Consequences of prolonged sitting on the toilet. Healthy defecation (emptying): biomechanics and psychology. Psychology of healthy defecation

Health is healthy daily activities. Such as defecation (defecation). It would seem, what could be easier than going to the toilet? However, for the vast majority of us, we go to the toilet not quite right. With the advent of plumbing in the 19th century, we also found the happiness of sitting on a toilet seat. However, along with convenience, we have lost the ability to properly dispose of our waste products. What is wrong and how to fix it?

The modern toilet bowl is extremely unnatural for defecation. Sitting on the toilet (indicated in the figures sitting, and squatting - squatting), you place the intestine under difficult angle, but also immobilize some of the pelvic muscles (puborectal), which are needed to participate in the process. This anorectal angle increases intestinal pressure and intra-abdominal pressure (risk of hernia!), which is a risk factor for the development of many diseases. Increased pressure can contribute to disruption of the ileocecal valve and the reflux of the contents of the large intestine into the small intestine.

So, a normal toilet:

1. Slows down the bowel movement and makes it less effective

2. Increases intestinal pressure and intra-abdominal pressure

Sitting on a modern toilet puts you at risk of developing hemorrhoids and diverticular disease, which affects about 10% of the adult population, an age-related change that has largely occurred in parts of the world where sit-down toilets are used. And add to this the popularity of tall toilets, and your problems get worse.

It is the posture of defecation that is one of the causes of hemorrhoids, hernia, diverticulosis and other unpleasant changes in the body up to intestinal obstruction.

Fecal retention is a key factor in the development of rectal cancer, appendicitis, and inflammatory bowel disease (including irritable bowel syndrome). Normal defecation keeps neighboring organs healthy: the prostate, bladder and urethra. An unhealthy posture can impair the functioning of the pelvic floor muscles and the urogenital diaphragm.

Defecation on your haunches.

There is a special muscle in the pelvis that compresses the rectum when a person is standing upright. Therefore, it is impossible to defecate while standing. If you sit straight, the muscle relaxes by half. If you sit down on the ground, the muscle relaxes completely and the rectum levels out.

Floor toilet.

Floor-mounted toilet bowl, Genoa bowl, Turkish toilet bowl - a toilet bowl that involves squatting when using it. Available different kinds floor-mounted toilets, but all of them are, in essence, a hole in the floor. Floor standing toilets common in Asian countries, especially in China and Japan, also in Islamic countries and in many public toilets in the countries of the former USSR.

The advantages are the simplicity and reliability of the design, as well as hygiene - when using it, the visitor to the toilet does not need to touch the toilet with anything other than the soles of the shoes. The main disadvantage is the need to squat, which requires some coordination and balance.

Defecation on "half squats".

If you sit on the toilet, then the legs should be pulled up so that the angle between the torso and hips is about 30 degrees. You can stand with your feet on the toilet, which is convenient for emptying, but dangerous because you can fall. Putting your feet on the bench while sitting on the toilet is a good suggestion. The American company "Squatty Potty" even launched the production of special footrests that fit perfectly to the toilet bowls. But these are easy to do yourself.

Psychology of healthy defecation.

For normal healthy bowel movements you need to do three things: go to the toilet, relax the sphincter and feel the process of defecation. Everything that lies outside these three functions is unnecessary, pathological and leads to a large number complications and difficulties. Keep these three points in mind at all times and learn to understand and manage them. Contrast these three healthy functions with the whole old pathological procedure! Learn to sit still and enjoy. If a person is healthy, he enjoys the act of defecation.

The main condition for a healthy bowel movement is to limit yourself to only those trips to the bathroom that were caused by the urge to defecate, and not by the desire to overcome constipation. It doesn't take any conscious effort to go to the bathroom if you have diarrhea. On the contrary, your efforts will be directed only to holding your chair until the moment you find yourself in the toilet. The call directs you to the right place. How different this installation from the setting of the constipated! He does not feel any urge, but goes to the toilet under duress.

Once you understand that constipation is an unconscious reluctance to part with feces, half the work is already done, although most people find it very difficult to come to terms with this fact. But if you are “suffering” with constipation, there will be no cure until you take responsibility for holding back your feces yourself, for not “letting the stool through” yourself.

Muscle contraction is a suppression factor: we hold back, clamp down on those sensations, feelings or emotions that we do not want to let go. The basis of all restraint is the rejection of excretions as a result of training in neatness. This is where the idea arises that self-control is identical with repression. Psychoanalysis, according to its main interest in repressions, regards constipation as the main resistance. A large number of clamps, both mental and physiological, correlate with rigid constipation of the sphincters closing the muscles of the anus. Focusing and loosening conscious muscle control exercises will help heal anal disturbances and inhibitions.

