Push too hard during the chapter, this is a lurking danger

When your bowel movements are not smooth, you may be straining to make your stool easier. In fact, pushing too hard when defecating can actually cause harm to the digestive tract.

Risk of pushing too hard during bowel movements

Normal stool has a soft texture so it can be passed out of the body easily. When you are constipated, the water content in your stool decreases, which makes it hard to make a texture.

This condition can get worse if you have frequent bowel movements. This is because feces can accumulate in the rectum, becoming denser and harder, so that it becomes more difficult to pass a bowel movement.

When you are about to defecate, your body reacts by pushing. However, straining too hard during a bowel movement means that you are forcing solid, hard stool out of the small anus. As a result, you are at risk for the following conditions:

1. A tear in the anus (anal fissure)

The first risk of pushing too hard during a bowel movement or bowel movements is anal fissure.

Anal fissure is a condition when the inner wall of the anus is torn as a result of excessive stretching. This condition can be caused by hard stools that are difficult to pass or due to continuous bowel movements.

The main symptom of anal fissures is the appearance of pain along with the discharge of the stool. The pain can last from a few minutes to hours. Apart from that, you may also experience other symptoms in the form of:

• There is blood, either blood in the stool or blood that drips from the anus after the stool comes out
• There is a tear in the tissue around the anus
• There is a small lump around the torn tissue, but this symptom usually appears if the anal fissure has lasted a long time

2. Rectal prolapse

Straining during bowel movements or bowel movements not only affects the anus, but also the rectum. The rectum is the tip of the large intestine that functions to accommodate feces before they are removed.

Rectal prolapse or drooping of the colon is a condition when the position of the rectum moves away from the tissue that supports it. The rectum is then pushed out of the body through an opening in the anal canal.

The most effective way to treat rectal prolapse is through surgery. After surgery, you still need to avoid various factors that can trigger constipation and take special medicines when needed.

3. Hemorrhoids (hemorrhoids)

The veins around the anus and lower rectum can easily stretch under pressure. Gradually, the veins can enlarge, become swollen, and develop into hemorrhoids.

There are many factors that can cause hemorrhoids, from the habit of sitting too long, delaying frequent bowel movements, to the habit of straining during bowel movements. The pressure when pushing will injure the hemorrhoids and cause bleeding.

You can prevent hemorrhoids by consuming more fiber-rich foods, drinking enough water, not delaying bowel movements, and moving more. This method is useful for restoring the normal texture of the stool so that it is not difficult to pass.

4. Leakage of urine and feces

The habit of pushing can weaken the muscles that regulate urine and feces. These muscles are no longer working effectively, so you are more at risk of leaking urine and feces.

Not only that, hard stool that has accumulated in the rectum can also put pressure on the bladder and affect its function. As a result, you have to go back and forth to the bathroom more often because you can't hold back urination.

Solid and hard stool does cause its own problems. However, straining during bowel movements (BAB) is not the solution. This habit can actually cause various health problems.

Whether your stool is normal or not depends on your bowel habits and what you eat. Increase consumption of fiber-rich foods, drink enough water, and do not delay defecating so that the stool does not harden.

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