The Bristol stool chart sorts stools into seven types, from hard lumps (type 1) to liquid (type 7). Doctors and IBD nurses use it because it is a quick, clear way to describe what is happening, and it helps you to notice changes over time.
What is normal?
Types 3 and 4 are normal. Types 1 and 2 suggest constipation, and types 5 to 7 suggest diarrhoea. How often people open their bowels varies widely, from three times a day to three times a week, and what matters most is a change from what is normal for you.
Stool changes in IBD
In Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, a shift towards types 6 and 7, especially with blood or mucus, urgency, or needing to go at night, can be an early sign of a flare-up. Contact your IBD team or helpline early, as prompt treatment usually works better. Recording your stool type every day in a symptom diary makes changes easier to spot and to describe.
Always seek medical advice if you notice blood in your stools, or a change in your bowel habit that lasts more than a few weeks.