing, or other stress-relieving interventions

Some people may also find their stools appear more normal in size when they take probiotics. These are supplements that contains live microorganisms similar to the ones that naturally live in your digestive tract. Probiotics are also present in foods with live and active cultures, such as yogurt and kefir. That said, check the labels before buying to make sure as not all of these foods contain them.

Pencil-thin poop isn’t always cause for concern but you should see your doctor if you are experiencing flat poop and have any of the following symptoms:

• blood in your stool or on the toilet paper
• changes in the consistency of your stool, such as increasing diarrhea
• changes in the frequency of your bowel movements, such as going more or less often
• feeling like you aren’t fully emptying your stool every time
• high fever
• stomach pain or cramping

If you have consistently flat stools for three days or more, it may be time to call your doctor.

Flat poops happen. It’s important to pay attention to any other symptoms you may be experiencing, such as abdominal pain or constipation, to understand the potential cause.

If you’re worried your flat poops could be due to an underlying condition, call your doctor to get checked out. Your doctor may also be able to make recommendations that can help your stool take on a more expected appearance.

Causes, Home Treatment, When to See a Doctor

Flat poops can happen due to changes in your diet. Some health conditions, including constipation, can cause long or flat poop. If unexplained changes last a few days, consider talking with a doctor.

Changes in stool consistency and color aren’t uncommon based on what you’ve recently eaten. Sometimes, you may notice that your poop appears especially flat, thin, or string-like. Usually, this variation isn’t cause for worry, and your poop will return to its “normal” appearance shortly after.

However, there are times when consistently flat poops may indicate a more concerning underlying condition. Keep reading to find out what they may be.

A lot of times, your poop looks a lot like your intestines. It’s slightly rounded and lumpy. Flat poop isn’t round. Instead, it’s square or string-like in appearance. Sometimes, you have flat poop along with very loose stool that may include diarrhea.

Flat poop doesn’t have a specific color or frequency. You may notice you experience more flat poops when you’ve changed your diet (such as eaten less fiber). Other times, you may see flat poop in the toilet bowl and can’t link it back to anything you did or didn’t eat.

Here’s what flat poop may look like:

Sometimes, your poop is flat and there’s no underlying cause. Just as your poop can be pebble-sized or different colors, flat poops may be one of the variations you occasionally see. However, if you start having flat poops more often, it may be due to one of the following causes.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that occurs due to an interrupted function of your gut and brain. IBS can cause abdominal pain as well as bowel movement changes that include diarrhea, constipation, or both. Those with IBS may experience a variety of stool types, ranging from very large poops to flat ones.

An estimated 12 percent of people in the United States have IBS, so this condition can be a common cause of flat poops and other stool changes.

Constipation

Constipation can be a common cause of flat stool that is usually stringy in consistency. Constipation can occur when you don’t get enough fiber in your diet to add some extra bulk to your stool. As a result, your stool may be thinner, flat, and more difficult to pass.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)

Sometimes, the cause of flat stool isn’t the intestinal tract itself but something around it. This is the case for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. This condition causes the male prostate gland to enlarge. The prostate is positioned just in front of the rectum and below the bladder.

While BPH more commonly affects urination (such as a weak stream when peeing), some people do have symptoms related to passing stool, such as constipation and stool changes like flat poop.

Colorectal cancer

Although rare, it’s possible that thin stool can indicate colon cancer. This is because a tumor may grow in the colon that keeps your stool from moving through in its normal shape.

While colorectal cancer doesn’t always cause a lot of symptoms in its earliest stages, it can also lead to symptoms including rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, or problems emptying your stool.

Other possible causes

Flat poop may also be due to any condition that may affect how stool moves through or exits the colon. Examples include:

• colon polyps
• fecal impaction
• hemorrhoids
• rectal ulcers

Even abdominal hernias can cause enough narrowing of stool movement so that stool may appear flat.

Treatments or remedies for flat poop depend upon what caused your poop to be flat in the first place. Your doctor may recommend keeping a food journal and noting when you have significant stool changes so you can identify the potential foods and drinks that may cause your stool to appear flat.

