How many bowels should it take to get high

But holding in a bowel movement can cause constipation if the delay is too long. Medical conditions. Some problems, like stroke , diabetes , or a blockage in the intestines, can cause constipation. These disorders may affect the muscles or nerves used for normal bowel movements. A doctor can test to see if the problem is medical. Medical problems can often be treated. Another condition related to constipation is called irritable bowel syndrome IBS.

IBS is a common disorder of the intestines that involves pain , bloating, and constipation or diarrhea. Some medicines can lead to constipation. Treatment If you think you are constipated, talk to your doctor to rule out a more serious problem. If tests show no disease or blockage, and if your doctor approves, try these changes: Add fiber to your diet by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, either cooked or raw, and more whole-grain cereals and breads.

Dried fruits, such as apricots, prunes, and figs, are high in fiber. If your diet does not include natural fiber, you may need to add a small amount of bran to baked goods, cereal, and fruit. This may cause some bloating and gas in the beginning. Make diet changes slowly to allow your system to adapt. Look for fiber products such as psyllium seed in the grocery store.

Be sure to get enough fluids. Without fluids, constipation can get worse. Drinking enough water and juice can help you have regular bowel movements. Talk with your doctor about how much water you should drink. Stay active. This is important for overall health, too. Do things that keep you moving and active. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children under age 6 years should not take laxatives without the advice of a provider.

Bulk-forming laxatives such as Metamucil or Citrucel can help pull water into your intestines and make your stools more bulky. Camilleri M. Disorders of gastrointestinal motility. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Management of defecation disorders. Campbell-Walsh Urology. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. Updated by: David C.

Editorial team. Constipation - self-care. Signs, Symptoms, and Causes. You might feel bloated and have pain, or you might have to strain when you try to go. How to Relieve Constipation. If you feel the urge to go to the bathroom, go. Do not wait or hold it in. Eating When you Have Constipation.

Try these things to relieve your constipation: Do not skip meals. Avoid processed or fast foods, such as white breads, pastries, doughnuts, sausage, fast-food burgers, potato chips, and French fries. Drink 8 to 10 cups 2 to 2. Other foods you can eat are: Fish, chicken, turkey, or other lean meats. These do not have fiber, but they will not make constipation worse. Snacks such as raisin cookies, fig bars, and popcorn. Laxatives, Stool Softeners, and Other Products.

They can also stop it from happening. These changes may include:. Doing biofeedback part of a special physical therapy program.

Whole-wheat bread, granola bread, wheat bran muffins, grain bars, waffles, popcorn. Beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, corn, green beans, green peas, acorn and butternut squash, spinach, potato with skin, avocado. Apples with peel, dates, papayas, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, pears, kiwis, strawberries, applesauce, raspberries, blackberries, raisins.

Baked beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, lima beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, chili with beans, trail mix. Red, swollen veins in the rectum. They happen when you need to keep straining to have a bowel movement. Anal fissures. Tears in the skin around the anus. They happen when hard stool stretches your sphincter muscle.

They can cause bleeding in your rectum. Rectal prolapse. This is when a small amount of your intestinal lining pushes out from your anal opening. It is caused by straining to have a bowel movement. Fecal impaction. This is when a large lump of hard, dry stool stays stuck in your rectum.

This is seen mostly in children and older adults. Many of the same lifestyle changes that help treat constipation may also help to stop it from happening:. Allow plenty of time for bowel movements. When you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, be sure to do it.

But call your healthcare provider if:. You may be constipated when your stools are painful and happen less than 3 times a week. Constipation can cause other health problems such as hemorrhoids red, swollen veins in the rectum. Making diet and lifestyle changes can reduce constipation symptoms. These changes can also stop constipation from happening. Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your healthcare provider tells you. At the visit, write down the names of new medicines, treatments, or tests, and any new instructions your healthcare provider gives you.

If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit. Search Encyclopedia. Constipation What is constipation? You may have constipation if: You have bowel movements less than 3 times a week Your stool is hard, dry, and in small pieces Normal bowel movements vary depending on the person.

What causes constipation? Some of the most common diet and lifestyle causes of constipation are: Not getting enough exercise Not drinking enough liquids Not eating enough fiber Not moving your bowels when you feel the urge to Changes in your lifestyle, such as travel, pregnancy, and old age Other causes of constipation include: Medicines A problem with how your stomach and bowels work such as irritable bowel syndrome Your intestine does not work well Taking too many medicines that help to loosen your bowels laxatives Metabolic problems such as thyroid disease Intestinal blockage What are the symptoms of constipation?

Symptoms of constipation may include: Difficult and painful bowel movements Less than 3 bowel movements a week Feeling bloated Not having much energy Belly abdominal pain Ineffective straining to move your bowels The symptoms of constipation can look like other health problems. How is constipation diagnosed? First your healthcare provider will look at: Your age If you have any blood in your stool Any changes in your bowel habits Weight loss Your healthcare provider will likely: Ask about your past health.