Digital rectal exam: Healthcare providers insert a gloved finger into your rectum.Prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia).Narrow stools: should I be concerned? (2019).Experts see alarming spike in young patients with colon cancer.Low caliber stool and pencil thin stool are not signs of rectal cancer. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. That said, check the labels before buying to make sure as not all of these foods contain them. Probiotics are also present in foods with live and active cultures, such as yogurt and kefir. These are supplements that contains live microorganisms similar to the ones that naturally live in your digestive tract. Some people may also find their stools appear more normal in size when they take probiotics. taking steps to reduce stress whenever possible, through meditation, journaling, listening to soft music, deep breathing, or other stress-relieving interventions.increasing physical activity, which can help increase stool movement through the body.drinking plenty of water to make stools easier to pass.increasing fiber intake by eating more whole grains as well as fruits and vegetables with the skins on whenever possible.Other interventions are the same as those commonly used to treat constipation and IBS. Your doctor may recommend keeping a food journal and noting when you have significant stool changes so you can identify the potential foods and drinks that may cause your stool to appear flat. Treatments or remedies for flat poop depend upon what caused your poop to be flat in the first place. Is there anything I can do at home to remedy flat poop? Examples include:Įven abdominal hernias can cause enough narrowing of stool movement so that stool may appear flat.

Other possible causesįlat poop may also be due to any condition that may affect how stool moves through or exits the colon. While colorectal cancer doesn’t always cause a lot of symptoms in its earliest stages, it can also lead to symptoms including rectal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, or problems emptying your stool. This is because a tumor may grow in the colon that keeps your stool from moving through in its normal shape. Colorectal cancerĪlthough rare, it’s possible that thin stool can indicate colon cancer. While BPH more commonly affects urination (such as a weak stream when peeing), some people do have symptoms related to passing stool, such as constipation and stool changes like flat poop. The prostate is positioned just in front of the rectum and below the bladder. This condition causes the male prostate gland to enlarge. This is the case for benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH. Sometimes, the cause of flat stool isn’t the intestinal tract itself but something around it. As a result, your stool may be thinner, flat, and more difficult to pass. Constipation can occur when you don’t get enough fiber in your diet to add some extra bulk to your stool. ConstipationĬonstipation can be a common cause of flat stool that is usually stringy in consistency. Those with IBS may experience a variety of stool types, ranging from very large poops to flat ones.Īn estimated 12 percent of people in the United States have IBS, so this condition can be a common cause of flat poops and other stool changes. IBS can cause abdominal pain as well as bowel movement changes that include diarrhea, constipation, or both. Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder that occurs due to an interrupted function of your gut and brain. However, if you start having flat poops more often, it may be due to one of the following causes. Just as your poop can be pebble-sized or different colors, flat poops may be one of the variations you occasionally see. Sometimes, your poop is flat and there’s no underlying cause.

Pictures of pencil thin stools