Delaying defecation could have dire consequences, according to experts - and here's why
When it comes to doing a number two, lots of people prefer to wait until they're in the familiar and comfortable surroundings of their own home.
Many are willing to spend hours stifling the urge to answer that call of nature.
But delaying defecation could be far more dangerous than you think.
In fact, some experts are warning that, as well as the obvious discomfort, in extreme cases holding a poo in for a lengthy period of time could even result in death.
Those who repeatedly put off going to the loo run the risk of developing a dysfunction in the muscle used for pooing, say researchers.
In worst case scenarios, people can suffer an impacted bowel - when an immobile mass of faeces builds up in the rectum, resulting in chronic constipation.
Left untreated, an impacted bowel can require surgery or even kill, experts warn.
In a Discovery News video released this week, Amy Shira Teitel explains all.
She says: "You might be on a plane and choose to hold in instead of braving the aeroplane toilets.
"Konstantin Monastyrsky, author of Gut Sense, says holding in your poo even once is dangerous, because it allows stools to build up.
Poo in graphs: Every poo, every day for a full YEAR
"As they dry out, they block your system, and can lead to an impacted bowel
"Kyle D STaller, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital says that people who get into a habit of holding in can develop a dysfunction in the muscle used for pooing."
She adds: "So holding in is bad. If you don't poo when you need to, all the waste and toxins are just sitting in there
"And your body keeps making waste, it can lead to an impacted bowel.
"Sometimes surgery is required, and if left untreated, an impacted bowel can actually kill you."
Earlier this year, Giulia Enders, writing in her debut book revealed exactly how people should be pooing, with lots of helpful descriptions and diagrams.
Giulia's five top tips for a happy gut
- If you want your bottom to thank you, try pooing in the strain-sparing evacuation position called “the rocking squat” - literally crouching and then gently rocking on bent knees. No more haemorrhoids and digestive diseases like diverticulitis.
- If you're worried about your poo, check out the Bristol Stool Scale , which ranks poo on a seven-point scale, from “hard to pass lumps” to “entirely liquid,” since 1997.
- Acknowledge your gut and make it happy - tummy aches and troubles aren't normal.
- Food takes two or three hours to get in the blood, so think of how you feel two or three hours after you've eaten - cake and chips might leave you feeling more tired than vegetables.
- Gut bacteria clean your gut every day, keeping you healthy so use nice food to treat them well.
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