Changes in Bowel Habits

Overview

Changes in bowel habits means a noticeable and lasting shift in your normal pattern of bowel movements. This can include going more or less often than usual, a change in the consistency of your stool (such as new diarrhea or constipation), or changes in the color, shape, or appearance of stool. What counts as normal varies widely from person to person, so the key is a change from your own baseline.

Short-lived changes are common and often harmless, caused by diet, travel, stress, or a passing illness. However, changes that persist for several weeks, or that come with warning signs like blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, or persistent abdominal pain, can indicate a condition that needs medical evaluation. Paying attention to how long the change lasts and what accompanies it is important. A useful guide is that a change persisting beyond a few weeks, or one paired with bleeding, pain, or weight loss, deserves medical attention even if you feel otherwise well.

Common Causes

Changes in bowel habits have many possible causes:

• Diet and fluids: Changes in fiber, hydration, or eating patterns.
• Infections: Viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections causing diarrhea.
• Irritable bowel syndrome: IBS causes alternating constipation and diarrhea with cramping.
• Inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis cause persistent changes.
• Medications: Antibiotics, painkillers, and others can affect bowel function.
• Colon polyps or cancer: Colorectal cancer can cause a lasting change in bowel habits.
• Thyroid problems: An overactive or underactive thyroid affects bowel speed.
• Stress and lifestyle: Stress, travel, and reduced activity.

Associated Symptoms

Symptoms that accompany a change in bowel habits help indicate the cause:

• Blood in the stool or black, tarry stools
• Persistent abdominal pain or cramping
• Unexplained weight loss
• A feeling of incomplete emptying
• Narrow or ribbon-like stools
• Nausea, bloating, or excess gas
• Fatigue or signs of anemia
• Fever (suggesting infection or inflammation)

Blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, or a persistent change lasting more than a few weeks are warning signs that warrant medical evaluation.

Diagnosis & Evaluation

A doctor evaluates changes in bowel habits based on your history and risk factors:

• History and examination: Reviewing the pattern, duration, diet, medications, and warning signs.
• Stool tests: To check for infection, inflammation, or hidden blood.
• Blood tests: Including checks for anemia and thyroid function.
• Colonoscopy: To examine the colon directly, especially with warning signs or for cancer screening.
• Imaging: Such as a CT scan in certain situations.

The evaluation is tailored to your age, symptoms, and any red flags, with colonoscopy playing a key role when serious causes need to be excluded. Keeping a simple record of your symptoms, including how often they occur and what seems to trigger them, can give your doctor valuable information and speed up the search for a cause.

Treatment & Management

Treatment depends entirely on the cause:

• Diet and fluids: Adjusting fiber and water intake for constipation or diarrhea.
• Treating infections: Supportive care or specific treatment for infectious causes.
• Managing IBS: Diet changes, fiber, stress management, and medications; see IBS.
• Treating inflammatory bowel disease: Medications to control inflammation; see Crohn disease.
• Reviewing medications: Adjusting drugs that affect the bowels.
• Treating serious conditions: Specific treatment for polyps or colorectal cancer.

Identifying the cause is the most important step, since the right treatment can resolve symptoms and address any underlying condition.

Self-Care & Prevention

• Eat a balanced diet with adequate fiber
• Drink enough fluids and stay physically active
• Keep up with recommended colorectal cancer screening
• Manage stress, which strongly affects the gut
• Practice good food and hand hygiene to prevent infections
• Do not ignore blood in the stool or lasting changes

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor if a change in bowel habits lasts more than a few weeks or comes with warning signs such as:

• Blood in the stool or black, tarry stools
• Unexplained weight loss
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Narrow or ribbon-like stools
• Fatigue or signs of anemia

Seek urgent care for severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, signs of significant bleeding, or high fever with diarrhea. Adults should also keep up with recommended colorectal cancer screening, which can detect problems early.

Related Topics

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1. Mayo Clinic. Changes in bowel habits and colorectal cancer — Symptoms and causes.
2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn's Disease.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Colorectal Cancer Screening.
4. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Bowel movement changes.