Alright, this discussion might be embarrassing. There may be times when you have to hold your bowels for various reasons, such as when you are in a place where it is impossible to go to the toilet. Or when you're too embarrassed to use the toilet. What would you do? Here are tips that will help you hold your bowels for a while.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Holding Poop with Physical Tricks
Step 1. Try standing up to hold a bowel movement (or vice versa, lying down)
The worst position when trying to hold a bowel movement is squatting. Sitting is also not a good position to hold bowel movements like standing or lying down.
- The reason is, squatting has long been stated by researchers as the ideal position to have a bowel movement. In this position, the stomach will be under pressure that spurs the expulsion of feces.
- Standing position will reduce pressure on the stomach. So is lying down.
- Changing your body position slightly can also help hold your bowel movements until you can go to the toilet. If you must sit, change your position on the chair. Leaning your buttocks into a firm chair, such as a metal chair, may help.
Step 2. Tense your buttocks as much as possible
Basically, this step will help you squeeze the stool to keep it in your body. Here's the best way to do it!
- Tightening the buttocks will tighten the rectum, and thus, help to hold a bowel movement.
- You will have a harder time holding a bowel movement if the muscles around your rectum are weak. If any nerves are damaged in that area, you may not even know if stool is coming out. In such cases, see a doctor.
Step 3. Try to stimulate bowel movements a few hours before the event, and then stop eating
You should defecate before going where it is not possible to do so. Stimulating bowel movements so that they can be passed earlier is a good move. Prepare yourself!
- For example, many long distance runners experience this problem. They feel they have to defecate during the race. Another way to avoid this embarrassing problem is to avoid fiber-rich foods before a certain race or event as fiber will encourage you to have a bowel movement.
- Gas-producing foods such as nuts, epidermis, fruit, and salads can also encourage bowel movements. So try to avoid all of these foods 2 hours before the event starts or you'll have to poop again.
Step 4. Try not to drink coffee
There are several studies linking coffee intake with an urge to defecate. While it's not conclusively proven, if you drink coffee while holding your bowels, you may have to pee as well.
- You'll have a harder time holding a bowel movement if you haven't done it once a day. One study found that the urge to defecate due to coffee consumption was greater in people who had not had a bowel movement.
- The study also showed that this effect was greater in the morning.
Part 2 of 3: Using Mental Tricks to Hold Poop
Step 1. Don't think too much about it
You have to calm down. The more you think about pooping, the harder it will be to hold it in. Relax, and try to think of something else.
- Do not move! While standing can help hold a bowel movement, if you move suddenly or do something that requires exertion (like running), you'll have a much harder time holding it in.
- Most importantly, keep your dignity and stay calm. Make sure you don't panic or put your hands on your buttocks. The point is mental control while dealing with situations.
Step 2. Mentally distract yourself from focusing too much on bowel movements
Think of something as distracting as a cute cat leaning in your arms. Don't imagine anything funny, or you might just not be able to hold your bowels anymore.
- Compose a sentence, and repeat it over and over in your mind to shift your focus to something else. Another way to distract yourself is to have a conversation with someone.
- Watch TV, read a book, or listen to music. Do whatever it takes to get your mind off something else for a while. Something that has to be done with full concentration like playing on words or writing down things to do is the best choice.
Step 3. Ignore the embarrassment, and just do it
If there's a toilet there, but you're too embarrassed to use it (e.g. on a date), ignore your shyness.
- Defecation is a natural thing in life, and everyone does it. Holding bowel movements constantly is not worth the bad impact on the body.
- You may feel better if you can disguise the smell. Spray a little perfume around the toilet after a bowel movement, for example. Get ready. Bring a small air freshener.
Part 3 of 3: Understanding the Risks of Holding a Defecation
Step 1. Know the dangers of holding back a bowel movement
There is a lot of research on this. Holding back a bowel movement isn't a good thing, especially if it's done repeatedly over the long term.
- There is a case of a teenager from England who died after not defecating for 8 weeks. Defecation is a way of emptying the digestive tract and it is very important for your health! If you don't have a bowel movement, your body will bring back fecal fluid throughout your body. Doesn't this sound disgusting?
- If you have difficulty passing stools, see a doctor. You should also try a stool softener or fiber pill. Again, this is different from holding your bowels for a while to avoid embarrassment.
- Although experts say that holding your bowels for a while until you find the right time is rarely a serious problem, people who frequently hold their bowels due to work (such as teachers or truck drivers) can experience problems such as constipation.
Step 2. Visit your doctor if you have problems controlling your bowel movements
This problem is characterized by involuntary passage of stool from the rectum. If you repeatedly can't hold your bowel movements all the way to the toilet, see a doctor.
- Stool is a term used to describe solid waste that comes out during bowel movements.
- The inability to control bowel movements is quite common, affecting about 18 million adults in the US alone. This problem is more common in seniors, but anyone can experience it. Difficult delivery, general poor health, and illness or injury can all be causes.
Step 3. Understand how to defecate
When defecating, a muscle called the puborectalis will work. This muscle is basically the binder of the rectum.
- When sitting on the toilet, the rectal holder will partially loosen. If you squat, the brace will loosen completely, making it easier to pass stool.
- Stool is a combination of fiber, bacteria, other cells, and mucus. Soluble fiber such as beans will become part of the stool, as will some foods that are difficult to digest, such as corn or oat bran.
Tips
- When you get to the toilet, place a piece of tissue in the basin to drown out the sound of dropping stool and prevent splashing of toilet water on your buttocks.
- Do not hold bowel movements for a long time because it can cause serious health problems!
- Carry old magazines, wet wipes, or a roll of toilet paper in a backpack, handbag, or purse to use if there are no tissues in the toilet.
- If you absolutely must have a bowel movement, flush the toilet as soon as possible. The longer you flush, the stronger the bad smell will be in the toilet.
- Try to find bathrooms that are far apart, such as on the 2nd floor of the house and make excuses for going there ("I want to brush my teeth" or "I want to get something from upstairs").
- Inhale and exhale slowly.
- Don't be physically active.
- If you feel you have to pass gas, try to hold it in as well as it may actually be stool.
