Dealing with constipation: How to Poop Easier When Your Pelvic Floor Muscles Are Weak

If you are dealing with constipation issues, know you are not alone.

Constipation is a common issue affecting roughly 20% of the population and has both physical and psychological effects on its victims. Constipation also has a considerable financial impact, especially when treatments prove to be ineffective or are simply too costly.

Today, we’ll share with you a few ways you can manage your constipation and make life easier.

What is constipation?

You’re either here because you know that you’re constipated and know what it’s all about or because you suspect you might be and need a bit of information.

If you fall into the second category, here’s a simple definition for constipation :

Constipation is a digestive issue that makes it hard for you to pass stool or makes you pass stool infrequently.

There is occasional constipation where you have less than three bowel movements a week and chronic constipation where it takes a toll on your daily life and you have to strain excessively to have as little as one bowel movement per week.

Constipation can cause   you to have some pretty bad stomach pains and cramps and can lead to a feeling of “evacuation”. Incomplete evacuation is where you already go but still have the feeling of wanting to go. This can cause you to strain even more.

It is not uncommon to experience a loss of appetite or nausea while experiencing constipation. It can also make you feel bloated and make you feel depressed.

Constipation can also cause rectal bleeding caused by hard stools, hemorrhoids, psychological distress and even an obsession with going to the bathroom. In more severe cases, constipation can lead to fecal impaction, where hard stools accumulate in the rectum and anus or act as a precursor to colorectal cancer.

Causes of constipation

You don’t just wake up constipated. It happens when something causes your stool to move too slowly through your rectum.

This “something” is not just one thing. Some causes of constipation include:

Poor diet

One of the main causes of constipation, especially is poor diet.

What you eat plays a huge role in every aspect of your life. The food you eat must provide all the nutrients the body needs to keep functioning and it should also contain what is necessary to get rid of the waste. The things are fiber and diet.

Dietary fiber , otherwise known as roughage or bulk, is found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. This component of these foods is not digested by the body and is crucial to bowel movement and help.
There are two types of dietary fiber, soluble fiber, and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is dissolved in water to form a gelatinous substance. Insoluble fiber cannot be dissolved and maintains its structure. When these combine with stool, they soften it while increasing its weight and size. This makes it easier for waste to past through the rectum and leave the body.

Drinking too much water and/or ingesting too little fiber can cause stool to become watery or cause stool to become hard and difficult to pass out.
Persons who suffer from eating disorders or have high meat and dairy diet are more likely to become constipated this way.

Pelvic floor dysfunction

Constipation can lead to weak pelvic floor muscles. At the same time, weak pelvic floor muscles can cause constipation.

When there is constant straining on the muscles during constipation, the pelvic floor muscles weaken and can cause fecal incontinence. When this happens, fecal matter can seep around the hardened stool and leak out.

When pelvic floor muscles are too tight, they are unable to relax properly enough to allow stool to pass through the rectum. This causes strain which can cause the muscles to become even tighter.

Inactivity

Persons who exercise regularly are less likely to become constipated.

During full-body exercise , the abdominal muscles and diaphragm get a workout too, which helps to strengthen them along with other muscles responsible for bowel movements. Having weak or out of shape muscles make defecation more difficult than it needs to be.

Stress

The brain and the digestive system are in constant communication. Why do you think you feel butterflies in your stomach when you feel nervous?

Chemicals in the brain such as serotonin play a role in digestion by helping smooth muscles to constrict. When you are stressed out, the brain reacts by increasing your serotonin levels in your gut which causes the stomach to spasm. When these spasms are consistent in the colon, it causes diarrhea. However, if they are focused in one area, this can cause digestion to stop and cause constipation.

Stress can also worsen existing digestive issues such as Irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.

Constipation may also be linked to poor dietary choices brought on by stress. Comfort foods are less likely to contain fiber, if they do, overeating them can make constipation worse.

Overuse of laxatives

Using laxatives now and again to cleanse the colon is good for the digestive system, however, when they are overused they can cause a problem.

