Quick and Dirty Bowel Tips
Find out what causes constipation and diarrhea and how to get rid of both.
Today I will be talking about bowel problems. Ya gotta poop, but too much or too little of it will cause all sorts of trouble.
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How Many Times a Day Should You Poop?
So what about your bowels? Normally, people have bowel movements anywhere from three times per week to three per day. As long as they are of normal consistency, neither end of the spectrum is considered problematic.
Constipation and diarrhea are defined not by the frequency with which a person goes, but the consistency of the movement when they do. (Get it, Doo?)
Constipation and Diarrhea
Constipation is defined as having hard and dry stools, which are often difficult to pass. Diarrhea, on the other hand, is loose or watery bowel movements. So as you see, the real culprit in either of these conditions is water–either too little or too much. That is important, because fixing either problem involves restoring the proper water to poop ratio (referred to by scientists as the WTP ratio–not really, but it sounds good).
What Causes Constipation?
The most common cause of constipation is dietary. People who don’t eat enough fiber are much more prone to constipation, as are people who don’t drink enough fluids. Here are some other possible causes of constipation:
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Irritable bowel syndrome
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Medications
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Excessive intake of iron
Rarely, a sudden onset of constipation can be from colon cancer
What Causes Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is generally caused by infection–usually by viruses. A typical case of viral diarrhea lasts only a few days; anything lasting over a week should be evaluated. Bacterial diarrhea is more serious, causing more abdominal pain, fever, and sometimes blood in the bowel movements.
Here are some other causes of diarrhea:
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Diet: Eating too much sugar can cause sugars to pass into the colon, making the bacteria there get all excited and cause diarrhea. Other things like sorbitol, a sweetener in some sugarless candy, can also cause diarrhea through osmosis.
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Malabsorption: Some people don’t digest sugars or fats properly. The most common sugar malabsorption is lactose intolerance, where undigested milk sugar passes into the colon, causing a bacteria festival resulting in diarrhea. The most common fat malabsorption comes from gallbladder disease, where fat passes into the colon, resulting in really nasty, light-colored diarrhea.
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Irritable bowel syndrome: People can have either constipation or diarrhea from this condition, in which the nerves in the colon are messed up.
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Medications: Though other medications can result in diarrhea, antibiotics are a main culprit; they can cause a very serious overgrowth of the bacteria c. difficile, which causes bad abdominal cramps, fever, and bloody diarrhea.
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Parasites: A single-celled parasite called giardia causes bad diarrhea in campers who don’t sterilize their water, and in young children.
Emotional stress can also upset your stomach and cause diarrhea.
How to Get Rid of Constipation
Of the two problems, the less serious is constipation (which can make you miserable, but doesn’t kill you). To treat constipation you should do the following:
Increase your fluid intake: Since sugars tend to loosen the bowels, drinking juices may work better, although you have to watch your calories when you do this.
Increase your regular intake of fiber: You can do this best by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (Nutrition Diva can help you here).
Try medication: These should be only used when dietary changes don’t work, and come in three classes:
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Stool softeners: These are safe to use regularly and should not cause diarrhea
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Laxatives: These medications can loosen the stool, but mainly serve to make the colon expel its contents. The best laxative, in my opinion, is the one that goes by the brand name Miralax. That is a gentle laxative that works by increasing the water in the stool, and so can be used on a daily basis if needed. The other laxatives shouldn’t be used for long periods, and should be used only after consulting your doctor.
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Enemas: An enema a solution that is put into the colon through its exit hole. It is not comfortable, but people who feel bad enough from constipation will do anything to get going again. Enemas can offer immediate relief. If you need an enema more than once, you should probably call your doctor. You also have my deepest sympathy.
How to Get Rid of Diarrhea
Most diarrhea will go away on its own without treatment. The main task for the person with diarrhea is to avoid dehydration. Here are some things you can do for diarrhea:
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Avoid sugary or fatty foods: An unhappy intestine won’t digest these as well, resulting in worsening and prolonged diarrhea.
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Increase your fiber intake: That may seem counter-intuitive, but fiber absorbs water, and so will firm up watery stool.
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Use medication: Medication can be helpful to lessen symptoms, but though it is generally safe to use medication in cases of viral infections, it can cause problems in cases of bacterial infection or with some other forms of diarrhea.
When Should You Go to the Doctor About Constipation?
So when is it appropriate to be evaluated? For constipation, a visit to the doctor is appropriate in the following situations:
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New onset constipation lasting over two weeks; this could be caused by medication, disease, or possibly serious conditions.
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Significant abdominal pain associated with the constipation.
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Sudden onset of constipation, which could represent a serious problem.
When Should You Go to the Doctor About Diarrhea?
For diarrhea, the conditions meriting a doctor’s visit include:
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Any sign or worry of dehydration
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Bloody diarrhea
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Diarrhea along with fever or significant abdominal pain
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Diarrhea lasting more than a week–which could either be a malabsorption or a medical problem
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Diarrhea immediately following use of antibiotics
The bottom line: Take care of your bowels, and they may take care of you. Abuse your bowels, and woe to you and those around you.
Next week, embarrassing issues month continues with urinary incontinence.
If you have topics, embarrassing or not, that you want me to cover, send them to create new email, or you can submit them to me on twitter (@housecalldoc) or my Facebook page.
Let me once again remind you that this podcast is for informational purposes only. My goal is to add to your medical knowledge and translate some of the weird medical stuff you hear, so when you do go to your doctor, your visits will be more fruitful. I don’t intend to replace your doctor; he or she is the one you should always consult about your own medical condition.
Catch you next time! Stay Healthy!
