What To Do When Your Constipated On The Toilet

How Is Encopresis Treated

Treatment will depend on your childs symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Treatment for encopresis may include:

• Removing the impacted stool

• Keeping bowel movements soft so the stool will pass easily

• Retraining the intestine and rectum to gain control over bowel movements

Your childs healthcare provider may prescribe an enema to help remove the impacted stool. An enema is a liquid that is placed in your child’s rectum. It helps loosen the hard, dry stool. Never give your child an enema without the approval of your childs healthcare provider.

Your child’s healthcare provider will likely prescribe medicines to help keep your child’s bowel movements soft for several months. This will help stop stool from getting impacted again. Never give your child stool softeners without the approval of your childs healthcare provider.

Treatment may also include diet and lifestyle changes. Help your child to eat more fiber by:

• Adding more fruits and vegetables

• Adding more whole-grain cereals and breads. Check the nutrition labels on food packages for foods that have more fiber. As a rule of thumb, great sources of fiber have at least 5 grams per serving. Good sources have 2.5 to 4.9 grams per serving.

Load Up On Foods With Fiber

Fiber-rich foods with a high water content, such as raw carrots, apples with the skin or peel on, and avocados are all great sources of fiber to help get things moving, says Christine Lee, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

When consumed, these foods create an osmotic gradient,” says Dr. Leethat means they force more water to be pulled into the colon during digestion, which then helps ease and prevent constipation by helping things flow a little more smoothly.

Wednesday 15 November 2017

Weve already spoken about whether your poo is normal, but what about the way youre doing it?

The internet is full of articles telling you how to poo better, and products you can buy to help you do just that . But is there really anything wrong with just going along with natures call? Or should you be putting more thought into your movements?

While everyones toilet habits will differ slightly, there are some general pointers for making sure youre doing your #bestpoo. Weve broken down some popular pooing myths to help separate the fact from the fiction.

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Why Is Straining Bad

Straining increases your intra-abdominal pressure and causes congestion of the soft tissues. So, you are more likely to develop piles, prolapse or vaginal varicose veins. Cases of people fainting or having heart attacks when straining are well known. Ask Elvis.

Also, we know that a full bowel can irritate a bladder many cases of incontinence are related to constipation. In my experience, deal with the bowel first.

What Are The Symptoms Of Constipation In Adults

An individual may exhibit a broad range of symptoms of constipation depending on his or her bowel habits, diet, and age. These are some common problems a person may have if he or she is constipated:

• Difficulty in starting or completing a bowel movement
• Infrequent and difficult passage of stool
• Passing hard stool after prolonged straining
• a sense of bloating, and
• a change in bowel habits

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What Should I Expect When I Talk To My Doctor About My Constipation

Talking to your doctor or anyone about your bowel movements is not the most pleasant of topics. Know that your doctor is there for you. Doctors are trained health professionals who have discussed just about every health topic you can think of with their patients.

Your doctor will first ask you questions about your medical history, bowel movements, and your lifestyle and routines.

Medical history

• What are your current and past diseases/health conditions?
• Have you lost or gained any weight recently?
• Have you had any previous digestive tract surgeries?
• What medications and supplements do you take for other disorders and for the relief of constipation?
• Does anyone in your family have constipation or diseases of the digestive tract or a history of colon cancer?
• Have you had a colonoscopy?

Bowel movement history

• How often do you have a bowel movement?
• What do your stools look like?
• Have you noticed any blood or red streaks in your stool?
• Have you ever seen blood in the toilet bowl or on the toilet paper after you wipe?

Lifestyle habits and routines

• What food and beverages do you eat and drink?
• What is your exercise routine?

Your doctor will also perform a physical exam, which includes a check of your vital signs . He or she will use a stethoscope to listen to the sounds in your abdomen. Your abdomen will also be touched to check for pain, tenderness, swelling, and lumps.

Give Yourself A Belly Rub

No reallyapplying moderate pressure and massaging your abdomen in a clockwise direction can help you move your bowels, says Dr. Berookim. Colonic massage has been shown to improve constipation, he says.

This can be performed by applying moderate pressure along the horseshoe shape of the colon in your right lower quadrant. Then continue moving up to the rib cage, across the stomach and underneath the ribs to your left lower quadrant, which is the point where stool is emptied.

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Fiber Is Not Always The Answer

If adding fiber to your diet in the form of food orsupplements makes you more bloated and blocked than before, there are a numberof potential reasons. For example, in slow transit constipation, a conditionwhere the bowel does not move things quickly through, fiber sits in your gut andcan make you feel worse.

Long story short: If fiber makes you worse, dont just addmore. See your doctor.

