Stool samples can help doctors diagnose some health conditions. Tips for collecting a stool sample include urinating before collecting the sample and using any tools that the sample kit provides.

If you are having digestive symptoms, your doctor may prescribe an at-home stool test, in which you collect stool samples and send them to a lab or bring them to your doctor’s office for analysis.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) causes clay-colored, greasy stools that smell foul. A stool test to check for low levels of the elastase enzyme can help diagnose the condition. The pancreas ...