The harm of not having a bowel movement for a long time

I believe that many young people have not had a bowel movement for a long time. In fact, this is a manifestation of difficulty in defecation. The body's bowel movements are directly related to the body's health. People who do not defecate for a long time often have symptoms such as sallow skin, physical discomfort, or difficulty defecating, and often feel like they are not done with their bowel movements. Many people have found that medication or diet therapy has no effect. This is very harmful because the waste and toxins in the body cannot be eliminated, which will inevitably affect health.

Reasons for prolonged bowel movement

The specific reasons can be summarized as follows:

(1) Due to poor eating habits, the mechanical or chemical stimulation of food is insufficient, or due to the intake of too little or too fine food, especially the lack of food that leaves a large amount of sediment, the intestinal stimulation is reduced and the reflex peristalsis is weakened, causing constipation.

(2) Changes in lifestyle habits, improper bowel movement, frequent use of strong laxatives and enemas, etc., can all cause a decrease in the sensitivity of the rectal reflex, so that even if feces enters, it is not enough to cause effective nerve impulses, so that the defecation reflex cannot be produced and constipation occurs.

(3) Depression or excessive excitement can cause conditioned reflex disorders and lead to constipation.

(4) Bad living habits, lack of sleep, and constant high mental stress can also cause abnormal peristalsis and spasmodic contractions of the colon and lead to constipation. The first thing to do for constipation is to find out the cause and actively treat it accordingly.

The dangers of not having a bowel movement for a long time

Doctors point out that long-term difficulty in defecation causes feces to remain in the body for a long time. Feces contain a variety of toxins, so the harm can be imagined.

The specific hazards of long-term difficulty in defecation are mainly the following:

1. Anal fissures: Mechanical trauma during defecation caused by long-term constipation and dry stool is the direct cause of most anal fissures and one of the main causes. Patients with anal fissures are unwilling to defecate due to fear of pain, which eventually causes constipation, making the stool drier and harder. Constipation in turn aggravates anal fissures, forming a vicious cycle.

2. Causes hemorrhoids: Constipation makes defecation difficult, and patients have to strain to defecate, which increases the pressure in the rectum. Over time, the anal sphincter will gradually relax. Difficulties in defecation will damage the rectal wall, and after infection, venous fistulas will form, leading to hemorrhoids.

3. Cause rectal cancer: Long-term constipation can irritate the intestinal wall, and in severe cases can lead to intestinal mucosal shedding and lesions. Studies in recent years have found that the occurrence of rectal cancer is closely related to constipation, especially in elderly patients with constipation.

4. Inducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases: For patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and constipation, especially the elderly, straining during defecation often causes high blood pressure, and they are likely to have sudden illnesses such as cerebral hemorrhage, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, etc.

5. Formation of abdominal hernia: When defecation is difficult, excessive force will be applied, causing increased abdominal pressure. The abdominal organs such as the small intestine will protrude to the surface of the body, forming an abdominal hernia.

6. Reduced immunity: The intestine is the organ that absorbs nutrients, and it is also the largest immune organ of the human body. Long-term constipation will affect the normal function of the intestines, cause metabolic disorders in the human body, reduce resistance, and is not conducive to physical health.

7. Impact on skin beauty: Women with long-term constipation will have their intestines absorb toxins and moisture from the feces, leading to dry and rough skin, dull and lusterless skin, and the formation of spots, causing a series of skin problems such as blackheads and acne.

Suggestions for preventing and treating long-term constipation

From the above, we can see that constipation is so harmful that it is frightening. So how to prevent and treat constipation?

The following doctors also made some suggestions:

(1) Pay attention to scientific dietary regulation: Habitual constipation is caused by abnormal intestinal motility and delayed stool motility. In your daily diet, you can eat more vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber, such as bitter gourd, cucumber, cabbage, celery, leek, watermelon, apple, pear, etc.; eat a moderate amount of whole grains and coarse grains, such as brown rice, sweet potato, corn, pumpkin, etc.; in addition, you can also eat some dried fruits rich in oil, such as pine nuts, walnut kernels, etc. These foods help digestion and absorption in the intestines and maintain intestinal peristalsis. At the same time, you should eat less high-protein, high-cholesterol, spicy, irritating, and greasy foods.

(2) Drink plenty of water, especially honey water: Maintaining adequate water in the body can relieve constipation, while water can enhance intestinal motility. Lack of water in the body causes constipation, which leads to the accumulation of old stool and repeated absorption of water in the intestines, making the stool dry and difficult to defecate.

(3) Develop a good habit of regular bowel movements: At the beginning, you should squat every morning regardless of whether you feel like it or not, and try to have a bowel movement. Over time, you will develop a habit of regular bowel movements.

(4) Keep exercising: Moderate exercise can promote intestinal peristalsis and help relieve and improve constipation.