What Drinks Will Make You Poop Right Away

Youre probably hoping that there is one magic elixir to make all of your problems go away. And, sure, were about to rattle off a few possibilities but youll have to experiment to see what combination works best for you. In general, though, youre going to want to quite literally hydrate the shit out of yourself.

Heres a fun visual to fuel your night terrors for the foreseeable future. Have you ever tried to slide down a waterslide when you and/or the slide were dry? Its a non-starter. Now, imagine your poo is you and the slide is your body. The more water you drink, the easier your stool will slide down and out. If youre pregnant and cant even keep water down, try the following tricks that have worked for some pregnant women:

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How To Position Yourself

• Place your bottom on the toilet seat.

Stay in this position 5-10 minutes before you poop.

If it takes longer than 10 minutes to have results, your rectum and anus are not relaxed enough.

When you feel it is time to poop, stay in the Semi-Squat position on the toilet bowl. You will feel when to stool is moving downwards in the descending colon.

When this thing happens, slowly strain the rectum. Do not push too hard and too often. Push your rectum gently and repeat.

Semi-squatting is always the best way to sit on the toilet when constipated because it makes defecation smoother. Also, it prevents you from straining too much.

Here Are A Few Examples Of Vegetables That Contain Fructose And Act Similar To Fruits:

• beets, radishes, tomatoes, carrots
• cabbage, red onions, potatoes, pumpkins
• sweet corn, sweet peppers, zucchini
• radicchio, red beets

Fruits for constipation improve digestion because they clean the intestines using dietary fiber, only if we eat them alone. Fiber helps clean the intestine walls and receptors.

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How Long Can A Baby Go Without Pooping

In some cases, longer than you might think. While many little ones poop every day, its possible and not necessarily something to panic about if a baby goes 24 hours without pooping and even up to a full week without a bowel movement.

Since exclusively breastfed babies sometimes use up every bit of breast milk towards energy production, its not unusual for them to sometimes go up to seven days without pooping.

But formula-fed babies, babies whove started solids, and toddlers tend to poop more often than that. For them, going more than two to four days or so could be a sign of constipation, provided theyre also straining to go and generally seem uncomfortable.

That said, every child is different, and some babies and toddlers simply go a little longer in between, well, going, than others. So pay attention to whats typical for your little one.

If she often goes two or three days in between poops, constipation might not pop up on your radar unless shes been BM-free for four days. But if your child normally goes like clockwork every single day, you might watch for signs of constipation after a day or two without poop.

Or Try A Prescription Laxative If Things Get Really Bad

Lee also recommends talking to your doctor about trying prescription laxatives if none of the other methods have worked. Prescription drugs are effective, but they can be expensive, so they should generally be left as a last resort after youve tried these other methods,” she says.

Another downside of laxative medications: Your body can get used to them, so eventually you might not be able to go poop without them if you use them too often.

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Constipation And Poor Bowel Habits

Ignoring the desire to have bowel movements may initiate a cycle of constipation.

• After a period of time, the person may stop feeling the desire to move the bowels.
• This leads to progressive constipation. For example, some people may avoid using public toilets or ignore going to the toilet because they are busy.

If these initial measures fail, the health-care professional may try a number of laxatives on a short-term basis. The patient should consult with his or her doctor before using any of these agents, particularly on long-term basis.

A doctor will treat any underlying diseases .

• If the patient has irritable bowel syndrome , he or she should stop smoking and avoid coffee and milk-containing foods. A food diary may help to identify foods that seem to worsen the symptoms.
• Thyroxin will be prescribed if the doctor determines through clinical and laboratory tests that the patient has an underactive thyroid gland .

How Can I Prevent Constipation

Use the same home-based methods you used to treat constipation to prevent it from becoming a chronic problem:

• Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of fiber. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole-grain breads and cereals. Fiber and water help the colon pass stool. Most of the fiber in fruits is found in the skins, such as in apples. Fruits with seeds you can eat, like strawberries, have the most fiber. Bran is a great source of fiber. Eat bran cereal or add bran cereal to other foods, like soup and yogurt. People with constipation should eat between 18 and 30 grams of fiber every day.
• Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Liquids that contain caffeine, such as coffee and soft drinks, can dehydrate you. You may need to stop drinking these products until your bowel habits return to normal.
• Exercise regularly.
• Treat mild constipation with a dietary supplement like magnesium.
• Move your bowels when you feel the urge. Do not wait.

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Sometimes The Solution Is Simple

Most cases of acute constipation happen because you are noteating enough of the right foods , drinking enoughwater or getting enough exercise. So the fixes are simple: Move more, drinkmore water and add fiber to your diet to add bulkto your stool.

Some people have success taking probiotics, too, which can change the composition of the bacteria in the gut.

