Is Poop That Floats Bad? The Scoop on Your Poop's Swim Lessons

Oh no, not again. You sigh as you stare down at the toilet bowl after your morning bathroom break. Your poop is floating. That’s the third time this week!

At first, it was kind of amusing – hey look, my poop is bobbing around like a little log in the pool! But now you’re starting to worry. Why does your poop keep floating, and is this a sign of a more serious health issue? What does it mean when your stools consistently resemble the Titanic, sinking in the toilet bowl rather than immediately plummeting to Davy Jones’ Locker?

As it turns out, floating stools are often indicative of excess gas or improper digestion in the body. This troubling toilet trend could be caused by common culprits like eating too many high-fiber foods or swallowing a bit too much air during meals. However, consistently oily or foul-smelling floating feces may also point to an underlying health condition that is preventing your body from properly absorbing nutrients.

While an occasional floater from time to time is no cause for concern, chronic floaters may be your stools’ way of telling you to seek medical advice. Paying attention to your poop’s daily dance routine can provide important clues into your health and wellbeing. After all, keeping tabs on your turds is no crappy chore.

So take a second look before you flush next time! In this post, we’ll dive deeper into reasons why your stool might be doing the backstroke, and when floating poop could be a sign of something more serious. Time to get to the bottom of this stinky situation!

Why Healthy Poop Sinks

Before getting into reasons why poop might float, let’s first look at why healthy poop typically sinks.

Normal, healthy stool is denser than water due to its composition. About 75% of your poop is water. The remaining 25% consists of:

25% fiber – indigestible plant matter that helps form stool.
25% dead bacteria – from digestion and gut flora.
25% protein – protein that isn’t digested or absorbed.
25% fats – like cholesterol and cell membranes.

This dense, fibrous mixture usually sinks rapidly when entering the watery environment of the toilet bowl.

Think of it this way: a log will float while a rock will sink. Healthy poop with a good balance of fiber and water resembles a rock more than a log.

So when your poop starts hanging out at the surface of the bowl like a lounging log, it’s cause for questions.

What Causes Poop to Float?

There are a few common culprits that can cause poop to float:

1. Too Much Gas

Trapped gas in poop will make it less dense overall, allowing it to float. Some common causes of extra gas include:

Eating more fiber – especially soluble fiber found in beans, vegetables, fruits, and oats. Fiber keeps the stool soft but can also cause gas.
Swallowing air when eating – eating too fast or talking while eating leads to more swallowed air, which has to escape somehow.
Carbonated beverages – bubbles in soda and sparkling water add air to your digestive system.
Food intolerances – trouble digesting foods like dairy or wheat can increase gas production.

Too much gas on its own is rarely cause for concern. You can take over-the-counter gas medications to reduce bloating and floaters. However, if gas is accompanied by other symptoms like consistent diarrhea, see your doctor to rule out conditions like irritable bowel syndrome.

2. Fatty Stools

Stools that are bulkier and fatty in composition tend to float more. Some reasons for float-friendly fatty stools include:

Malabsorption – digestive conditions like celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, or infection from parasites can prevent the body from properly absorbing fats, causing extra fat to be excreted.
Poor diet – not eating enough fiber or eating a diet very high in fat can lead to excess fat in stool.
Supplements – calcium or magnesium supplements in particular can cause more fatty stools.
Clogged bile ducts – issues with the gallbladder or liver blocking the release of bile into the intestines inhibits fat absorption.

If your floating stools are also pale, foul-smelling, or greasy in appearance, see a doctor to check for malabsorption issues or diseases interfering with fat processing.

3. Constipation

Constipation leads to small, hard stools that can float more readily. With constipation:

Stools move through the colon slower, letting the body pull out extra water content.
Longer transit time allows more gas to accumulate.
Compacted stool gets less dense.

To treat floaters from constipation, focus on clearing the buildup with stool softeners or gentle laxatives. Prevent future constipation by upping fiber intake, exercising more, and staying hydrated.

