“Constipation is not a disease, but it really kills you if you can’t solve it.” For modern people, it seems to be more and more difficult to keep the intestines open every day. According to a recent report by Xinhua News Agency, nearly 20% of people over 60 years old in China suffer from constipation. Constipation is not only the patent of the elderly, this sounds harmless problem, has become a lot of people’s “unspeakable”. Previously, a statistic also shows that every 10 Chinese people in 1 person affected by constipation, in all the patients, about 75% belong to chronic constipation. A few days ago, this newspaper and Sohu Health Channel survey also shows that in the 1976 people involved in the survey, 40.34% of people often suffer from constipation, 49.51% occasionally, only 10.18% never encountered. Among them, middle-aged and young people accounted for the majority, accounting for 44.74% of 21-30 year olds and 28.19% of 31-40 year olds. Why has constipation become a national problem? What are the hidden health risks? And how to solve the problem of “only in and out”? Life Times reporter conducted a series of investigative interviews. Constipation is a world problem a mention of constipation, working in an office building, 40-year-old Ms. Wang to the reporter complained: usually afraid to go to the toilet, a sitting on the toilet, simply sitting on pins and needles, in order to go to a few trips, and even the rice do not dare to eat more. According to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Nutrition Institute in 2007 on the Shanghai white-collar dietary habits survey shows that about 58% of the people have suffered from constipation, ever because of constipation, indigestion, abdominal fullness, affecting work efficiency. With the increase in the number of constipated people, many hospitals also in the Department of Gastroenterology specially opened a constipation clinic, according to the Beijing Erlong Road Hospital, vice president of the Department of Anus and Intestines, deputy director of the Tan Jingfan introduced, in their hospital constipation clinic, the middle-aged and young patients have a significant increase in the trend. However, there are still many people who consider constipation as an embarrassing topic and are reluctant to go to the clinic, but simply take some laxatives to eliminate constipation symptoms. There are also regional and gender differences in constipation. Zhang Shengsheng, director of gastroenterology at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated with Capital Medical University, introduced that the incidence of constipation in the north is generally higher than that in the south, such as Beijing, Shenyang, respectively, 20%, 18.5%, higher than Shanghai’s 7% and Guangzhou’s 9%. And women due to less activity, fine diet, coupled with their own physiological characteristics and other reasons, relatively more likely to suffer from constipation, the incidence rate is more than four times that of male patients. Not only adults endure the pain of constipation, children can not be spared. According to statistics, China’s urban children (under 12 years old) constipation accounted for 19.8%. Japanese scholars Iino Setsuo in the “children’s diet and brain health,” pointed out that children aged 2-6 years of age, long-term constipation, will become less focused, lack of patience, slow response to external changes, do not like to talk. Constipation has become more of a global problem. According to the May 29 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that 15% of Americans suffer from constipation for a long time; in the streets of Japan, drugstores or food stores are posted everywhere outside the drug or food ads for women’s constipation; in the United Kingdom, constipation is known as the most embarrassing disease, which costs the United Kingdom health care funding of 50 million pounds per year, and each year to the general practitioner clinic to see a doctor, there are about 500,000 constipated patients, doctors prescribe drugs for constipation, and the number of patients is more than 1 million, and the number of patients is more than 1 million. Doctors for constipation prescribe more drugs than even more than diabetes and high blood pressure. Four major causes of constipation “constipation is a common clinical disease, we eat food every day there is always a little bit of existence of the intestinal folds, in the intestinal tract stays too long can not be discharged in a timely manner, and because of the large amount of water is absorbed, so that the body of the poop becomes dry and hard, the formation of constipation.” Tan Jingfan told Life Times that the incidence of constipation is high, especially among the elderly, pregnant women, children and dieters. This is mainly due to the following reasons: Diet is too fine. Meat and fatty foods occupy the table, and plant foods containing much fiber are eaten less, so that intestinal peristalsis is weakened, it is easy to be constipated. Especially white-collar workers, three meals are not fixed, often eat greasy food outside, causing digestive difficulties and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In addition, people who lose weight excessively and eat too little are also prone to constipation. High pressure and mental tension. Under the high intensity of the work rhythm, many people or can not timely defecation, or although the intention to stool but a moment of strong resistance. “Literally half of the constipation clinics are psychiatrists, depression, anxiety, etc. are one of the triggers of constipation, which can lead to the tension of the colon muscles and weaken the gastrointestinal function.” Tan Jingfan claimed. In addition, many office workers are plagued by poor sleep, all of which can disrupt the biological clock of defecation. Disease and medication side effects. Taking calcium tablets, high blood pressure medication, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, etc. can cause constipation. People who are chronically ill and weak, bedridden, malnourished and obese are also prone to constipation. Aging can also lead to constipation problems. As the elderly age, various functions decline, the intestinal tone and peristalsis is weakened, and the muscle tone involved in defecation is low, all leading to insufficient thrust for defecation, causing chronic constipation. Elderly people are prone to chronic diseases and constipation is also directly related, such as diabetes, intestinal tumors. Constipation affects the health of the whole body constipation not only stagnate in their own body