Other interventions are the same as those commonly used to treat constipation and IBS. Examples include:

• increasing fiber intake by eating more whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables with the skins on whenever possible
• drinking plenty of water to make stools easier to pass
• increasing physical activity, which can help increase stool movement through the body
• taking steps to reduce stress whenever possible, through meditation, journaling, listening to soft music, deep breathing, or other stress-relieving interventions

Some people may also find their stools appear more normal in size when they take probiotics. These are supplements that contains live microorganisms similar to the ones that naturally live in your digestive tract. Probiotics are also present in foods with live and active cultures, such as yogurt and kefir. That said, check the labels before buying to make sure as not all of these foods contain them.

Pencil-thin poop isn’t always cause for concern but you should see your doctor if you are experiencing flat poop and have any of the following symptoms:

• blood in your stool or on the toilet paper
• changes in the consistency of your stool, such as increasing diarrhea
• changes in the frequency of your bowel movements, such as going more or less often
• feeling like you aren’t fully emptying your stool every time
• high fever
• stomach pain or cramping

If you have consistently flat stools for three days or more, it may be time to call your doctor.

Flat poops happen. It’s important to pay attention to any other symptoms you may be experiencing, such as abdominal pain or constipation, to understand the potential cause.

If you’re worried your flat poops could be due to an underlying condition, call your doctor to get checked out. Your doctor may also be able to make recommendations that can help your stool take on a more expected appearance.

Sigmoidoscopy (rectoscopy) of the rectum and colon. Preparation for rectoscopy.

Sigmoidoscopy (rectoscopy) is the instrumental and most accurate method for examining the inner surface of the anus, rectum and colon. With the help of rectoscopy, intestinal diseases such as hemorrhoids, polyps, bleeding, inflammation and tumors can be recognized at an early stage.

Rectoscopy comes from the name rectum (rectum) and skopeo (observe).

According to the World Health Organization, every year on our planet about 1 million people fall ill with rectal cancer, and almost 600 thousand people cannot be saved from this terrible disease. The trouble is that most often the disease is detected at a late stage. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to systematically visit a proctologist and, on his recommendation, undergo rectoscopy of the intestine.

Rectoscopy is performed by inserting an endoscope through the anus into the rectum.

In the multidisciplinary clinic “MedicCity” you will be able to undergo diagnostics on new generation devices, which are distinguished by high accuracy of examination. Intestinal sigmoidoscopy is performed using the KARL STORZ device from the world’s leading manufacturer of modern medical equipment.

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KARL STORZ rectoscope

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KARL STORZ rectoscope

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KARL STORZ rectoscope

KA rectoscope RL STORZ consists of a hollow metal tube equipped with lighting and optical systems, as well as an air supply device. The rectoscope kit includes metal tubes of different diameters.

Bowel rectoscopy can examine the intestinal mucosa at a distance of 20-25 cm from the anus, as well as the sigmoid colon.

Types of rectoscopy:

Anoscopy

Anoscopy uses a small tube called an anoscope for diagnosis. Thanks to him, you can inspect the area of ​​​​the last 5 cm of the anal canal. The examination can be carried out at any time, special bowel cleansing is not required for this.

Proctoscopy

Proctoscopy is performed to examine the condition of the rectum. Using a proctoscope, consisting of a hose 8-15 cm long and a magnifying optical system, the proctologist can see the anus and the area of ​​the lower intestine. Before proctoscopy, you need to drink a laxative or take an enema to clear the intestines.

Sigmoidoscopy

Sigmoidoscopy allows you to examine the sigmoid colon, collect material for biopsy and detect colon cancer at an early stage. For this study, a light, long and flexible hose is used – a sigmoidoscope. Before the examination, you should follow a diet consisting of broth and liquid for 1-2 days.

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Device preparation for rectoscopy

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Device preparation for rectoscopy

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Device preparation for rectoscopy

Device preparation for rectoscopy 9 0033

Rectoscopy is effective if the intestines are cleaned correctly and thoroughly. On the eve of the rectoscopy, the patient can have lunch, and in the evening it is advisable to drink only liquids: water, tea, juices, compote.