This is common in persons with eating disorders who don’t eat enough fiber and use it inappropriately to lose weight. Other cases involve persons with chronic constipation who use laxatives to aid defecation. Where they are used for an extended period, it can cause nerve damage in the colon and reduce its ability to contract.

Resisting the urge to defecate

If you need to defecate, go as soon as you can and don’t try to hold it in. Resisting the urge to defecate repeatedly can cause constipation or loss of the urge completely.

Certain medications
Opioids and other medication that contain these ingredients can cause constipation:

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the large intestine that causes pain and cramping, incontinence and frequent urination, excessive passing of gas and mucus from the rectum and also constipation.

This condition can be brought on by hormones, infection, physiological disorders, and even genetics.Other factors such as diet and stress can cause IBS.

Pregnancy

Up to 40% of women experience constipation during pregnancy .

This can be caused by hormonal changes and fluctuations taking place in the body that can cause an increase in the amount of water the colon absorbs from the stool. When this happens, the stool becomes harder and is more difficult to pass out.

It can also be caused by pressure on the uterus from the pregnancy that may strain the bowel. This makes it harder for stool to pass through.

Prenatal vitamins are also high in iron which can cause stool to blacken and harden, leading to constipation.

Colon cancer

Colon cancer begins in the large intestine and causes polyps to develop, along with abdominal discomfort, rectal bleeding, and bloody stool, unexplained weight loss and weakness or fatigue.

It may also lead to changes in bowel habits or consistency, and lead to constipation or diarrhea.

Other possible causes of constipation include hypothyroidism , certain neurological conditions, rectocele, bowel stricture(narrowing), and diabetes.

How to treat/manage constipation

Constipation is uncomfortable but luckily there are ways you can eliminate it or make your life easier.

Here are a few ways you can treat/manage constipation:

Dietary changes

If your diet lacks fiber, then the easiest way to help treat your constipation is to up your fiber intake to 25 to 35 grams per day. Foods rich in fiber include whole wheat bread, fruits, beans, vegetables, and unrefined cereal. If you are allergic to foods containing natural fiber, you can ingest it in supplement form.

Drink plenty of fluids, especially when you feel thirsty, as this helps to soften stool as well. Avoid fluids such as alcohol or coffee that can cause dehydration.

Physical activity

It is important to keep the muscles that make defecation possible active and healthy.

Do at least 30 minutes of full-body physical activity a day to keep these muscles, and others functioning properly.

Scheduled meal times and defecation training

Eating an early breakfast is important since it helps to mobilize the colon after it has been inactive during sleep. If you can’t have a full breakfast, having a cup of tea can go a long way.

Try to have a bowel movement within a half-hour of eating. This promotes gastrocolic reflex which causes the intestines to activate during and after a meal.

Set aside time every day to use the bathroom and practice proper body positioning on the toilet. Do not hold your feces if you don’t have to. These things will help to condition your body to have scheduled bowel movements.

Laxatives

 Many laxatives are available over-the-counter that can counteract constipation.

These work by either:

If overuse of laxatives is the cause of your constipation, speak to your doctor about alternative treatments since your body may become dependent on them for proper colon function.

Pelvic muscle training

If your issue is a weak or tight pelvic floor, you can train your muscles to relax or contract in a way that helps you to pass stool more easily.

This can involve doing kegel exercises , or technology-aided treatments such as biofeedback , electrical stimulation or tibialnerve stimulation.

Surgery
If constipation is caused by a blockage in the rectum or colon, such as rectocele, cancer or bowel stricture, then you may have to undergo surgery.

The worst-case scenario is that you may have to remove a part of or the entire colon, which is rare.

How to position yourself on the toilet

Earlier we mentioned positioning yourself correctly on the toilet to help with constipation. This is one of the simplest ways to treat it.

You may be thinking, what on earth are they talking about? I know how to use a toilet. But the truth is, you may have been defecating the wrong way your whole life.

The correct way to defecate is by positioning yourself in a way that relaxes your pelvic muscles completely. To do this:

Takeaway

You don’t have to suffer through constipation anymore since there are many ways you can treat or manage it.

If you find that your constipation is persistent, do not hesitate to contact your doctor. He/she will further advise you on how