The colour, consistency, and smell of your stool can help doctors with their diagnosis.

For example, if you notice that your stool is very dark black like tar (melena) and you have complaints of pain in the region above your belly button, this might indicate that you have bleeding in your upper digestive tract (upper gastrointestinal bleeding - UGIB).



If your stool is dark red (haematochezia), your doctor will run a blood test to see what are your red blood cells level in your body to see if there is bleeding in your lower digestive tract (lower gastrointestinal bleeding - LGIB) and an endoscope if indicated (also the same for UGIB). If you notice there are streaks of blood in your stool, this might indicate haemorrhoids (not the only possibility but a very common one) and a digital rectal exam (DRE) will be performed where they will insert their index finger into your rectum.



Also, as what TS has mentioned, there can still be bleeding in your digestive tract and you might not be able to see it in your stool. This is called faecel occult blood and they'll run a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) for you if indicated.



If you notice that your stool is light-coloured & smellier than usual and your urine is darker than normal, this might indicate that there is a blockage in your bile flow (cholestasis).



This is not an exhaustive list and you can read up on your own but my intention of sharing this is not to scare ktards about their poop but to explain the importance of your stool in the diagnosis of your condition if indicated.

If you have any doubts or are worried that you might have something, please see your local klinik kesihatan (KK) or GP clinic for help.