You can clean the intestines from stool using an enema (water at room temperature, volume up to 2 liters), which should be done in the evening before going to bed. And 3 hours before the rectoscopy, it is recommended to carry out 2 more enemas.

Our clinic recommends using the combined laxative preparation Microlax to cleanse the intestines before rectoscopy of the rectum.

How rectoscopy is performed

For ease of rectoscopy, the patient is asked to lie on their side or kneel on their elbows. This position is convenient because the patient’s abdominal wall is most relaxed, and it is easier to move the endoscope tube from the rectum to the sigmoid. The endoscopist carefully monitors that the tube does not rest against the wall of the intestine, but moves freely along the lumen. In order for the walls of the intestine to straighten out, and to better see the observed picture, they begin to pump air into the intestine with the help of a special device.

The rectoscope is inserted to a depth of 25-30 cm, there are divisions on the tube to make it easier for the doctor to track: how far the device is inserted and in what area there are polyps, neoplasms of the mucous membrane, etc.

The sigmoidoscope can be used to insert special instruments to perform mini-surgeries (eg removal of polyps) or to collect material for examination.

If “suspicious areas” are found in the intestine, a biopsy of the altered mucosa is performed.

Rectoscopy usually takes 5 to 15 minutes, but if surgery is required (removal of polyps, for example), then a little longer.

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Preparing the Machine for Rectoscopy

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Preparing the Machine for Rectoscopy

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Preparing the Machine for Rectoscopy

Why Rectoscopy Is Necessary intestines

Sigmoidoscopy is used both for diagnosis and for various manipulations – diagnostic (for example, biopsy followed by histological examination) and therapeutic (for example, polypectomy, resection of benign neoplasms of the rectum, injections of various drugs).

Indications for sigmoidoscopy:

The study is indicated for proctitis , irritable bowel syndrome, chronic non-ulcerative colitis, non-specific ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease.

In our center, the study is carried out by highly qualified coloproctologists using the latest, best-in-class rectoscope from the world-famous manufacturer – the German company KARL STORZ.

Highly qualified coloproctologists use sigmoidoscopy to diagnose all pathological conditions of the rectum, in particular diseases of inflammatory origin (proctitis), benign neoplasia (polyps, adenomas), as well as malignant neoplasms.

The examination is painless and well tolerated by patients.

In the clinic “MedicCity” you can undergo the following types of examinations in proctology: anoscopy, colonoscopy, fistulography, sigmoidoscopy. The price is average for the capital. You can see the cost of these procedures here.

Reviews about rectoscopy and other proctological procedures you can read and leave on this page.

Coloproctologist on how to avoid bowel cancer > Rubric Medicine in Samara

Not everyone is ready to immediately tell a specialist about an intimate problem, such as pain in the intestines, unstable stools and bleeding. However, inaction can be fatal.

More than half a million cases of colon and rectal cancer are registered annually in the world, and their number is increasing. We talked about the prevention of intestinal diseases with the chief freelance coloproctologist of the Ministry of Health of the Samara Region Andrey Zhuravlev .

— Andrey Vyacheslavovich, what diseases does a coloproctologist treat?

– Many people think that we deal exclusively with hemorrhoids. Yes, this is one of the most common diseases in our practice. According to statistics, about 140 people out of 1,000 adults suffer from it. However, coloproctologists also help patients with oncological, inflammatory bowel diseases: ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, benign tumors of the colon.

[vrezka color=”#FFFFFF” bgcolor=”#7a97ad” image=”” image_mode=”” bgfixed=”” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=””]Hemorrhoids are one of the most common diseases in our practice. According to statistics, about 140 people out of 1,000 of the adult population suffer from it. What is it connected with?

— Colon and rectal cancer is an extremely urgent problem of modern oncology. In Russia, this disease is in third place after lung and stomach cancer in men, breast and skin cancer in women. Moreover, 20 years ago, he held the sixth position. Colon and rectal cancer is most common in people over the age of 50. Men are affected more often than women.

