A change in bowel habit means a lasting shift in how, or how often, you open your bowels: stools becoming looser, going more often, new constipation, or a change in the shape or consistency of your stools. Short-lived changes are common and often harmless. A change that lasts more than a few weeks, however, should always be assessed, because it can occasionally be the first sign of a condition that needs treatment.
What causes a change in bowel habit?
Diet and lifestyle
Changes in food, fluid or activity.
IBS
A very common cause of fluctuating bowel habit.
Infection
A passing bug can upset the bowels for a while.
Diverticular or inflammatory bowel disease
Ongoing bowel conditions.
Bowel polyps or cancer
Less common, but the reason a lasting change is checked.
When to seek assessment promptly
- A change lasting more than a few weeks
- Bleeding from the bottom
- Weight loss or persistent tiredness
- Tummy pain or a lump
- Being over 50, or having a family history of bowel cancer
How it is investigated
Everyone’s normal is different, so a change is measured against your own usual pattern, and it is the persistence of the change that matters most. Mr Kimble assesses your symptoms, examines you and arranges a colonoscopy where appropriate to look directly at the bowel lining. In most cases this finds a treatable cause, such as diet, IBS or diverticular disease, and getting checked means anything more serious is picked up early, when it is most treatable.
See a doctor promptly if a change in bowel habit comes with significant bleeding, severe tummy pain, or symptoms of a blockage such as vomiting and a swollen abdomen, as these need urgent attention.