Having small stools from time to time is usually nothing to worry about. If you notice that your small stools last longer than one to two weeks, however, or are accompanied by other symptoms, you should consult your healthcare provider. If you have nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain and haven't been able to pass stools, you should seek medical attention immediately.
Passing poop that looks like nuggets, small pieces, rabbit pellets, or balls from time to time is usually normal. If your diet is the culprit, eating more fiber-rich foods and staying hydrated can often help you get back on track, although it may take a few days before you notice an improvement. If you're considering making any diet or lifestyle changes, speak to your healthcare provider before making any major changes to your routine.
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Benefits of High-Fiber Foods. Simple Tricks to Drink More Water. Tips for Having a Comfortable Bowel Movement. In this article, learn about the causes of pebble poop, as well as the possible treatments and home remedies. Pebble poop, or pellet-like stool, may occur when very hard stool breaks apart into smaller pieces. This breakage can happen during digestion, or it may take place in the anus immediately before a person has a bowel movement. It can be more difficult to pass these small pellets than a normal stool, and a person may strain to poop.
Most people have a regular bowel movement pattern, passing stool from between three times a day to once every 3 days. People with longer digestion periods and less frequent pooping may develop hard stools. When food passes through the digestive system, the colon absorbs some of the water that the food contains. Food that passes more slowly than usual spends too much time in the colon. As a result, the colon absorbs too much water, and the stool may become hard. The Bristol stool chart is a tool that helps people identify problems with bowel movements.
Pebble poop is type Hard, pebble-like stool is a sign of constipation, which can happen for many reasons. Certain lifestyle and dietary factors can make constipation worse. For example, constipation is more prevalent in seniors due to the changes in muscle tone and nervous system function that typically occur with increasing age. An older adult who does not eat enough fiber or takes medications that may cause constipation has an even higher risk of hard stools. If the symptoms are mild, or the constipation is not chronic, a few lifestyle changes may help a person treat pebble poop at home.
Medication can also help them manage occasional hard stools. When a person has chronic constipation or a serious underlying medical condition, symptoms may only improve with medical treatment. The right treatment will depend on the reason why a person has constipation. For example, a person with pelvic floor dysfunction may not have sufficient strength to pass stool, slowing digestion and causing pebble poop.
A doctor may recommend pelvic floor physical therapy. For people with IBS, a doctor may advise eliminating possible trigger foods from the diet one by one to see if this helps resolve the symptoms. If a person identifies a particular food that seems to cause issues, they can avoid or limit their intake of it going forward.
This is one reason why patients preparing for a colonoscopy are instructed to avoid food and beverages with certain added colors the day before. Doctors note that when they perform a colonoscopy, they can actually tell what color the beverage was that the patient drank during their preparation for the procedure. Most changes in the color of stool are not cause for concern. The exception is poop that appears black or bloody, which could signal other problems with the digestive system.
The most common cause of black and tarry poop is taking iron supplements or a medication containing bismuth, such as Pepto-Bismol. However, it could mean you're losing blood somewhere in your gastrointestinal tract, such as in the stomach or small intestine. If you have poop that appears oily, has a greasy consistency and is difficult to flush, it could be a signal that your body is not able to properly digest fat. The consistency changes could be caused by an infection, nutrients not being digested due to celiac disease or a problem with the pancreas, such as pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis.
Stool that is only occasionally very thin is not a cause for concern.
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