Everyone will experience more than one "flying stream down 3,000 feet" in their lifetime.
That's right, it's "diarrhea".
Still, have you ever thought about this question -
Why is it that even though it is very loose and even watery, it hurts more than a normal poop?
First of all, we need to know why people have diarrhea.
The food we eat passes through the mouth and esophagus and enters the stomach.
Food is digested in the stomach, absorbed in the small intestine, and then reaches the large intestine.
In the large intestine, the water in the food is absorbed and eventually becomes the poop we are familiar with.
But in diarrhea, this process is accelerated - food debris and water rush "by" the intestine and, in a "thinner" form, pass through the butt (anus) and excrete it from the body [1].
(Bristol Stool Taxonomy [2])
There are many reasons for this, the main ones include:
1. Bacterial and/or viral infections
For example, rotavirus, norovirus, E. coli, salmonella, etc. They disrupt the normal function of the intestines, leading to the accelerated excretion of food debris.
2. Diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome
Typical symptoms are recurrent episodes of abdominal pain (at least once a week for the past three months), significant frequency of bowel movements, and changes in the shape or appearance of stools [3].
3. Eating inappropriate food
For example, people with "irritable bowel syndrome" eat spicy, fried and other irritating foods [4]; People who are lactose intolerant, drink milk...... It will also make people "fall into a thousand miles".
The reasons are still many.
First of all, the "physical stimulus" - that is, the poops are running too fast!
No matter what "texture" the feces are, they must be excreted through the anus.
When we poop normally, one by one the not-so-thin "strips" will slowly and orderly leave the anus and fall into the toilet bowl (no picture here, please make up for it).
At this time, the pressure of the poop on the anus is relatively small and slow, but it may give people a "comfortable" feeling.
Some people will say that loose stools or watery things are not easy to hurt the anus.
The opposite may be true!
Rapid bowel movements can lead to mechanical damage to the anus. Even if it is "watery stool", the impact on the intestines and anus is huge.
Imagine a high-speed train passing your ass quickly, and then suddenly braking hard (the end of defecation), that feeling, sour!
Second, "magic damage" – inflammation or infection.
Many people have various conditions such as breakage, eczema, inflammation, and infection in the skin near their buttocks.
Mucus from the intestines tends to be extremely irritating. When you have diarrhea, the skin and mucous membrane near the anus are continuously irritated, and it can be very painful.
If you have hemorrhoids, sinusitis, anal fissures...... and so on, it will be even more "sour"!
In addition, it does not wipe the buttocks, which may also worsen the pain.
During diarrhea, you may have to go to the toilet 5 or even 10 times a day.
If the tissue used to wipe your butt is very coarse, each time you wipe it vigorously, you may damage the delicate and sensitive skin near your anus.
When your buttocks are rubbed red and your skin is broken, it can make people feel more painful.
Finally, the capsaicin in food will "add fuel to the fire".
Our body has a receptor molecular protein (TRPV1) that senses pain and heat. When it is combined with capsaicin, it produces a "hot" burning sensation [5].
In most cases, capsaicin can be digested and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and is not too "spicy" to the buttocks.
But when diarrhea comes in, everything spends up. When capsaicin that is not fully digested and absorbed reaches the anus......
To be honest, diarrhea often comes suddenly, and it is impossible to prevent it.
However, there is still some way to reduce the pain as much as possible -
First, remember to wipe with soft, non-irritating wipes.
The skin near the anus is very delicate and fragile, and some people will use a very rough paper towel, and many times wiping it will damage the skin, "adding pain to pain".
Therefore, whether you have finished pulling or not, it is recommended to choose a paper towel (or wet wipe) that is soft and does not contain irritants such as alcohol, and wipe it gently.
Secondly, do it quickly and don't go to the toilet for a long time.
Squatting for long periods of time not only stresses the buttocks, but may also increase the risk of hemorrhoids and constipation. Worsens the pain.
Keep in mind that the ideal time to have a bowel movement is 3 to 5 minutes [6].
Finally, during diarrhea, try to avoid irritating foods such as spicy foods.
Of course, in order to completely solve the problem of "fart pain during diarrhea", the most important thing is to start from the source - identify and eliminate the cause of diarrhea as soon as possible.
Some bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics; For some viral infections, there may be no specific drug, but symptomatic management (eg, oral antidiarrheal drugs, prompt hydration and electrolytes) can be managed.
If there are ulcers, dermatitis, eczema, etc. in the skin around the anus, it is necessary to see a doctor in time and treat it in time under the guidance of a doctor.
After all, try to have as little diarrhea as possible in order to make the "butt" get real peace.
Reviewer: Ancient style
Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of General Surgery, Guilin People's Hospital