Your Health Questions
Answered by Professionals

Colon cancer stool can show blood (bright red or dark, tarry), become pencil thin or ribbon-like, be coated in mucus, change color, and come with persistent shifts like alternating constipation and diarrhea or a lingering sense of incomplete emptying. Because these signs can overlap with less serious issues, ongoing bleeding, lasting bowel habit changes, weight loss, or abdominal pain should prompt medical care and screening; there are several important details and next steps to consider, which are outlined below.

Green poop is usually harmless and temporary, most often from eating green foods or dyes, taking iron supplements, or stool moving too quickly during diarrhea; less commonly it can come from infections, antibiotic effects, or absorption problems like celiac or Crohn’s. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more. If it lasts more than 2 days or comes with abdominal pain, fever, dehydration, blood or black stools, or weight loss, talk to a clinician; key home-care tips and what to expect from medical evaluation are outlined below.

Green stool is usually harmless and most often comes from what you ate, faster gut transit with diarrhea, or medications and supplements like iron; there are several factors to consider, and the fuller explanation below covers how bile, infections, and other gut conditions can change stool color. If it lasts more than a couple of days or comes with severe pain, fever, blood, dehydration, weight loss, or jaundice, seek medical advice; for next steps on self-care, testing, and when to see a doctor, see the complete answer below.

In diverticulitis, stool may become hard and pellet-like or loose and watery, and can show mucus, bright red blood, or occasionally pencil-thin, ribbon-like shapes if the colon is narrowed. There are several factors to consider, especially other symptoms like lower left abdominal pain, fever, nausea, and bloating. Seek urgent care for severe or persistent pain, high fever, ongoing vomiting, significant rectal bleeding, or black tarry stool; see details below to understand more and decide next steps.

The quickest ways to poop now come from your body’s gastrocolic reflex after eating, amplified by triggers like coffee (even decaf), warm liquids, high-fat meals, and fiber; gentle movement, a squat-style position, and abdominal massage can also get things moving. For faster relief, options like magnesium citrate, glycerin suppositories, or enemas may work within minutes to hours, but use sparingly and avoid daily use. There are several factors to consider, including when to call a doctor for red flags like blood, black stools, severe pain, weight loss, or dehydration; see the complete details and next-step guidance below.

Coffee often makes you poop because it activates the gastrocolic reflex and increases colon contractions via caffeine and other coffee compounds, plus hormone releases like gastrin and CCK; warm fluid and stomach stretch add to the effect, and even decaf can trigger it. There are several factors to consider, including individual sensitivity, timing, and diet, as well as red flags that may warrant care. See below for practical tips to manage it and guidance on when to seek medical attention.

Burning with bowel movements is most often due to anal fissures or hemorrhoids, skin irritation or spicy foods, but infections, an abscess or fistula, inflammatory bowel disease, bile acid irritation after gallbladder removal, and pelvic floor disorders can also be causes; there are several factors to consider, and the key details on causes, triggers, and treatments are outlined below. Seek care urgently for severe pain, fever, heavy bleeding, or persistent symptoms, and review the step by step self care, medications, and procedure options below to decide your next steps with a clinician.

Most poop odor comes from gut bacteria digesting what you eat, but very foul smells are often tied to diet, sulfur rich foods, changes in transit, or short term infections. Persistent or new strong odors can also signal malabsorption such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, pancreatic or biliary problems, medication effects, IBS, or IBD. There are several factors to consider, and warning signs like greasy pale stools, ongoing diarrhea, blood, fever, weight loss, or jaundice should prompt care, see the complete details and next step guidance below.

Black, tarry stool, called melena, can come from harmless causes like iron supplements, bismuth medicines, or dark foods, but it can also signal digested blood from bleeding in the upper digestive tract. There are several factors and warning signs to consider, including dizziness, weakness, severe abdominal pain, or vomiting blood that require urgent care; see the complete details below for how to tell the difference, what to do now, and when to seek medical help.

There are several factors to consider: dark green stool is often from foods or food dyes and faster gut transit, but it can also come from iron supplements or antibiotics, infections, bile acid malabsorption, IBS, celiac disease, or post-surgical changes. See below to understand more, including when to worry about persistent green diarrhea, blood or black stools, severe abdominal pain, high fever, dehydration, jaundice, and which steps, tests, and treatments can guide your next care decisions.