What Are The Signs Of Constipation

If youre here, there may very well be no doubt in your mind that you are constipated. But hey, who knows? Perhaps you just suspect youd benefit from a good B.M. So, first things first, lets take a look at some tell-tail, er, telltale signs of constipation. Per the Mayo Clinic, these include:

• Hard or lumpy stools
• Straining to have bowel movements
• Feeling as though you cant completely empty your bowels
• Having fewer than three bowel movements per week

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Lifestyle Changes That Can Help You Poop

The above advice can help encourage a quick bowel movement to relieve short-term discomfort. However, some of the lifestyle changes can also keep your constipation at bay more permanently. For regularity, try to make these tips part of your daily habit.

• Add more fiber to your diet, with fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, beans, and whole grains. You should consume at least 14 grams of fiber per day for every 1,000 calories in your diet. If you need to take a fiber supplement for chronic constipation, start with a low dose and increase as tolerated. For some people, a large amount of fiber can lead to bloating.
• Exercise most days of the week with a daily walk, jog, bike ride, swim, or other form of exercise. Light exercise helps maintain proper circulation and can keep the bowels healthy.
• Consume plenty of liquids mostly water and other clear liquids every day. Aim for at least eight 8-ounce glasses of clear liquids per day.
• Manage your stress.

Immediate Relief With Digestive Pills

These types of pills are made to:

• improve bowel movement
• make the pancreas secrete digestive juices
• make the liver secrete bile
• improve digestion

Depending on the time you want to have immediate relief for constipation, Digestive Pills have an almost instant effect. Depending on the type, you can take the pills before, during the meals, between the meals or after them. It also depends on the types of food you eat. Certain foods need different time for digestion. For example, meat digests in 4-6 hours, bread digests in 2-3 hours and fruits digest in no more than 15 minutes.

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When And Why To Have Immediate Constipation Relief

When being constipated, immediate relief is always good, especially when we deal with deadlines or stressful situations. The pain and the pressure felt in the intestines area create anxiety and nervousness.

Fermented and rotten food blocked in the intestines make us feel sick. Also, it can create the permanent need to go to the toilet without even evacuating stool.

What Are The Best Supplements To Help Combat Constipation

When my six-year-old can feel a poop beckoning, he says its in his poop pocket. According to him, we all have one of these. Its basically your bowels waiting room. So, when you suspect your poop pocket is full, you might not feel as though you can wait for all of those dietary changes to kick in. You need relief now, right?

In that case, you might want to consider supplements. Disclaimer: Its always best to talk to your doctor about the best option for your bowels, especially if youre pregnant or on medication. But in general, there are a few GI-doctor-recommended things you can take to stimulate action:

• Polyethylene glycol 3350, aka MiraLAX , works because its made up of compounds your body cant digest or absorb. So, its got nowhere to go but out if you catch the drift. High doses can cause diarrhea, meaning youll want to adjust in small increments until you get the desired effect.
• Psyllium husk, which is the main ingredient found in other OTC products like Metamucil, packs a fiber-filled punch.
• Fenugreek, vitamin C, and probiotics are all also associated with increased bowel activity .

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How Do Doctors Treat The Complications Of Constipation In Children

Doctors may be able to treat complications of constipation in children during an office visit. Your childs doctor may recommend at-home treatments, too.

For a child age 2 or older, your doctor may recommend giving mineral oil. Your child will take the mineral oil by mouth or through an enema.

Your childs doctor may be able to treat rectal prolapse during an office visit by manually pushing the rectum back through the childs anus. Helping a child prevent constipation is the best way to prevent rectal prolapse.

Tips To Poop Like A Pro

While these tips might provide a short-term solution, chronic constipation typically demands at least a few lifestyle changes. Here are a few places to start for healthy pooping:

• Practice proper form. Theres significant evidence to suggest that a squat position aids in healthier pooping. If you need, use a footstool to get your knees above your hips.
• Avoid straining. Sorry: No more scrolling through Insta while you try to go. Sitting on the toilet for prolonged periods can make matters worse by weakening the pelvic muscles that help you poop.
• Drink lots of water. Keep your water bottle by your side at all times. Youre going to need it if you want to stay regular.
• Eat more fiber. Oats, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and other fiber-rich foods can help keep things moving.
• Exercise on most days. Even if its just for 20 minutes, getting some exercise in most days will up your circulation and keep your bowels healthy.
• Never hold back. It might be tempting to put off pooping until you wrap up your work assignment or make it to your favorite public toilet , but resist the urge whenever possible. Going as soon as possible will help your bowels stay healthy.
• Avoid certain foods. For healthy poop, cut back on your fave junk foods. Red meat, fried foods, processed grains, dairy, and alcohol can also make constipation worse or cause it in the first place.

You should also call up your doc if you experience any of the following:

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