How Often Should You Poop? Here’s What You Should Know

Last Updated on 2021-09-30 , 2:53 pm

When it comes to shitting, there are two kinds of people. The first kind considers it a ritual. They do it at 8am sharp in their home toilet, and once again at 2.30pm sharp in the office toilet.

The second kind is a free spirit who does it when it feels like it. No fixed schedule, no fixed location. But which is healthier?

The answer is, surprisingly, both.

Everyone is unique, and the way everyone shits is unique. Well, maybe not unique– unique, but y’know, more of the everyone is a different type. I mean, there are only so many ways you can shit, right?

Exactly how often you poop is relative to the individual. The average individual poops about once a day. But anything between three times a day to three times a week can be considered healthy, as long as the shit is not too soft nor too hard.

The cause for concern should be when there is a sudden change in pooping habit, such as a sudden change in frequency or hardness of the shit.

There are certain situations that’ll cause your frequency and quality of shit to change. One of it is a change in lifestyle. Remember how a vacation can drastically change how many times you visit the restroom?

For women, it can get slightly more complicated. Menstruation can also cause irregularity in some women’s bathroom habits. Prostaglandins are hormones released by the female body to signal the beginning of the shedding of the uterus lining.

At the intestines, they have a similar effect but instead of stimulating the uterus to expel waste, they stimulate the bowel. Progesterone, another hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, can also influence a woman’s bowel movements.

Low levels of progesterone can stimulate the bowels, which is why some women may get diarrhoea right before their menstrual period.

When it comes to bathroom habits, your own intuition should be the first reference you turn to. Changes in pooping habits can be something as trivial as lifestyle changes to serious conditions such as irritable bowel disease or colorectal cancer.

We experience different bowels movements all the time. Usually, it isn’t anything serious to concern about.

However, if anomalies last for more than several weeks, then it is probably time to seek medical attention.

To sum it all up? It’s not about how many times you go – it’s about whether your poop is, well, normal. So, don’t count: look instead.

Featured Image: solar22 / Shutterstock.com