In case you have never had an urge or suffer from one of the unpleasant consequences of chronic constipation - hemorrhoids - what steps can be taken?

Hemorrhoids are great example result of denial (violence) of denial (constipation). In the following figures, C denotes closing muscles, sphincters, M - inner surface, rectal membrane.

On fig. 1 sphincter is relaxed and feces come out without undue resistance. In the following figure, the sphincter is constantly tense (constipation), and in fig. 3 feces are forcibly pushed out against the resistance of the sphincters. The inner membrane is pushed out with them. As a result, hemorrhoids and even ruptures of the rectum are formed.

Defecation and mindfulness

Right concentration exercises (attention practices) that focus on controlling contractions and relaxation are the only way to improve psychogenic hemorrhoids. Thanks to these exercises, in a number of cases there was a significant improvement or, at least, the further development of the disease was stopped. But exercise matters a large number constipation, not only for those cases when hemorrhoids develop.

The first thing you should do while sitting on the toilet is to become aware of your avoidance of defecation activities such as reading or mind wandering or thinking about the future. You must focus on what is happening at this very moment. Any forward looking, such as "I want to get out of here as soon as possible", "how long will it take today", "how many of me will come out today" - anticipation of any kind must be recognized and you must return to what you are experiencing in this moment in the sensorimotor system. Be aware that you are pushing or pushing and try to let go of both. See what happens if you don't push. Perhaps nothing, but a wonderful insight can come upon you: the fact that you are just fooling around, that you are pretending to be sitting on the toilet with no real urge or intention to defecate.

In this case, it is better to get up and wait until a real inner urge arises. If you don't want to do this, focus on resistance: find how you are constipating, how you are constricting your sphincter muscles, and how you are holding onto your bowel contents through this. Learn to feel the resisting muscles and strain them voluntarily. You will soon get tired and then you will relax the sphincter muscles and relax the clamp naturally. Try to isolate tense muscles from their surroundings; randomly arbitrarily focusing on the entire lower region will not establish conscious anal control. When you learn to isolate and control the sphincters consciously, you can tense and relax them at will.

Anal sensations are much less intense than genital sensations. Although their dysfunction does not create very noticeable symptoms, they are responsible for a number of neurotic disorders. Anal numbness is part of a vicious cycle. Cleanliness habits, lack of courage to go to the toilet when you feel like it, makes you avoid the acute feeling of urge. Decreased feeling increases the danger of being suddenly struck by an urgent urge, especially in a situation of excitement, so that the bowel is completely clamped down by rigid control. In some cases, the numbness is so complete that people completely forget what the urge to defecate feels like.

An important condition is to properly feel the process of defecation, the contact between the feces and the anus. In our concentration exercises, therefore, I have emphasized the extreme importance of anal concentration, but this is not easy, as the numbness in many people reaches such a degree that they do not feel anything at all.

When you realize that you don't feel anything, try again and again to penetrate the veil, the numbness, the cottony feeling, or whatever resistance you create between your "mind" and "body." When you succeed in making mental contact, you can continue it like any other concentration exercise: watch the development of basic sensations, such as itching or warmth, that want to come out, and you will notice that you are again clamping them.

Then comes the most important point: you need to feel the functioning of defecation, feel the passage of feces and their contact with the passage. Once this feeling is established, the vicious circle is broken.

Healthy emptying: nuants.

1. It is better to rise. Ideally, it is better to wash yourself after every trip to the toilet. And if this is not possible, then use toilet paper carefully: do not rub, but get wet.

2. Diet and water. For a healthy bowel movement, it is important to eat more vegetables and fruits and greens. They contain a lot of fiber, which normalizes digestion. You also need to drink enough fluids.

In general, toilets are long history and are being actively studied in some countries. For example, Japan. Toilet science conferences are held throughout Japan every year. In 1985, the Japanese "Toilet Society" was created, which began to hold an annual competition to determine the best toilets. public toilets. Criteria include the absence unpleasant odors, cleanliness, design, building construction, visitor reviews and even the name. Five latrines (the oldest of them belongs to XIV century) have been declared an Important Cultural Property in Japan; There is a Museum of Toilet History in Tokyo.

South Korea also has a toilet museum. "Here you can immerse yourself in reflection and think about life." This is exactly what the elderly mayor-innovator said at a meeting of the World Toilet Association (World Toilet Association), which, by the way, was founded by him in 2007. This once again confirms that his nickname Mr. Toilet received quite deservedly and on business. years of the last century initiated a campaign to improve the conditions of public amenities. According to the innovative mayor, the toilet is not just a place to cope with known needs. It also saves people from various diseases, so it is important to keep the restroom in perfect cleanliness. Also, the toilet is the place where some relax and rest.

Poop on health!

