Most people experience ghost poops at some point during their lifetime, prompting the question, “why does my poop disappear in the toilet?” According to Dr. Islam in an article published in Menshealth, a ghost poop refers to one of the following three descriptions.
- A soft, smooth poop that sinks into the toilet before you see it
- A feeling of pooping only to produce gas.
- Poop that appears in the toilet drain but is not visible when you wipe.
Dr. Islam has described ghost poop very well in this youtube video:
What Causes Ghost Poo?
If you are wondering, “why did my poop disappear?” then read on to know why. Ghost poops indicate both normal and health issues.
A few reasons why you can’t see poop in the toilet include:
Excess Consumption of Processed Foods
Processed foods such as white bread and plain pasta have low or lack fiber. Inadequate fiber causes constipation that interferes with normal bowel movement. When you eat processed foods, you may experience farts instead of pooping, or sometimes there is no evidence when you wipe after defecating. If you cannot avoid processed foods, try to include other fiber-rich foods and a lot of fluids into your diet.
A Sensitive Stomach
An easily upset or irritated stomach characterizes a sensitive stomach. You might have experienced ghost poops when your stomach is sensitive to certain foods or medications. For instance, you experience intestinal blockages or constipation when you go to the toilet. In this case, you are advised to see your doctor.
Undiagnosed Health Condition
Sometimes you will experience ghost poops if you have an undetected medical condition. You feel like pooping but when you visit a washroom, the feeling disappears and then reappears after some time. Health conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease have been known to cause these kinds of ghost poops. Consult your doctor if you are frequently experiencing ghost poops.
Inadequate Hydration
Inadequate hydration is another cause of ghost poops. Your stool can become hard and difficult to pass when your body is dehydrated. When your body has insufficient water, it becomes difficult to digest food and eliminate waste materials. This result in small hard stools that are difficult to see in the toilet bowl, giving the appearance of a ghost poop. Drinking a lot of water will help you eliminate your disappearing ghost stools.
Inadequate Fiber-rich Diet
Fiber is necessary for healthy bowel movements. If your dietary patterns have zero carbs, zero fiber, and zero vegetables, you will likely experience ghost poops. Therefore, it would be best if you thought about incorporating a fiber supplement into your daily routine. Consider eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes to increase fiber supplements.
Ghost Poop Types
Your poop reveals serious health issues such as digestive issues and various infections including early signs of cancer. Knowing whether your poop sinks, floats, or is a ghost poop is essential to understanding your health, diet, and lifestyle.
The 3 main types of ghost poops include:
1. Fart Instead of Poop
Pooping and farting are normal biological functions of the body, and it is normal to produce gas during pooping. However, farting while initially you had a pooping feeling is not normal, indicating a health concern.
Managing a fart after feeling of bowel movement shows that your colon and rectum have too much air. Most often, farting is caused by eating gassy foods such as beans or swallowing too much air.
You can avoid this dreadful gas by dodging gassy foods. It would be best if you also considered using drinking straws carefully to avoid swallowing air.
2. Poop that Leaves No Traces on Tissue Paper When You Wipe
Not every bowel movement leaves traces on the toilet paper. If the poop easily slides and no evidence is left when you wipe, your bowel is doing excellent work.
Your bowel compacts the stool into anal-friendly poop and dries it before it is excreted. Having nothing to wipe after pooping means your bowel is normal and does not bother your little bum hole.
However, a lack of fecal traces when you wipe can also indicate dehydration. In many cases, dehydration occurs when your large intestine has removed all fluids that your body requires from the consumed food, leaving none to push your poop out.
In this case, you should consider fiber-rich foods and take a lot of fluids to save yourself from pain and bleeding.
3. Poop that Sinks Leaving No Evidence in the Toilet
Once in a while, you may have experienced poop sinking right to the bottom of the toilet bowl. In these cases, you may have pooped but there is no poop in toilet.
A disappearing poop is a long smooth ghost poop that disappears in toilet and indicates your gut is in a healthy condition. Be glad that you have a magical poop. Nothing to worry about!
Incredible Tips to Enhance your Bowel Movement
Regular bowel movement is known to be a sign of good health. Below are a few tips you employ to improve and increase the frequency of your bowel movements.
- Eating a high-fiber diet can help bowel movements make the stool softer and easier to pass.
- Exercising stimulates the digestive system to make it easier to pass poops.
- Using over-the-counter laxatives or stool softeners where necessary. Constipation relief medications include laxatives and stool softeners. Laxatives work by softening and making stools easier to pass. Stool softeners will add moisture to your poops, thus preventing ghost poops.
- Keeping hydrated helps to keep the stool soft and easy to pass.
- Limiting your intake of constipating foods can help you avoid hard, difficult-to-pass stools. For instance, limit your intake of fried foods, dairy products such as eggs, and processed foods.
Why Does My Poop Disappear in the Toilet? Are Ghost Poops Healthy?
We have covered what ghost poop is, the types of ghost poops, and how to maintain your bowel movement. But you may be asking yourself, “is a ghost poop healthy?” Most ghost poops have no cause for concern because they indicate a healthy working gut. To avoid ghost poops if you are irritated with them, maintain a healthy diet with plenty of water and fiber-rich foods. However, if the condition persists, consult your doctor.
