Bowel Movement

Summary

A bowel movement is the last stop in the movement of food through your digestive tract. Your stool passes out of your body through the rectum and anus. Another name for stool is feces. It is made of what is left after your digestive system (stomach, small intestine, and colon) absorbs nutrients and fluids from what you eat and drink.

Sometimes a bowel movement isn’t normal. Diarrhea happens when stool passes through the large intestine too quickly. Constipation occurs when stool passes through the large intestine too slowly. Bowel incontinence is a problem controlling your bowel movements. Other abnormalities with bowel movements may be a sign of a digestive problem.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

Bowel Retraining: Strategies for Establishing Bowel Control

International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Elimination Problems or Constipation

American Academy of Family Physicians

Normal Function of the Colon

International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Bacteria Culture Test

National Library of Medicine

Magnetic Resonance (MR) Defecography

Radiological Society of North America

Stool Color: When to Worry

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Biofeedback and Bowel Disorders: Teaching Yourself to Live without the Problem

International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders

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