Patients with increased stool frequency but low volume per bowel movement can consider multiple bowel disorders.
If a patient has these symptoms due to dry stools, they are most likely related to constipation. The bowel movements irritate the mucous membrane of the intestines, but the hard texture of the stool does not allow for easy elimination, which can lead to low bowel movements.
Patients with recent onset of these symptoms, accompanied by significant abdominal pain and diarrhea, may also consider an infectious intestinal disease such as enteritis or dysentery. The inflammation will continue to irritate the intestinal mucosa and trigger a bowel movement, but the amount of stool in the intestine is already small due to multiple bowel movements, so there will not be a lot of stool each time. In the case of dysentery, it can be considered to be a manifestation of the lining.
Patients with intestinal diverticula, where food debris can be deposited for long periods of time, are prone to secondary pathogenic infections. Inflammation from infection or food debris can irritate the intestinal mucosa for a long time, which can lead to these manifestations.
Patients who have an occupying intestinal lesion, such as colon cancer, may have a narrowing of the intestine. The result is a narrowing of the intestinal tract and a tendency to have more frequent and less frequent bowel movements. Treatment is not exactly the same for different etiologies and requires a visit to a regular hospital first.