Bowel habits and constipation: practical guidance

These benchmarks are general. They complete an exchange with the professionals who follow you and do not replace a diagnosis or an individualized program.

Benchmark 01

Discussing symptoms and everyday life. Illustrative scene. Bowel habits and constipation: practical guidance

Describe what really changed

Before looking for a solution, specify your difficulty: stools become hard, great effort, incomplete emptying impression or different pace of your habit. The frequency varies between people. A recent change after a displacement does not have the same context as a problem that has been in place for several months.

Briefly note the beginning, possible pains, treatments taken and changes in daily life. Some medicines may influence transit; do not stop them alone. This information helps the physician or pharmacist to provide a relevant response rather than multiply blind trials.

Benchmark 02

A regular meal is better than a spectacular solution

Start with habits that can last: meals that are regular enough, foods that bring fibers and drinks distributed throughout the day. The increase in fibers is gradually taking place. A large amount added at once can create bloatings without solving the difficulty.

Choose a specific change: add vegetables to a usual preparation, sometimes replace a refined starch with a full version, or incorporate a modest portion of legumes. The prescribed water restrictions shall be complied with. Drinking far beyond his needs is not a universal response to constipation.

Bench 03

Making the passage to the toilet less binding

The lack of time or privacy sometimes causes the desire to differ regularly. Try to plan a time when you can be quiet, especially after a meal if it matches your pace. The idea is to make the occasion possible, not to impose a result on you at a specific time.

Install your feet in a stable way; a small support can improve comfort in some people. Avoid prolonged efforts and long-term expectations. If nothing happens, resume your activities and try again later. Repeated evacuation difficulty may require a particular assessment; a toilet posture does not resolve all causes.

Benchmark 04

Moving within comfort limits

A period of immobility, illness or change of schedule can disrupt habits. Resuming accessible movements helps rebuild a less sedentary day: short walking, walking, a few trips in the housing. It's not about practicing intense abdominal exercises to force transit.

If you have pain, start with tolerated activity and observe. Digestive pain should not be presented as a blockage that could necessarily be released by manipulation. When symptoms persist, you should look for their origin and discuss treatments whose effectiveness is appropriate to your situation.

Bench 05

Avoid exclusions and improvised laxatives

Constipation and bloating sometimes lead to the elimination of gluten, milk, fruit and vegetables successively. Without a clinical hypothesis, this accumulation complicates feeding and may worsen insufficient intakes. A possible treatment regimen should be explained and followed, with a reassessment of its relevance.

If the first adjustments are not enough, ask for advice. A professional can determine if a treatment is useful and how to use it. Do not combine several products, herbal teas or cures on the pretext that they are natural. The response should take into account the history, duration of symptoms and other medicines.

A first step

A useful notebook for a few days

Example of organization to adapt to your situation, without performance objective.

Describe your difficulty with simple words, without aiming for an ideal frequency.
Choose a gradual food change and an accessible moment of movement.
Provide a quiet opportunity to pass through the toilet.
Make your comments if a consultation becomes necessary.

Traps to avoid

Push long to get a saddle at all costs.
Multiply cures or laxatives without advice.
Attributing persistent abdominal pain to a simple lack of fiber.

When can I ask for an opinion?

Consult in case of long-lasting or unusual constipation, blood in stools, weight loss or persistent pain. Significant abdominal pain with vomiting, very distended stomach or impossibility of gas and faeces requires urgent assessment.