There are several factors to consider. Green stools with stomach pain most often come from rapid transit with diarrhea, foods or coloring, supplements like iron, or infections; they can also signal bile acid diarrhea or, less commonly, gallbladder or liver issues. Most cases improve with hydration, gentle diet changes, and OTC relief, but seek care for severe or persistent pain, high fever, blood in stool, dehydration, jaundice, or weight loss. See below for detailed causes, red flags, and next steps, including when testing or specific treatments are needed.

There are several factors to consider. Most often the color comes from bile moving through the gut too quickly, but hidden food dyes, iron or antibiotics, infections like gastroenteritis or bile acid diarrhea, and rarely gallbladder or liver issues can also do it; see below for details. Seek care if it lasts more than 3 days or with severe pain, fever, blood, or dehydration, and in the meantime hydrate, track your diet, consider a short course of probiotics, or use loperamide as directed; the next steps and tests your doctor might use are outlined below.

Green stool is usually harmless and most often comes from bile moving through the gut too quickly, green foods or dyes, or medications and supplements; sometimes infections or IBS play a role. There are several factors to consider, so see below to understand more. Watch for red flags like fever, severe pain, dehydration, blood or black stools, weight loss, jaundice, or symptoms lasting beyond 48 to 72 hours, and seek care if they occur or if the color persists despite diet changes. For complete details and next steps such as diet adjustments, hydration, probiotics, and when to call a doctor, see below.

Orange stool is usually caused by foods or dyes high in beta carotene, certain medications or supplements, or faster gut transit from diarrhea, but it can occasionally point to bile duct or gallbladder issues, liver disease, or malabsorption. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more. If the color lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours or comes with pain, weight loss, persistent diarrhea, fever, dehydration, or jaundice, contact a clinician. See below for what to check in your recent diet and medications, specific red flags, and the diagnostic tests and treatments that may guide your next steps.

Yellow stool is usually a temporary change from diet or faster gut transit, but it can also signal malabsorption, infections like Giardia, or reduced bile flow from liver or gallbladder issues. There are several factors to consider, and important warning signs like persistent pale or yellow stools, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, jaundice, or blood can change your next steps; see below for the full list, tests doctors use, and specific treatments.

Ashwagandha may help when anxiety is the main driver of low arousal by lowering stress and cortisol, which can indirectly support genital blood flow and sensitivity, but direct evidence in women is limited. There are several factors to consider; see below to understand more. If you try it, use a quality standardized extract and pair it with stress management and communication, and review dosing, timing, safety, interactions, and red flags that warrant medical care in the detailed guidance below.

Folic acid may support erectile function by lowering homocysteine and improving blood-vessel health, but ED is often really about heart health and can precede cardiovascular disease by 2 to 3 years. Large trials show folic acid reduces stroke risk and slightly lowers heart events, yet ED-specific evidence is limited and the best next step is a medical evaluation and broader cardiovascular care; there are several factors to consider, so see below for important details that can guide your next steps.

Maca root can modestly boost sexual desire but is not proven to treat erectile dysfunction; short-term use appears generally safe for healthy adults, with mild effects like stomach upset or insomnia, and most studies used 1.5 to 3 g daily. For women considering it to support a partner’s ED or their own sexual well-being, evidence in women is limited and it should not replace medical evaluation if ED persists. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand who should avoid maca such as pregnancy, hormone-sensitive or thyroid conditions, how to start at 500 mg and titrate up, possible interactions, how long to try, and when ED symptoms should prompt a doctor visit.

Magnesium deficiency can contribute to erectile dysfunction by reducing healthy blood flow, nerve function, and insulin sensitivity, so correcting a true deficiency may help but it is not a standalone cure. There are several factors to consider. See below for who is at risk, how to test levels, food first strategies, safe supplement forms and dosing up to 350 mg elemental magnesium daily, possible drug interactions, and other causes of ED like cardiovascular, hormonal, psychological, and lifestyle factors that may change your next steps with a clinician.

Yes, niacin can cause flushing and medication issues; flushing is very common, and evidence for using niacin to improve sexual arousal in women is minimal. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more. Niacin can raise liver enzymes and blood sugar and may interact with statins and blood pressure medicines, so talk with a clinician before using it. See the complete guidance below for ways to reduce flushing, who should avoid niacin, and warning signs that mean you should stop and seek care.

