What is foul-smelling stool?

In ancient times, people needed to burn incense when going to the toilet to prevent the bad smell from entering their noses. Nowadays, some high-end office buildings often burn incense or spray perfume in the toilets to change the smell of the toilet. The formation of this habit is due to the fact that many people often have foul-smelling stools. The unpleasant odor can be improved, but the occurrence of this situation is actually a problem with the health of the body's digestive tract. If it is not improved and adjusted in time, it will cause serious consequences. So what is the disease of foul-smelling stool?

Causes of foul-smelling stool

Foul-smelling stool indicates changes in the intestinal environment:

Stool odor is the best evidence of a deteriorating intestinal environment. Generally speaking, the stool of a healthy person will not be particularly smelly, unless they eat a lot of meat sometimes, but this is often only temporary and will return to normal with a light diet. But if some people have extremely foul-smelling bowel movements every day, this situation is worth being vigilant about.

There are usually hundreds of species of bacteria in the intestines, which can be divided into two categories: beneficial bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. When the human body is healthy, beneficial bacteria outnumber pathogenic bacteria and are in a dynamic balance, maintaining a healthy intestinal environment. But once the balance is broken, the beneficial bacteria will not be able to resist the attack of pathogenic bacteria, which will lead to various intestinal diseases and the smell of the stool will also change.

Meconium has no smell because 99% of the newborn's intestines are made up of beneficial bacteria. As children age, the number of beneficial bacteria in their intestines decreases to around 10% around 3 years old. By the age of 60, the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestines is only 1%. This is the result of aging and declining digestive function, and is also the reason why the stools of the elderly are more smelly.

What diseases do different odors indicate?

1. Foul-smelling stools indicate that the person has eaten a lot of high-protein foods or meat, which will increase the incidence of colorectal cancer in the long run;

2. If the stool has a pungent and sour smell, it means that most of the cases are fermentation indigestion, which is the result of "food stagnation". You can take Baohe pills, chicken gizzard lining, hawthorn, etc. to promote digestion;

3. Diarrhea with a burning smell is caused by indigestion due to decreased small intestine function. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is caused by weak spleen and stomach. Foods such as Chinese yam, Poria cocos, and coix seed are needed to nourish the spleen.

4. Burnt black stool with fishy smell indicates gastrointestinal bleeding and heavy bleeding;

5. Watery stools with a rancid smell of meat or fish are a sign of the decomposition of large amounts of blood or mucus in the intestines;

6. Broth-like stool with a foul odor is often seen in hemorrhagic necrotizing inflammation of the small intestine.

What to do if your stool smells bad every day

1. Ensure sleep. Lack of sleep will increase the burden on the intestines.

2. Reduce mental stress, prevent dysbacteriosis, maintain a good mood, and prevent intestinal overstrain.

3. Pay attention to balanced nutrition, avoid overeating and drinking, and quit smoking and drinking.

4. Eat appropriate amounts of root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, soybeans, cereals, etc., and eat more fruits and vegetables.