What Does Your Poop Says About Your Health?

A WAY TO IDENTITY DISEASE

Technology has developed so much that everything can be done in one click. Finding a disease that is a diagnosis of an ailment has become easy with the advancement of technology. But still, the examination of the by-products produced by our body gives us a clear-cut idea of the functioning of our internal environment. For ages physicians and acharyas have considered waste products such as urine, stool, etc as means of diagnosis.

FORMATION OF WASTE PRODUCTS

We all know that byproduct is produced when the body works normally and carries out both catabolism and anabolism in a correct mechanized way. The formation of waste products like stool, urine, sweat, etc shows the normal functioning of the body especially organs like the liver, kidney, intestines, etc. Kidney plays an important role in the removal of waste products. By the action of antidiuretic hormones, the kidney helps in the excretion of urea, creatinine, ammonia, waste products formed as a result of the breakdown of blood cells, etc. Feces is formed by unwanted substances left after the absorption of nutrients, water, and other substances entering the large intestine. The body excretes other products like carbon dioxide, bile pigments, heavy metals, etc through respiratory and other systems.

IMPORTANCE OF WASTE PRODUCTS AS PER AYURVEDA

अवष्टमभः पुरीषस्य, मूत्रस्य क्लेदवाहनम ।
स्वेदस्य केश विधृतीः

According to them, malas are cited as important as dosha and dhatus. In natural conditions, all three factors that are dosha, dhatu, and malas are named Dhatus. The malas are the outcome of the different pakas of different kinds in the body. The production of waste products is an index of life activities. The food material after digestion enters pakwashaya where it becomes dry by the action of Agni and acquires a semi-solid consistency. This is called purisha. Purisha supports the body and is among the sub pillars that play an important role in maintaining body stature. The other malas are mutra and sweda, they also play an important role, mutra maintain the water and electrolyte balance and produce moistening of the body. Sweda keeps the skin and hair moist, delicate, maintains body temperature, water balance, and helps in the excretion of different toxins from the body.

PROBLEMS CAUSED DUE TO ITS ABNORMAL PRODUCTION

Production of every component of the body has an ideal value and so do the waste products. In humans, the amount of urine produced is 800 to 2000 milliliters per day, and the normal number of times of pooping is three times a day. Excess or reduced excretion of waste products can cause other problems too.

Now let's know what Ayurveda has to say about the quantity of mala formed. According to them, increased purisha causes borborygmus, abdominal distension, heaviness of the abdomen, and colicky pain. Its decrease causes noisy movement of gas within the bowels producing pain. The gas produced passes upwards producing great discomfort of the stomach and lateral aspect of the thorax. Increased mutra causes colicky pain along the vasti and not being satisfied with micturition.

DIAGNOSTIC METHODS DONE TO IDENTITY DISEASES

There are a lot of diagnostic methods to identify diseases and with the advancement of technology, it has become easy. Some of the diagnostic methods are rapid diagnostic tests, pre-symptomatic diagnostic tests, emerging diagnostic tests, urine tests, stool tests, blood tests, PCR-based tests, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, CT scans, endoscopy, etc. These methods, not just help us to identify but also help us to know, how much extent it has spread or affected the body.

STOOLS AS DIAGNOSTIC MEASURE TO IDENTIFY DISEASES

By examining stools one can identify many disorders in the body and by which disease a person is afflicted with. Through stool, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, fat malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, diseases caused due by pathogenic bacterias like salmonella, shigella, campylobacter, Escherichia coli, ailment caused by parasites like blastocystis, Giardia, and helminths. The changes in the stool are:

If a person has constipation, the stool will be rough and they find it difficult to pass. In case of diarrhea, the stools will be liquid in appearance, and they won't have control over the bowel movements if the condition gets worse. The stool which is black in color indicates that the person may have gastrointestinal bleeding and even having supplements with substances like bismuth, iron, black stout also causes this color. Green stool indicates that there is a malfunctioning of the liver that is bilirubin secretion is less and therefore poop has more bile content in it. If the feces is red then it states that it has a small amount of blood in it. The yellow color indicates that it has more amount of fats and the orange color indicates that the bile ducts are obstructed and even consuming certain medication causes this.

LET'S KNOW WHAT CAUSES ABNORMALITIES IN THE STOOL

Diseases can be caused due to certain bacteria, parasites, and by consuming contaminated foods, but some other reasons that can lead to abnormal stool production are many. Stress causes a lot of gastric trouble, it can trigger conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Dehydration results in constipation, which causes stools to harden and hard to pass. Food habits can also be the reason that causes differences in the appearance and passage of the poop. Lack of fibers in the daily diet causes constipated conditions and causes problems in bowel movement. Even allergies and intolerance towards certain food items also cause changes in the stool. Some diseases that cause abnormalities in the stool are cancer, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson's disease, depression, etc.

Stool examination is a primary diagnostic method. The patient himself can find out the abnormalities by self-inspection. A change in color and odor are certain traits a person can notice while passing it out of the body. If he notices some difference he or she can go for the assistance of the doctor and find the correct treatment for the disease the person is afflicted with. So let's be conscious and notice the change and find the cure at the correct time.