I ask my patients various questions first, including ones about their bowel movements, at the proctology clinic. It is important for me to know about the shapes and the types of their stools. However, it is difficult for patients to explain the type to me, because they have no chance to compare their own stools with others. So, I draw the “Bristol Scale”. This is a diagnostic medical tool designed to classify stools into seven groups. It helps my patients to tell me about their bowel habits.
Type1: Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass); also known as “goat feces”
Type 2: Sausage-shaped, but lumpy
Type 3: Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface
Type 4: Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft
Type 5: Soft blobs with clear cut edges (passed easily)
Type 6: Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool
Type 7: Watery, no solid pieces, entirely liquid
The most important thing is that your stools are easy to pass!
If you have any problem with defecation, please see and consult with a proctologist.
Akiko, Clinic Director