Recently, 51-year-old brother Wang came to the emergency department of The Second People’s Hospital of Hunan Province (Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital) with a frown and clutching his stomach. According to him, during this period of time, because of the epidemic, I did not dare to go out casually, so I watched dramas at home, and I could not stop eating melon seeds for several days. Haven’t had a bowel movement. On the first day, I went to the toilet three times but didn’t pull it out; on the second day I went to the toilet five times and didn’t pull it out; on the third day my legs were numb and I could squeeze out a little air; , yogurt, honey and water have been tried, but I couldn’t, so I came to the emergency department of the hospital.
Wu Kai, the attending doctor of the emergency department, received Brother Wang. After analyzing the condition, palpation, and imaging examination, Dr. Wu gave Brother Wang performed an enema treatment. With the help of the medical staff, Brother Wang finally excreted the stool and was relieved.
Dr. Wu Kai introduced that constipation is a disease that is often overlooked. “Constipation” refers to infrequent bowel movements, difficult bowel movements, prolonged bowel movements, and generally dry, lumpy stools. It is usually caused by personal indigestion, poor eating habits, etc. Occasional constipation is a common phenomenon. There are more than 20% of constipated people in China, especially the elderly over 60 years old, the incidence of constipation is as high as 37%. Many people know that constipation can lead to hemorrhoids, anal fissures, acne, abdominal obesity, and more. In fact, the harm of constipation is more than that… Long-term constipation can aggravate cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cause stroke and even sudden death.
Melon seeds are high-fat, high-energy nuts. If you eat a lot of them, you will not only get angry, but you may also experience constipation. Therefore, you should not eat melon seeds willfully.
So how to prevent constipation? Dr. Wu Kai reminded that outdoor activities will be reduced during the epidemic, but a reasonable diet and exercise should be paid attention to:
1. Maintain good eating habits and eat more vegetables, fruits and vegetables rich in fiber. Coarse grains, reduce high-calorie, high-sugar and high-oil foods, and ensure that you drink water at a fixed time every day to promote intestinal peristalsis and digestion.
2. Adhere to physical activity every day. Appropriate exercise can help strengthen our abdominal muscle contractions, promote intestinal peristalsis, and establish a good metabolic cycle. At the same time, regular exercise can also improve our mood. Promote physical and mental health.
Third, manage personal emotions and reduce stress in life. Stay in a good mood, and don’t be too anxious and angry at ordinary times. Bad emotions will also affect our physical health and induce diseases.
Although constipation is a common disease, it cannot be ignored. Usually, if there are related symptoms, we should start to pay attention to improvement to ensure our health. At the same time, the patient does not need to be too nervous. As long as they pay more attention to improving their diet and living habits, they can be relieved. If the symptoms are more serious, they need to go to the hospital to check whether it is caused by other causes.
Dr. Wu Kai reminded that if the elderly have cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, excessive forceful defecation may lead to the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and precautions should be taken.
(edited by ZS. Image source network, invaded and deleted)
Special author of Hunan Medical Chat: Tian Renyun, Emergency Department of Hunan Second People’s Hospital >