Question: is diarrhea and constipation the same thing?
Answer: Diarrhea is defined as “frequent, loose stools preceded by lower abdominal cramping.”2 On the Bristol Stool Form Scale, types 6 and 7 indicate diarrhea. To doctors, constipation is “hard, pellet-shaped stools” or types 1 and 2 on the Bristol Stool Form scale.