Misconception 1: Normal bowel movement, once a day? The so-called constipation is related to the body type. This difference can be seen from childhood. Some people who have had infrequent bowel movements since infancy, and who do not require frequent diaper changes, are considered to be “easy” and “easy to carry” and usually have constipation problems when they grow up. Those children who need to poop several times a day and do not save their time do not suffer from constipation as adults. But this difference in body composition can not be said to be a disease, for example, some people are very good eaters and can digest everything they eat, while others just eat a little. Performance alone does not mean that those who can eat are healthy and those who eat less are unhealthy, as long as they are within the normal range are healthy. The same goes for bowel movements. It is difficult to have an absolute definition of what kind of bowel movement is normal. Generally speaking, the number of bowel movements is based on statistics, and the top of the curve is probably once a day, because this is the most common condition, and most people are concentrated in this area. On both sides of the curve, 90% of people are concentrated in the range of twice a day to once every two days, and further out are people who have bowel movements more than twice a day or once every three to four days, the more extreme the number is, the smaller the number. Therefore, the so-called normal frequency of defecation is a statistical average, and for each individual, the situation will be different. If the bowel movement is once every three or four days or even once every four or five days, but it is not dry or difficult and there is no discomfort, then it is normal. It can only be said to be abnormal if it exceeds the normal statistical range and is accompanied by other uncomfortable symptoms such as dryness, difficult bowel movements or bloating. There are also some people who have a normal frequency once a day but have difficulty in the process of defecation, and such a situation cannot be said to be normal. Therefore, the frequency of defecation and the situation should be seen together, which can be used as a reference for the physical condition. Misconception 2: The serious consequence of constipation is rectal cancer? In fact, the most serious consequence of constipation is not intestinal disease, but cardiovascular disease caused by difficult bowel movements, and even death! People often say “death on the toilet” usually refers to the difficulty in defecation, too much force and cause cardiovascular disease, hypertension, heart attack, brain hemorrhage, etc.. Most of them occur in the elderly. In addition, constipation has a great impact on the health of the anus. One is the tendency to cause anal fissures. In addition to dry and coarse stool, it also has a lot to do with patients’ bad bowel habits. Such as too anxious, too fast, etc. If the stool is not dry and you pull hard and fast, the anus is not relaxed enough to prepare for defecation, which can also cause anal fissures. Anal fissures are difficult to heal on their own and are a vicious cycle. The pain during defecation can cause a psychological burden on the patient and even make him or her even more reluctant to go to the toilet. Once it becomes chronic, i.e., old anal fissures, it is difficult to heal on its own and often requires surgical intervention to remove the diseased, hard-to-heal tissue or even to do some loosening of the spastic sphincter to make it more relaxed during defecation to reduce the incidence of tearing. Also, constipation tends to form hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids and anal fissures are injured in different locations, and a simple bleeding hemorrhoid may not be very painful. However, both hemorrhoids and anal fissures caused by difficult bowel movements can in turn aggravate constipation. Misconception 3: Laxatives can cure constipation? Many people’s understanding of laxative is to take laxatives, and most of the Chinese herbs. There are many Chinese medicines that are health products, but the ingredients are similar, such as detoxification capsules, laxative tea, etc. The vast majority of these Chinese health products contain ingredients such as rhubarb, aloe, senna, cassia, castor, etc. We collectively call them stimulating laxatives, which are stimulated by the nerve endings of the intestinal mucosa to promote intestinal peristalsis and promote the secretion of water in the intestine. These laxatives are not suitable for long-term use, and many people believe that herbal medicines are natural and do not have toxic side effects. But in fact, the ingredients of these laxatives all contain a chemical called anthraquinone, which has an irritating effect on the intestinal mucosa and can lead to chronic, stubborn constipation when taken for a long time. The most common western medicine containing anthraquinones is the fruit guide tablets, which work quickly at first, but slowly stop working after a period of time. Because the human intestinal mucosa for this stimulation has adapted, want to continue to maintain the effect can only increase the dose, so the more you eat, but the effect will be weaker and weaker, but this is a huge damage to the peripheral nerves of the intestinal mucosa. Misconception four: must develop the habit of regular scheduled bowel movements The correct bowel movement should occur naturally, with the intention to go, go with the flow. Don’t defecate just for the sake of defecation. Sitting on the toilet and making a blind effort when you don’t have the urge to defecate can easily cause pelvic floor spasms and prevent normal defecation. If you have the urge to defecate and sit on the toilet again, then wait until you feel it and come back, without forcing yourself to develop the habit of scheduled defecation. Myth 5: Defecate quickly and don’t sit on the toilet for a long time Many people are found to have anal fissures during medical checkups, but there is no dry stool occurring. The reason for this is that the environment of the toilet is not ideal during defecation, with poor odor and uncleanliness, or someone standing outside, etc. This can easily make people anxious and want to hurry up and finish. Therefore, the environment of defecation and the degree of relaxation have a very direct link to the good or bad result of defecation. If you can, try to choose a familiar, relaxed, clean and private space, make sure to enjoy the process of defecation, don’t be too anxious, the spirit must be relaxed, and don’t subjectively force yourself.