Most patients have an advanced stage when they first see a doctor. This reduces treatment options and life expectancy. The most important task of doctors is early diagnosis, since in the initial stages there are more chances for success.

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— What provokes the development of oncology?

– No one knows the exact causes of malignant neoplasms, but there are a number of predisposing factors that increase the risk of their development. Firstly, they include precancerous diseases – ulcerative colitis, familial colon polyposis. Secondly, hereditary predisposition plays a huge role. Colon cancer is caused by a mutation of genetic material in 5 percent of cases. Thirdly, you need to pay attention to nutrition: fried foods, meat lead to an increase in the risk of developing a tumor, and plant foods reduce them.

Health is also affected by bad habits – alcohol and smoking increase the likelihood of bowel cancer by 30-40 times. Another provoking factor is chronic diseases of the digestive system.

[vrezka color=”#FFFFFF” bgcolor=”#7a97ad” image=”” image_mode=”” bgfixed=”” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=””] Colon and rectal cancer most often affects people over the age of 50. Men are affected more often than women.

— If a blood relative has been diagnosed with bowel cancer, the person should have a colonoscopy as early as 40 years of age. For everyone else who does not have such a hereditary risk, it is recommended to examine the intestines after 45-50 years. The procedure is painful, so doctors use special anesthesia. A specialist can examine the patient’s intestines in 15 minutes.

— What provokes the development of hemorrhoids? Who is at risk?

– Almost every third inhabitant of the planet has to deal with painful bumps in a delicate place. There are various reasons that contribute to the stagnation of blood in the venous plexuses. If stagnation occurs frequently and regularly, then the walls of the veins gradually lose their elasticity, deform, and a protrusion of a separate section occurs. This is how an external or internal hemorrhoid is formed. Symptoms of the onset of the disease are itching, burning, soreness in the anus and blood.

The causes leading to the onset of the disease most often lie in the way of life. Lack of physical activity, malnutrition, hard physical work are dangerous. In addition, in women, hemorrhoids can occur during pregnancy, childbirth or lactation.

Athletes are not immune from disease either. They are at risk. It would seem that blood stasis does not threaten them, but heavy weight exercises provoke hemorrhoids at least.

— What should be done to reduce risks?

– Physical exercise, running, dancing, swimming and even the most ordinary walking improve blood circulation in the lower body and disperse congestion in the small pelvis. In addition, you need to remember about nutrition. It should be based on cereals, vegetables, fruits and lean meats. Be sure to consume fresh dairy products every day. Dried fruits are useful in winter. For good bowel function, it is important to drink enough water – a liter or a half a day. Smoked, spicy and spicy dishes loved by many also provoke the disease. They cause excessive blood flow to the pelvic organs, and in the presence of hemorrhoidal bumps, this creates conditions for inflammation and exacerbation.

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– Can hemorrhoids cause cancer?

– Scientists have not identified a direct relationship between these diseases. However, in the presence of hemorrhoids, other pathologies can develop – benign neoplasms. They can develop into malignant ones.

By the way, oncology of the rectum is similar in its manifestations to hemorrhoids, but there are nuances by which they can be differentiated, namely, by the nature of rectal bleeding. In cancer, the blood is darker in color. Sometimes its selection cannot be seen with the naked eye. In such cases, a fecal occult blood test is performed.

With hemorrhoids, the shape and nature of the feces do not change. The growth of the tumor leads to a change in the shape of the feces, which becomes thin or ribbon-like. Cancer patients have symptoms of cancer intoxication: weight loss, fever, lack of appetite, pallor of the skin, abdominal pain.

[box type=”warning” align=”” class=”” width=””]Bad habits also affect health – alcohol and smoking increase the likelihood of colon cancer by 30-40 times.[/box]

— Does it happen that patients wait until the last moment and do not want to go to the doctor until the disease worsens? What can you advise such people?

– The situations that lead to hemorrhoids have long been known and studied.