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

Find an Expert

• American College of Gastroenterology American College of Gastroenterology
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Diagnosis and Tests

• 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

Treatments and Therapies

• Biofeedback and Bowel Disorders: Teaching Yourself to Live without the Problem International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Patient Handouts

• Black or tarry stools Medical Encyclopedia
• Daily bowel care program Medical Encyclopedia
• External incontinence devices Medical Encyclopedia
• Fecal culture Medical Encyclopedia
• Fecal smear Medical Encyclopedia
• Stool guaiac test Medical Encyclopedia
• Stools – floating Medical Encyclopedia
• Stools – foul smelling Medical Encyclopedia
• Stools – pale or clay-colored Medical Encyclopedia
• Tenesmus Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Bowel Control Problems (Fecal Incontinence) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Frequent Bowel Movements Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Expanded Version American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons

Encyclopedia

• Bowel retraining Medical Encyclopedia
• Skin care and incontinence Medical Encyclopedia
• Stool ova and parasites exam Medical Encyclopedia

Start Here

• 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

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Defecation National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Feces National Institutes of Health

Children

• Constipation and Fecal Soiling North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
• Elimination Problems or Constipation in Infants and Children American Academy of Family Physicians

Statistics and Research

• Prevalence of Bowel Incontinence International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders

Journal Articles

• Bowel Movement