Reading Your Stool — The Bristol Chart & What It Means
For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider. For adults 18+.
Your stool is one of the clearest daily windows into your digestive health — if you know how to read it. This calm, judgement-free guide explains the Bristol Stool Chart, what colour and consistency reveal, and the changes worth noticing.
How the Bristol Stool Chart works, what shape and consistency tell you, what different colours can mean, how often is normal, the symptoms that warrant a doctor, and how to track changes without squeamishness.
What's inside
- →The Bristol Stool Chart — types 1 to 7
- →Shape & consistency — what they reveal
- →Colour clues — green, yellow, pale & dark
- →How often is normal — the wide range
- →Red-flag changes — blood, black & tarry
- →Tracking it simply — without the squeamishness
For educational purposes only
This guide is educational information about digestive and gut health — it is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and it is not a substitute for care from a qualified doctor or gastroenterologist. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Individual results vary. See your doctor about persistent or severe digestive symptoms, and do not start or stop any medication without medical advice. SEEK URGENT CARE for severe or persistent abdominal pain, blood in your stool, black or tarry stools, vomiting blood, difficulty swallowing, or unexplained weight loss. In a medical emergency, call 911.