to form a “dump”, will also bring a series of diseases. According to Tan Jingfan introduction, constipation has the following major “crime”. Constipation will affect the “face” problem. Long-term constipation increases the burden on the liver, toxins in the body can not be discharged in a timely manner, which will make the body endocrine system malfunction, hormone metabolism imbalance, which leads to abnormal facial pigmentation, chloasma, darkening of the skin, acne and acne and so on. Leads to anal and intestinal disorders. When constipation, dry stools make defecation difficult, which can directly cause or enhance anorectal disorders, such as proctitis, anal fissure, hemorrhoids and so on. Gastrointestinal nerve dysfunction. Stool retention and absorption of harmful substances can induce gastrointestinal nerve dysfunction, leading to bloating, loss of appetite and other symptoms. Causes sexual life disorders. Constipation makes defecation too hard, resulting in rectal muscle fatigue, excessive contraction of anal muscles, making the pelvic floor congested, which leads to loss of libido, no orgasm in sex life and so on. Lead to intestinal tumor. Foreign scientists have done statistics, feces stored in the colon for more than 12 hours, it will produce 22 kinds of harmful substances and carcinogens, by the intestinal tract constantly absorbed may suffer from cancer. American scientists in the “epidemiology” monthly published a report results, there are constipated people’s colon cancer incidence rate is more than 4 times the normal people. Impact on brain function. When constipation metabolites long stagnation in the digestive tract, the role of bacteria produce a large number of harmful substances, such as methane, phenol, ammonia, etc., some of these substances diffuse into the central nervous system, interfering with the brain function, the prominent manifestation of memory loss, distraction, slowness of thinking, and so on. Induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Constipation itself does not produce a fatal danger, but if you are older and suffer from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, then it becomes a risk factor. Because in defecation exertion, blood pressure will be higher than usual, the body’s oxygen consumption increases, easy to induce such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, stroke sudden death, etc., such cases in the clinic has increased year by year. From another point of view, constipation can also be used as a mirror of the body, reflecting many aspects of the problem. For example, in the early stage of colorectal cancer, some patients show constipation. In addition, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, electrolyte disorders and autoimmune problems, may also be derived from the symptoms of constipation. Constipation in the end how to cure in the survey, when asked “constipation, what will you do?” A question, 30.93% of the people choose to drink honey water, eat bananas and other folk remedies, 17.82% choose to eat more vegetables and coarse grains, 16.35% choose to drink more water, 14.33% choose to eat laxatives (or drink intestinal tea, etc.), 5.72% of the people choose to eat a light diet, less salt and less spicy, 13.67% of the people do not take any measures. In the end, how to solve the problem of “only in and out”? Experts gave the following suggestions: vegetables and grains are a treasure. The American Dietetic Association recommends that adults should consume 20-35 grams of food fiber per day, and at least 30 grams for people with constipation. For example, a half cup of green beans can provide 5 grams of dietary fiber; a small apple provides 3 grams; and a bowl of oat bran provides 13 grams. Eat more mixed grains (oats, corn), vegetables (celery, leeks), as well as moistening and laxative foods (honey, sesame seeds, walnuts, yogurt). Constipated people should also drink less strong tea and coffee. For the elderly, it may be worthwhile to develop a cup of salt water in the morning on an empty stomach, a cup of yogurt before going to bed a good habit of preventing constipation can play a certain role. Drink enough water. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water, the body is already in a state of dehydration, and severe dehydration will aggravate constipation. Experts suggest that it is best to drink water in small amounts and as many times as possible. Adhere to the four-step health exercise. Regular exercise can make the intestinal muscles strong, intestinal peristalsis ability to enhance. Tan Jingfan teaches four steps of health care exercises: First, practicing anal lifting exercises, anal contraction, due to the abdominal lifting muscles, small abdominal contraction at the same time, constipated patients three times a day, 60-100 each time. Second, massage the abdomen, each clockwise massage abdomen 36, counterclockwise 36, three times a day, more good. Third, before defecation, press the Yingxiang points on both sides of the nose, 10 minutes a day. Fourth, ear acupuncture point therapy, with a finger quickly twist the two earlobes for a minute or two, three times a day. Regular defecation in the morning. Try to go to the toilet after breakfast, because this time the colon propulsion action is more active, easy to defecate, so no matter whether you have the intention to poop or not, you should insist on going to the toilet at that time, the formation of defecation biological clock feedback; defecation should focus on attention, do not read newspapers, books to pass the time. Prof. Zhang Shengsheng reminds, in defecation, constipated people if squatting, will be more conducive to the body to form the best defecation angle than sitting on the toilet. When sitting on the toilet for convenience, you can put something under your feet to cushion them up, which is also conducive to promoting defecation. Don’t rely on laxatives to solve. Against constipation, many people are busy taking those “detoxification”, “clean bowel” drugs. However, eat laxatives also have learning, eat a lot of stimulating laxatives such as laxative will not only cause abdominal pain, long-term use will be addicted, not eat when still constipated. Moreover, the colon can become pigmented with colorectal melanosis under the stimulation of these drugs, which becomes a risk factor for colorectal cancer. Laughing relieves constipation. The United States intestinal expert Can Lun introduced, laughing when the vibration of the belly, the intestines have a massage effect, can help digestion to relieve constipation, and can relieve stress and tension.