Introduction: What Stool Can Indicate (Very Generally)

Stool (feces) is the waste product of digestion. Its characteristics—such as color, consistency, shape, and frequency—can sometimes provide very general clues about digestive health, diet, and hydration. However, interpreting these signs is complex, and many variations are normal or due to benign factors like diet.

This information is for general knowledge ONLY and is NOT a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. This AI tool is highly experimental and cannot provide medical insights.

Bristol Stool Chart: A General Guide to Form & Consistency

The Bristol Stool Chart is a medical aid designed to classify human feces into seven categories. It's a general guide and not a diagnostic tool on its own:

• Type 1: Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass) - Often indicates constipation.
• Type 2: Sausage-shaped but lumpy - Often indicates constipation.
• Type 3: Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface - Considered normal.
• Type 4: Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft - Considered ideal/normal.
• Type 5: Soft blobs with clear-cut edges (passed easily) - May indicate lack of fiber, tending towards diarrhea.
• Type 6: Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool - Tending towards diarrhea.
• Type 7: Watery, no solid pieces (entirely liquid) - Diarrhea.

Stool Color: Potential Meanings (Medical Consultation is Key)

Normal stool is typically brown due to bile and bilirubin. Changes in color can sometimes indicate issues, but often are related to diet or medications. Any persistent or concerning color change requires medical evaluation.

• Brown: Normal.
• Green: Food may be moving through the large intestine too quickly (e.g., due to diarrhea). Can also be from green leafy vegetables, green food coloring, or iron supplements.
• Yellow, Greasy, Foul-smelling: May indicate excess fat in the stool (steatorrhea), which can be due to malabsorption disorders like celiac disease or pancreatic issues.
• Black: Could be due to bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract (e.g., stomach, esophagus - this is a serious sign called melena). Iron supplements or bismuth medications (like Pepto-Bismol) can also cause black stools. **Requires URGENT medical attention if not due to medication/iron.**
• Light-colored, White, or Clay-colored: May indicate a lack of bile, possibly due to a bile duct obstruction or liver disease. Certain medications (e.g., large doses of anti-diarrheal drugs) can also cause this. **Requires medical attention.**
• Red or Maroon: Could be due to bleeding in the lower intestinal tract (e.g., large intestine, rectum, anus - hematochezia). Can also be caused by red food coloring, beets, cranberries, or tomato juice/soup. **Requires URGENT medical attention if not clearly diet-related.**

Other Visual Observations (Seek Medical Advice for Concerns)

• Mucus in Stool: Small amounts can be normal. Large amounts or mucus accompanied by pain, bleeding, or changes in bowel habits should be evaluated by a doctor (could indicate IBS, Crohn's, colitis, infection).
• Undigested Food Particles: Occasionally seeing undigested high-fiber vegetable matter can be normal if not chewed well or if transit is fast. Persistent, large amounts of undigested food could indicate malabsorption.
• Floating Stools: Often due to excess gas or high fat content. Usually not a concern unless persistent or accompanied by other symptoms like greasy appearance or weight loss.

How This AI Visual Stool Analyzer Works (Highly Experimental & Limited)

This AI tool uses OpenAI's GPT-4o model with vision capabilities to analyze the stool photo you upload. It attempts to visually assess:

1. Consistency/Form: Trying to roughly categorize it based on visual similarity to Bristol Stool Chart types (e.g., "appears lumpy and hard," "appears soft and formed," "appears loose/watery").
2. Color: Attempting to identify the predominant color (e.g., "brown," "greenish," "dark/blackish," "pale").
3. Obvious Abnormalities: Looking for highly unusual visual features if clearly depicted (e.g., overt bright red blood – though the AI cannot diagnose bleeding).

When to See a Doctor About Bowel Changes - CRITICAL

DO NOT RELY ON THIS TOOL. Consult a doctor IMMEDIATELY if you experience any of the following:

• Blood in your stool (bright red, maroon, or black/tarry).
• Persistent changes in bowel habits (diarrhea or constipation lasting more than a few days).
• Severe abdominal pain.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Persistent mucus in stool.
• Very pale or clay-colored stools.
• Any other bowel symptoms that concern you.

Early diagnosis and treatment of digestive issues are vital.