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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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- We do not share your e-mail address
When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you've made lifestyle changes that can contribute to having more frequent bowel movements, and you have no other signs or symptoms, you're probably in good health. Make an appointment with your doctor, however, if you're experiencing:
- Changes in the consistency, volume or appearance of your bowel movements, such as repeatedly passing narrow, ribbon-like stools or loose, watery stools
- Abdominal pain
- Blood, mucus or pus in your feces
References
- Richter J. Approach to the patient with constipation. In: Goroll A, et al. Primary Care Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/spa/ovidweb.cgi. Accessed Aug. 5, 2009.
- Approach to the patient with lower GI complaints. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec02/ch008/ch008a.html. Accessed Aug. 5, 2009.
- Colorectal cancer: Basic facts on screening. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/cancer/Colorectal/pdf/fs-patient-basic.pdf. Accessed Aug. 5, 2009.
- Kojima M, et al. Bowel movement frequency and risk of colorectal cancer in a large cohort study of Japanese men and women. British Journal of Cancer. 2004;90:1397.
- Hyperthyroidism. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec12/ch152/ch152e.html. Accessed Aug. 5, 2009.
