Going to the toilet is a part of our daily routine. But sometimes, we find it challenging to poop due to constipation; a state in which there is difficulty in clearing the bowels as the stool becomes hard, dry, and unusually large, causing a backup in the digestive system.

Constipation can happen due to many reasons such as stress, using antidepressants, avoiding going to the bathroom, but the most common cause for it is our diet. Not drinking enough water or fiber, that helps the smooth functioning of bowel movement and overeating processed foods like; bread, cake, cheese etc., which take several days to exit our body, can also be the primary reason, behind chronic constipation (constantly having difficulty in passing dry, hard poop followed by pain and strain).

It all starts in our colon; commonly known as large intestine, where the waste is stored, passed by the small intestine, consisting of ingested food and digestive juices. As the stool moves into the colon, the organ draws off about 90% of the fluid in the stool, converting the liquid waste into solid, but sometimes, it takes more than the usual time for the poop to travel through our organs, causing it to lose more water in its journey, making it drier and harder in the process before it reaches your rectum, and it is this excessively slow movement of stool through the colon, which is a major factor behind constipation.

There are many symptoms of constipation. These include;

• Excessive straining
• Difficulty expelling stool
• Hard or lumpy stools
• Sensation of incomplete evacuation
• Abdominal bloating, fullness, discomfort or pain.
• Prolonged time to stool
• Need to use manual maneuver, such as finger evacuation or lower abdominal massage.

While there are several over-the-counter medications that can help with constipation, establishing a daily routine for bowel movement, such as when you wake up, can help prevent constipation. Additional changes in your day-to-day life such as regular exercise, eating high fiber vegetables, and drinking lots of water daily will also help you to deal with constipation decisively.