Quiz

BuzzFeed Staff

Health

Can We Test Your Pee And Poop Knowledge?

Most people think pee is always sterile, but some research has shown that it CAN become infected, Dr. Benjamin Brucker, assistant professor of urology at NYU Langone Medical Center, told BuzzFeed Life [for a recent story](http://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrafbarnes/urine-luck-pee-facts).

True or false?

This varies some depending on how much you’ve been eating or drinking, and if you’re on particular medications that can act as diuretics, [Brucker told BuzzFeed Life](http://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrafbarnes/urine-luck-pee-facts). Don’t worry if you go a little more or less often. That being said: If your kid is going significantly more frequently, that can be a sign of diabetes — you should take them to the doctor.

Beets notoriously can turn your poops red — and so can any foods that have red food coloring in them. It is worth noting that red poops can also signal that you’re bleeding in your lower gastrointestinal track, and that can be a definite sign of trouble, Dr. Anish Sheth, gastroenterologist at the Princeton Medical Group and co-author of [What’s Your Poo Telling You?](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811857824/?tag=buzz0f-20), told BuzzFeed Life [in a recent story](http://www.buzzfeed.com/dannosowitz/how-to-hack-your-poop). If your poop is red and you HAVEN’T eaten beets or anything red-colored recently, talk to your doctor.

Fruits and veggies have a ton of fiber, and that fiber gets broken down by bacteria in your small intestine. That bacteria creates gas as a by-product. The good news is that while you might be pretty gassy from high-fiber foods, it probably won’t smell as bad as other types of gas, Sheth [told BuzzFeed Life](http://www.buzzfeed.com/dannosowitz/how-to-hack-your-poop).

Urine is made from roughly 3,000 components, but it’s about 95% water. Urea makes up about 3% of urine, and the rest is a combination of sodium, creatinine, potassium, chloride, and smaller amounts of other compounds, Dr. Michelle Lubetzky, transplant nephrologist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, told BuzzFeed Life [in a previous story](http://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrafbarnes/urine-luck-pee-facts).

That being said, only SOME people have the smell receptor that makes them notice it, according to Brucker.

Doctors typically recommend exercise as a way to help combat constipation, actually. It’s possible that if you start exercising and DON’T increase your water intake, you might become constipated — because you sweat when you exercise, and that might take up some of the water that typically goes into your stools. But in general, exercise should help you get things moving, rather than hurt the effort. Regarding shyness: One cause of constipation is holding in your poop when you have to go, and ignoring your body’s cues. This can happen when you rush out the door in the morning before doing your business, or it can happen when you choose not to go in a public bathroom even when you really feel the urge. Read [9 Reasons You Can’t Poop](http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/constipation-station) for more information about this.

Doctors recommend that you should aim to have pale yellow pee. Darker yellow means you’re dehydrated; totally clear pee might mean that you’ve overhydrated.

Dark yellow pee indicates that you’re dehydrated and need to drink more water. But BROWN pee can be a sign that you have old blood in your urine. It can also potentially signal a serious liver infection. If you pee brown, you should call your doctor. Similarly, red or pink pee can be a sign of FRESH blood in your urine, which is also a warning sign of infection (or maybe even something more serious). Call your doctor if you see those colors, as well.

Mercaptans are chemical compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, that are largely responsible for the foul smell of poop, [Sheth told BuzzFeed Life in a previous story](http://www.buzzfeed.com/dannosowitz/how-to-hack-your-poop). Some foods and drinks like red wine, meat, cheese, and coffee are really high in mercaptans and they can create some especially smelly excrement.

Hemorrhoids occur when the blood vessels in and around your anus get enlarged, engorged, or dilated, [as BuzzFeed Life previously reported](http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/no-butts-about-it). Diarrhea and constipation can BOTH contribute to hemorrhoids, according to Dr. Roberta Muldoon, colorectal surgeon and chair of the Public Relations Committee for the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Bearing down or putting pressure on that area can also contribute to hemorrhoids — and reading for a long time on the toilet can definitely make that happen.

Itching, blood when you poop, or a noticeable bump around your anus can all be signs of hemorrhoids, Muldoon told BuzzFeed Life. But here’s the thing: All those symptoms can also be signs of other much worse problems (like colon cancer or anal cancer, for instance). If you’re noticing any of these symptoms, you should ask your doctor to check you out and make sure you’re ACTUALLY dealing with hemorrhoids, instead of something else.

This also varies from person to person, obviously. But if you feel like you really have to go and then only pee for two seconds, that can be a sign that you might have an infection — you should see a doctor, [Brucker told BuzzFeed Life](http://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrafbarnes/urine-luck-pee-facts).

That’s true whether you have a penis or vagina.

Wow. You know a buttload about this stuff! You clearly have a very high pee and poo IQ.

You know a thing or two about pee and poo. Pretty impressive — you must be wonderful at parties!

So you aren't super savvy about the human waste system. URINE luck — you can always learn more! Read [31 Things You Should Definitely Know About Pee](http://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrafbarnes/urine-luck-pee-facts) and [How To Hack Your Own Poop](http://www.buzzfeed.com/dannosowitz/how-to-hack-your-poop) for more information about these very important topics.

Sorry to say: You don't know squat about pee or poop. But there's no need to be down in the dumps about it. This is a golden opportunity to [learn more](http://www.buzzfeed.com/zahrafbarnes/urine-luck-pee-facts)!

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Can We Test Your Pee And Poop Knowledge?

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