March 28 every year is Chinese Constipation Day.
With the continuous change of people's diet structure, the pace of life continues to accelerate, and the sudden increase in various pressures has also made more and more people in the mainland have a chronic disease----- constipation.
Therefore, the Chinese Medical Doctor Association decided to set up March 28 every year as "China Constipation Day" to improve the public's scientific understanding of constipation.
At present, there are 50 million people on the mainland who can't pull out shit!
According to the "Expert Consensus Opinion on Chronic Constipation in China (2019)" released by the Gastrointestinal Dynamics Group of the Gastroenterology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the current prevalence of chronic constipation in adults in mainland China is 4.0%-10.0%.
This means that about 50 million adults suffer from constipation, and as they age, the prevalence of constipation also increases, and the prevalence of chronic constipation in people over 70 years old reaches 23%.
How often is constipation counted?
Food enters the human stomach, after digestion and absorption by the stomach, the remaining residue will enter the intestines and wait to be excreted, which is defecation.
However, everyone's time and frequency of defecation are very different, some people have to defecate 1-2 times a day, while some people do not defecate for several days, and some people have a bowel movement once every two or three days.
But in fact, judging whether to be constipated depends not only on the time of defecation, but also on whether it is difficult to defecate.
Under normal circumstances, people's defecation process is relatively smooth, and healthy stool is not too hard or too thin, but moderately soft.
People who often have constipation, because the stool stays in the intestine for a long time, the excess water in the intestinal wall will be absorbed, and when the feces are excreted from the body, they tend to be very dry and become lumpy, and the human body will feel pain when defecating.
Therefore, if you have a bowel movement every two or three days, and the bowel movement process is very smooth, the stool is soft and hard, and the color is not abnormal.
This situation is not constipation, it may have a lot to do with the daily diet, such as low protein content in the body, fiber deficiency, etc., which may lead to prolonged stool cycles.
Under normal circumstances, how many times a day is better to have a bowel movement?
Usually, it is better for the human body to defecate 1 to 2 times a day.
Although there are many folds in the human intestine, the intestines can hold a lot of food, but if the food residue in the body has not been excreted, the intestinal peristalsis will become slow.
Over time, our gastrointestinal function will be affected, and we are prone to flatulence and abdominal pain after meals.
Especially in the morning to get up, the human body after a night of sleep, the stomach has absorbed the nutrients in the food, then if the feces accumulated in the intestine can be excreted in time, the stomach and intestines can be full of energy to start the day's work.
For doctors, constipation is diagnostic:
1. Decreased frequency of bowel movements (< 3 times/week)
2. Dry stool;
3. Defecation is time-consuming and laborious, and it is not exhaustive or requires the use of techniques to assist defecation;
4. Symptoms persist for at least 6 months.
How can I relieve constipation symptoms?
First, ensure the intake of vegetables and coarse grains every day
Eat more foods rich in dietary fiber, such as sweet potatoes, corn, oats, celery, lettuce, etc., the fiber contained in these foods can remove excess oil and garbage from the intestinal wall, thereby better protecting gastrointestinal health.
Second, replenish water in time
For people who want to improve constipation and promote feces excreted in the body, timely replenishment of water can increase the moisture of feces, promote human intestinal peristalsis, keep feces fluffy, and more conducive to excretion.
However, it is worth mentioning that drinking more water is only to promote intestinal peristalsis, and for patients with uncoordinated anorectal movements, it does not cure constipation, but only plays a role in improving symptoms.
Third, exercise appropriately and develop regular bowel movements
Moderate exercise, sleep regularity, to ensure a good work and rest, while as far as possible in a fixed period of time to defecate, do not defecate while playing mobile phone, develop good defecation habits.
Generally speaking, for constipation, it is mainly based on changing living habits, such as eating more fruits, vegetables and cereals, drinking more water, and having regular bowel movements.
However, for some patients, in addition to lifestyle changes, targeted medical interventions are required, such as stimulating colonic peristalsis and coordinating anorectal movements.
Therefore, once you feel that you have poor bowel movements, or are struggling to defecate, you need to seek medical attention in time and find professional help.