Korean red ginseng may modestly improve mild to moderate erectile function over 8 to 12 weeks, but results vary and depend on the dose used, standardized product quality, and the person's overall health. There are several factors to consider, including possible insomnia or stomach upset, blood sugar and blood pressure changes, interactions with blood thinners and diabetes or hypertension medicines, and red flags that warrant medical care. Review the complete guidance below to understand what to expect, what to watch for, and how partners can help.

Tongkat ali may modestly support erections and libido, with early evidence suggesting it is generally heart neutral at 200 to 400 mg daily and may ease stress to improve sleep and mood; high doses can rarely cause insomnia or irritability. There are several factors to consider, especially if he has heart or liver disease or takes medications. See below for important details on evidence limits, interactions, dosing and product quality, monitoring, and red flags to guide your next steps.

Vitamin D supports hormones and blood flow, and low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are linked to a higher risk and greater severity of ED; testing makes sense if there are deficiency symptoms or risk factors, or if ED persists after lifestyle and psychological factors are addressed. There are several factors to consider. See below to understand more. If levels are low, supplements can help as part of a broader plan, but this is not a standalone cure and ED can signal cardiovascular or metabolic disease, so coordinate with a clinician. See below for target levels, dosing ranges, lifestyle steps, and specific red flags that should prompt medical care.

Yohimbe has little proven benefit for women and is often viewed as a higher risk supplement due to variable potency, increases in blood pressure and heart rate, anxiety, and serious drug interactions. There are several factors to consider, including who should avoid it, side effects, interactions, dosing cautions, product quality, and safer alternatives; review the complete guidance below and speak with a healthcare provider before using it.

There are several factors to consider. Zinc supports testosterone and nitric oxide, but research suggests supplements help mainly when a true deficiency exists and are not a proven fix for most cases of ED. Before trying it, assess deficiency risks and other causes of ED, focus on zinc-rich foods first, and avoid high doses that can cause harm; key details on safe amounts, product quality, and when to see a doctor are outlined below.

Yohimbe and yohimbine may offer modest help for psychogenic erectile dysfunction, but experts warn they can raise blood pressure and heart rate, trigger palpitations, and pose serious risks for people with hypertension, heart disease, anxiety disorders, or interacting medications. There are several factors to consider, including dosing, product variability, side effects, and safer alternatives like PDE5 inhibitors, lifestyle changes, and therapy. See below for complete details that could change your next steps.

Zinc deficiency can contribute to erectile dysfunction by lowering testosterone, impairing nitric oxide mediated blood flow, and raising oxidative stress; optimizing zinc through diet and, if needed, cautious supplementation may help. There are several factors to consider, including who is at risk, how to test, safe dosing and copper balance, drug interactions, and when to seek urgent care; see the complete guidance below to inform your next steps with a healthcare professional.

Zinc can support erections after 65 if you are truly deficient by aiding testosterone and nitric oxide, but taking extra when levels are normal is not proven to fix ED and can be harmful. Discuss testing before supplementing, aim near 11 mg daily and avoid more than the 40 mg upper limit, since excess zinc can trigger copper deficiency, drug interactions, and other issues; there are several factors to consider, and key dosing details, food sources, cautions, and next steps are outlined below.

Zinc is an often overlooked factor in erectile function because it supports testosterone production, nitric oxide, and vascular health; deficiency can lower libido and weaken erections, so correcting low zinc through diet or modest supplementation may help. There are several factors to consider. See below for who is at risk, safe dosing and food sources, potential side effects, how zinc fits with lifestyle changes, and when ED could signal a condition that needs medical evaluation.

ACV may modestly support erectile function after 65 by improving insulin sensitivity, weight control, and circulation, but it is not a cure and there are several factors to consider. See below for important limitations and how your overall health and medications could change the risks and benefits. Key interactions to know: higher risk of low blood sugar with metformin, insulin, or sulfonylureas; low potassium and possible digoxin toxicity when combined with diuretics; more stomach irritation with aspirin or clopidogrel; and while ACV does not directly affect sildenafil or tadalafil, the usual nitrate plus PDE5 warning still applies. Start with small diluted doses and talk to your clinician; dosing tips, monitoring advice, and red flags that should prompt urgent care are outlined below.