Sources:

Frederick Perls. Ego, hunger and aggression

The habit of spending for a long time in the restroom there are many people. However, not everyone thinks that it can be harmful to the body. Proctologists advise to abandon such "pastime" for the sake of maintaining intestinal health.

Why is it bad to sit on the toilet for a long time?

The act of defecation is a process that involves straining. It is based on the increase in pressure in abdominal cavity, which leads to a number of biological effects, for example, to a change in the state of the veins in the rectum.

A short rise in pressure is physiological process, the vessels of the organ are adapted to it. However, with a long stay in a state of straining, an excessive load is placed on the veins. If this process becomes a habit and persists for a long time, then vascular disorders may occur. These include, including thrombosis of altered veins.

Many people say that when they stay in the toilet for a long time, they do not push, but "just read." However, these words are not always true. Our body reflexively reacts to the usual situation, and muscle tone still remains elevated, even if the patient does not independently stimulate this process.

What to do if the bowel movement is prolonged?

A bowel movement that lasts longer than the prescribed time cannot be considered normal. This condition is associated with a violation of intestinal peristalsis. The patient is diagnosed, which can be provoked various factors. These include both obvious causes (insufficient fluid intake, overeating) and some intestinal pathologies.

The danger of this condition lies in the fact that usually the patient does not pay attention to the symptom for a very long time. Many people do not attribute constipation to possible diseases digestive tract. It is easier for them to attribute this condition to dietary errors.

In what cases should you see a doctor?

prolonged lack of bowel movements;
permanent (chronic) constipation (see);
violation of the nature of the chair;
the appearance of pathological impurities in the feces - blood,

Having successfully completed the complex, long and laborious repairs in the restroom that you did with your own hands, it is possible to enjoy comfort and cleanliness every time you visit the toilet with an emotion of complete satisfaction. But, do you understand how to sit on the toilet correctly?

Ignoring the seeming naivety of the question, non-observance of some simple rules not only makes it difficult to defecate, but can also lead to significant health problems. Instructions on how to behave in the toilet are presented below.

Rules for using the toilet - comfort or health?

Toilet visit procedure

Before you figure out why it is harmful to sit on the toilet for a long time, it would be useful to determine the correct order of application of this engineering success. Since in case of doing certain rules, you will be able to empty your intestines more efficiently and quickly, and avoid quite significant health troubles.

The organism is conceived by nature in such a way that in order to perform an act of defecation, you need to take a squatting position (crouching and bending your knees as much as possible), thereby placing your fifth point as close to the ground as possible.

The man himself, striving to make his life more comfortable, invents different devices, which, although they provide more amenities, are not always needed from the standpoint of medicine.

Since at the time when the first ergonomic plumbing fixture appeared, no one was interested in the consequences of prolonged sitting on the toilet. Certain studies in this area began to be carried out only in the last century.

Otherwise, to completely abandon the benefits of civilization would be, at least, rather stupid. But this is not required, it is enough just to take the right posture while sitting on the toilet.

The essence is the following:

sitting on the toilet, you need to tilt upper part the body is slightly forward so that the rectum is bent at a minimum angle;
this position of the internal organs allows the feces to come out with minimal resistance;
the legs should be directed to realize higher (for this it is possible to use a special stand or bench);
when finding lower extremities in the position described above, the puborectalis muscle, clasping the large intestine, relaxes and does not interfere with the act of defecation.

Note! You take the correct posture when visiting a public toilet, which is equipped with a toilet bowl built into the floor. Approximately the same position must be taken in the home restroom. The only point is to provide ergonomic support for your legs: put a bench in front of the toilet or something like that. On sale, in addition, there are special toilet seats, the price of which, however, is higher than that of classic toilet seats.

What is the danger of sitting on the toilet for a long time?

Having dealt with the correct order to visit the toilet, let's move on to the discussion of the question of whether it is harmful to sit on the toilet for a long time. Since many people perform in toilet room for quite a long time, playing on the tablet or reading intentionally stored newspapers and magazines. (See also How to toilet train a cat: highlights.)

It goes without saying that raising your level of education by re-reading Crime and Punishment, or getting acquainted with the current political situation in the world by browsing news sites, is a necessary thing. But is it harmful to health?

According to the point of view of medical experts, who have conducted quite long and important studies to answer the question of whether it is possible to sit on the toilet for a long time, using the toilet for other purposes, apart from bowel movements, is not required and dangerous. It is possible to buy a lot of health troubles.

Let's take a closer look:

During the act of defecation, it is necessary to strain the muscles of the abdominal cavity, due to which human waste moves through the large intestine to the anus.
Muscle tension, for its part, increases blood flow, as a result of which the veins penetrating the rectum increase in volume.
If you spend a longer time on the toilet than is necessary for the process of emptying the intestines, the blood in the veins will stagnate, which is very bad for health.

