I poop, you poop, we all poop, it’s a perfectly normal bodily function, but it’s not something anyone likes to talk about, which is understandable. However this can be problematic if there is constipation (trouble passing bowel movements); one may be too embarrassed to tell anyone, even a doctor.
Anyone can have trouble pooping? If you want to avoid the hassle of appointments and the embarrassment of speaking to a medical professional, there are some simple practices and home remedies that can help keep you regular.
Most times, trouble pooping is related to the level of fiber in your diet and the amount of water that you drink. Fiber adds bulk to stool, making it more solid and manageable for the digestive system. Water, on the other hand, keeps the digestive tract well lubricated, and this lubrication can facilitate regular, strain-free bowel movements. Adopting a high fibre diet and adequate water intake will lead to better bowel movements overall, but there are also a number of other things that you can do in the short term to facilitate easier pooping if you tend to have
trouble doing the number 2.
Timing Is Everything
Generally, it is best to go when the urge is present, rather than putting it off. Likewise, it is important that whatever you do, you do not spend too much time on the toilet trying to poop. This is especially true if you find yourself straining to push the poop out. Straining may cause injury or other conditions such as hemorrhoids. Consider your body’s rhythm. Chances are, you have a bowel movement about the same time each day. There’s a reason for this.
Generally, the best time to poop is in the morning when you first wake up. After sleep, all of your organs go back to normal functioning from their resting modes, and the colon is no exception. Once the colon is active again, it will produce that familiar sensation we recognize as the urge to poop; however, if one regularly sleeps late or ignores that early morning opportunity to poop, then this may lead to a situation where you are less likely to feel the urge to poop, which can then lead to discomfort, gas, and bloating.
Also, If you ignore these urges for too long, there is the possibility that they may stop coming. This can lead to straining, which can cause harm to your body, or a need for laxatives. It’s much better to heed the urge to poop when you first have it.
Use Hot Drinks
A hot drink may get your digestive tract moving; especially if this hot drink is coffee. This is due to a phenomenon called peristalsis, which is essentially the movement of muscles controlling the digestive tract. They flex and relax in a way that moves the contents of your digestive system along, making it easier to get to the grand finale. While any hot beverage might help, it is thought that certain compounds in coffee strengthen the effect of peristalsis, activating a much stronger movement. Coffee is also a diuretic, meaning it will help you pee too.
Again, timing is everything. You don’t want to drink your coffee right before you sit down on the toilet to try and pass a bowel movement. Instead, have coffee or another hot beverage with your breakfast, one that ideally includes fiber (whole grains are an excellent source). Both of these will also help bowel movements. Try to eat and drink about a half hour before you intend to use the toilet, as this will give the coffee time to get your system working on expelling waste.
Practice Good Pooping Posture
For many of us, toilet time is time to check our phones and catch up on whatever we may have missed, or maybe read a book or magazine, so we spend most of the time sitting hunched over on the toilet. This may not seem like a big deal, however, It turns out that this can be making it harder for you to get your business done. There’s a muscle called the puborectalis that tightens up between the colon and the rectum to make sure you don’t end up passing stool when you don’t want to. However, when it’s time to go, you definitely want the puborectalis relaxed.
This is why typical posture on the toilet is holding us back; believe it or not, the people who had to use pit latrines had way less trouble passing stool. Sitting hunched over doesn’t allow the muscle to fully relax, which means there is still some blockage between the colon and the rectum. However, if you actually squat, then you can achieve full relaxation of the puborectalis. This makes it much easier to pass a bowel movement. Now don’t start worrying about how to squat over the toilet or if you have to make arrangements to install a pit latrine, you can achieve this position by putting your feet up on something, for example a magazine rack or a little toilet bin. You may even consider keeping a little stool in the toilet specifically for this purpose. This simple move changes how you sit on the toilet into a squat by adjusting your knee position.
Hopefully practicing these few tips should help make pooping easier. Remember that everything from what you eat, when you attempt to poop, and even your posture may affect the difficulty of having a bowel movement. However, if you find yourself struggling to have bowel movements for an extended period of time, even with the use of laxatives, you should definitely consult a medical professional, as chronic constipation can be a sign of some serious illnesses.
