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Bristol Stool Form Scale

Different people have different bowel habits. Most people who have a bowel movement more than 3 times a week and pass good textured faeces (not too hard or soft) can be said to have 'normal' bowel behaviour.

Bristol Stool Form Scale

Since it can be hard to state what is normal and what is abnormal, some health professionals use a scale to classify the type of stool passed. This helps assess how long the stool has spent in the bowel.

Type 1 has spent the longest time in the bowel and type 7 the least time. A normal stool should be a type 3 or 4, and depending on the normal bowel habits of the individual, should be passed once every one to three days. Please click on the image below to open up the document.