Having decided on this, let's figure out what specific diseases can appear in a person who prefers to get acquainted with the latest press or works of the classics in his bathroom:

Thrombosis. This is a dense bump that appears in blood vessels and plugs them, interfering with the normal circulation of blood in the human body.
Haemorrhoids. Appears due to the prolapse of the so-called hemorrhoids. This disease is a direct consequence of the expansion of the veins of the rectum. It is characterized by very unpleasant and painful symptoms, in the advanced stage - anal bleeding.

Advice! In order not to suffer from very painful symptoms inherent in the above diseases, it is recommended not to stay in the toilet for 30-40 minutes, but to empty the intestines as soon as possible.

Rules for choosing toilet paper

Regardless of the design and design of the toilet, the toilet bowls and covers used for them, toilet paper is an essential attribute of any restroom. And despite the fact that few people think about it, the convenience of observing hygiene procedures at the end of the visit to the toilet and the health of the rectum depend to a large extent on it.

The modern industry produces a huge number of varieties of the mentioned hygiene item.

It is necessary to choose it very carefully, paying attention to the following highlights:

Softness. Toilet paper is in contact with fairly gentle areas of the body, so its surface should be soft so as not to injure the skin.
Relief. The complex texture and perforation present on the surface of the paper increase its absorbent properties.
Environmental friendliness. Paper must be made from raw materials that are reliable for humans, and decompose in sewer treatment facilities under the influence of special substances (the necessary information is indicated on the packaging).
break line. It is better to take toilet paper that has a special tear line.

Conclusion

Compliance with the rules of visiting the restroom, no doubt, has a beneficial effect on human health and gives a warning of the development of quite terrible diseases. But in order to be as comfortable as possible on the toilet, you need to correctly choose the plumbing device itself and the lid for it. For more details about this, see the video in this article.

For most people, the morning starts with going to the toilet. It's good if you have a certain regime, because this way you can accustom the body to play by your rules. Typically, people spend between 5 and 30 minutes in the restroom when it comes to going to the “big” toilet. But did you know that sitting on the toilet can be unhealthy?

It turns out that doctors do not recommend sitting in the toilet for more than 15 minutes. And trying to relieve the need by force is not the best idea. The thing is, the more effort you put in sitting on the toilet, the more you increase the risk of hemorrhoids!

What is hemorrhoids?

These are swollen and inflamed veins in the rectum and anus. Hemorrhoids cause discomfort and bleeding. In addition to these symptoms, there are others, such as pain, itching and irritation in the anal area.

In the first stages, hemorrhoids can be cured by conservative methods, that is, medicines and diet. More serious cases require surgery. But even after successful treatment, there is no guarantee that hemorrhoids will not return in the future. He needs to be followed.

Now you understand why you need to go to the toilet only on business. You can read books and solve crossword puzzles elsewhere!

A Russian person has such a habit - to make a “reading room” out of the toilet. This is especially true for men, who can be expected from the bathroom for more than one hour. It seems to be a common thing, so to speak, to combine business with pleasure. In the process of defecation, read a book, browse social networks, play on the phone.

But not everything is so clear. Many doctors point out that prolonged sitting on the toilet is actually not such a harmless habit. What is the risk? Let's look into the issue.

Prolonged sitting on the toilet causes compression of the sciatic nerve, abundant blood flow to the pelvic organs, which is fraught with its stagnation and can provoke the development of the following problems:

Due to poor blood supply to the prostate gland, prostatitis may occur, which can threaten even impotence in the future.
From a prolonged strained state while sitting on the toilet, venous thrombosis or rectal fissures can form, subsequently turning into hemorrhoids. If you notice blood on toilet paper after a bowel movement, it is worth sounding the alarm and immediately consult a doctor.
Perhaps the development of varicocele - expansion of the veins of the spermatic cord. If left untreated, the disease can lead to dysfunction of the reproductive system and infertility. Also, a companion of this disease is often hemorrhoids.
The lack of proper blood supply in the pelvic organs can be the cause of infertility in men.
Pinching of the sciatic nerve.

How then to be?

The standard act of defecation should not last more than 3-5 minutes. If you need more long time for bowel movements, it is worth paying attention to nutrition and checking for diseases of the digestive tract, as some of them lead to regular constipation.

If you do not want to become regular patients of the “good doctor proctologist”, we recommend spending time on the toilet to a minimum. And for reading and playing, find a more comfortable and safe place for your health.

First, spend no more than 5 minutes on the toilet at a time.
Secondly, for a more natural course of the defecation process, it is recommended to put your feet not on the floor, but a little higher, on a stand. With this position of the body, the process of emptying the intestines will be much easier. Also, in this position, there is no squeezing of the sciatic nerve, which will also have a beneficial effect on health.