Beat constipation: Release bowel movements as soon as you feel the need
For the purpose of clarity in this email we will refer to the inner urge to release a bowel movement as ‘the call of nature’ or simply a call. In today’s highly rushed and highly sophisticated society the call of nature is often viewed as an inconvenience to be ignored until the time is appropriate. We are going to take a short look at why this is not a good idea.
The lower portion of your colon is where your faeces is temporarily stored. When it is ready to be excreted it moves down into the area of the rectum, this is when you feel the call. If the faeces is highly liquid it moves down to the lower portion of the rectum quickly and you will feel an urgent call prompting you to immediate action. If your faeces is more solid they will first be retained in the upper portion of your rectum. The call you will feel will be softer and easier to ignore. Once ignored it may disappear and only reappear the next day or after your next meal or when more faeces has entered the rectum. The additional time your faeces spends in the colon allows for more water to be absorbed resulting in a dryer, harder faeces. The dryer or harder your faeces becomes, the harder it will be for you to excrete it. Hard and dry faeces in the lower portion of your colon will block the movement of fresh faeces from the upper portions of the colon. Thus the blockage created from the lower portion of your colon can spread further up the colon.
Gradual accumulation of faeces in the lower portion on the colon can result in the colon becoming extended or stretched. It is not uncommon for a colon to be stretched many times its original size. Now more faeces is needed to apply sufficient pressure on the rectum to stimulate the call of nature. The additional time faeces spends in the colon allows more time for the food matter to putrefy, feeding bad bacteria and producing toxins that are absorbed into the blood stream.
One of the worst consequences of continually ignoring the call of nature is that, after a period of time, the call is no longer made or it is so faint it is hardly felt. This can be corrected over time as you improve your eating habits and re-train your body to feel and respond to the call. When you experience a call, even a very slight one, be diligent to go to the toilet immediately. You can also give your bowels a chance to empty themselves after every meal, upon rising and before bedtime.
The time given to release a bowel movement should be sufficient to release all the faecal material that is held in the bowel. Straining, or applying pressure from your diaphragm and adnominal muscles, will help along the defecation process. Additional faeces can be removed by assuming the natural squat position. This is the natural position man used before the invention of the toilet when he had to bend fully at the knees and hips in order to release his bowel movement. In this position the bowel is properly aligned for defecation and is further helped along by the pressure of your upper thighs on your colon. This position can be obtained by squatting on the toilet seat or, if this is too impractical, you can purchase a small stepping stool and place it at the base of the toilet to place your feet upon.
