The reasons behind ghost poops have been explained by a doctor, so it might be time to stop worrying.
We've all had them before, you sit down on the throne, do your business, wipe and see nothing on the toilet paper - it's a great feeling but one that only comes around every so often.
You'd usually check again, and if it's clean, then you're in luck and you can go about your day with a big smile plastered across your face for that weird, yet rewarding, outcome.
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Over the last few months though, the ghost poop trend has been going viral on social media platforms, as several people share their own takes on what it feels like to have a ghost poop.
Content creators, specifically on TikTok, have been covering the phenomenon, which is basically when you take a dump and don't see any residue when you wipe.
Some others have also used the term to describe a time when they've felt like they've done a number two, but find nothing in the toilet.
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It turns out that hundreds of people have experienced the odd phenomenon, prompting the hashtag #Ghostpoop to make the rounds on TikTok.
But ever since the first Ghost poop video went viral in 2021, we have been left confused as to why it happens, so medical professionals have decided to step in and explain what it means.
Dr. Rabia De Latour, gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health, and Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, gastroenterologist and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, spoke to the Today show about the weird occurrence, and how it is fairly common.
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The doctors explained that a number of factors could cause them, with one being that your poop is so 'well-formed' and 'firm' that it didn't leave anything on your behind to clean up.
But the publication also explained what determines it: "The texture of stool and how much you need to wipe can depend on a few factors: Fibre intake, gut health, the amount of water and other nutrients absorbed from stool in the large intestine, and how well the anal sphincter muscles function."
Lovely.
Some people use the term for when they feel like they've pooped but actually see nothing in the bowl.
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The medical experts explained that there's nothing to worry about if this happens, as your poo was probably extremely 'dense' and went 'straight down the toilet'.
Apparently, this is 'perfectly normal' and means that you have a 'very healthy bowel movement'. Don't we all aspire to that?
But another explanation for this is that you've just farted instead of pooped, so it might be worth keeping tabs on that - maybe a wipe will help you determine the outcome.
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"The sphincters get stimulated, and you do pass something, but it’s just air," Dr. Felice explained.
However, if you keep feeling like you need to poop but nothing comes out, it could be something more serious, and you should speak to your doctor, say Dr. Rabia and Dr. Felice.
The publication also state that this could be an early symptom of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's, colorectal polyps, or anal cancer.
Topics: Weird, Viral, Social Media, Health
Joshua Nair