Warning Signs to Watch For

Occasional floaters alone are not cause for concern. However, you should make an appointment with your doctor if floating poop is ongoing and combined with any of the following:

❌ Excessive diarrhea

❌ Greasy or oily stool

❌ Very foul-smelling poop

❌ Changes in poop color – grey, pale, yellow, or black

❌ Visible blood or mucus in stool

❌ Unintentional weight loss

❌ Fever, vomiting, or intense cramping

These can be signs of an underlying health condition disrupting digestion and absorption, like:

Celiac disease
Crohn’s disease
Cystic fibrosis
Pancreatitis
Gallstones
Gastrointestinal infection
Digestive cancers

Floating stool accompanied by any of the above symptoms warrants medical evaluation to identify or rule out illness.

When to See a Doctor

See your doctor if:

Floating poop persists for more than 2 weeks.
You experience any additional symptoms like diarrhea, weight loss, nausea, etc.
Your stool has an unusual appearance – greasy, pale, bloody.
You recently started new medications.
You have a history of digestive conditions.
You recently traveled and are wondering about parasite exposure.

Checking in with a doctor can help determine if floating stool is due to common gas and diet issues or related to a more serious underlying health problem.

Using a Stool Tracker

One helpful way to monitor bowel movement patterns is by using a visual stool tracker like the Bristol Stool Chart.

The Bristol Stool Chart categorizes stool into 7 types based on shape and texture:

Type 1 – Separate, hard lumps like nuts. Indicates constipation.
Type 2 – Sausage-like but lumpy. Still considered constipation.
Type 3 – Like a sausage shape with cracks on the surface. Normal.
Type 4 – Smooth, soft sausage. Normal.
Type 5 – Soft blobs with clear-cut edges. Normal but verging on diarrhea.
Type 6 – Fluffy pieces with ragged edges and mushy stool. Indicates diarrhea.
Type 7 – Entirely liquid with no solid pieces. Diarrhea.

Ideally, you want your poop to be Type 3 or 4. Type 1-2 indicates constipation and Types 5-7 point to diarrhea or poor absorption.

If your stools are all over the chart and you notice frequent floaters, track your BMs and talk to your doctor. Consistency is key for bowel health.

Lifestyle Changes To Sink Floating Stool

If loose stools or excess gas seem related to diet, try these suggested lifestyle changes to firm up stool:

💪 Exercise more – physical activity speeds up digestion.

💦 Drink more water – staying hydrated keeps the digestive system functioning optimally.

🍞 Increase fiber intake – eating 25-30 grams per day from fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.

🥣 Eat probiotic foods – like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi supply healthy gut bacteria to aid digestion.

🥬 Increase prebiotic foods – like garlic, onions, bananas, oats, and apples help feed probiotics.

🚫 Avoid common intolerances – limit dairy, wheat, alcohol, and fried or gas-inducing foods if they bother your stomach.

🧘‍♀️ Try stress-relieving practices – stress negatively impacts digestive health.

With diet tweaks and lifestyle changes, many cases of floating stool will resolve on their own. But see your doctor if floaters persist or occur with other symptoms.

When Floating Poop is Serious

While floating poop is usually harmless, certain serious conditions can also cause stool to float. Seek prompt medical care if you have floating stool along with:

Blood in stool
Intense cramping
High fever
Unexplained weight loss

These can indicate an underlying infection, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis or other conditions requiring treatment.

Floating poop on its own is rarely an emergency. But be aware that consistent floaters or changes in bowel habits could signify problems. When in doubt, don’t flush your symptoms away – talk to a doctor!

The Bottom Line on Floating Poop

Occasional floaters are usually caused by excess gas, constipation, or high-fat diets. They’re typically not serious.
Consistent floating poop or floaters accompanied by other symptoms should be evaluated by your doctor and not ignored.
Use a stool tracker chart to monitor changes in bowel movements and stool consistency.
Make dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce gas, bloating, and loose stools.
Seek medical advice if floating poop persists longer than 2 weeks or occurs with other warning signs.

While you might feel embarrassed discussing BMs with your doctor, don’t let fear of poop talk keep you from getting checked out. Speaking up when your poop seems off can lead to diagnosis and treatment of digestive conditions before they become more serious.