Defecation
The act has a variety of names ranging from the common, like pooping or crapping, to the technical, e.g. bowel movement, to the obscene (shitting), to the euphemistic ("doing number two", "dropping a deuce" or "taking a dump"), to the juvenile ("making doo-doo").
[1] Waves of muscular contraction (known as peristalsis) in the walls of the colon move fecal matter through the digestive tract towards the rectum.
Once trained, loss of control, called fecal incontinence, may be caused by physical injury, nerve injury, prior surgeries (such as an episiotomy), constipation, diarrhea, loss of storage capacity in the rectum, intense fright, inflammatory bowel disease, psychological or neurological factors, childbirth, or death.
[5] The use of sit-down toilets in the Western world is a relatively recent development, beginning in the 19th century with the advent of indoor plumbing.
The frequency of defecation is hard to identify, which can vary from daily to weekly depending on individual bowel habits, the impact from the environment and genetic.
The causes of functional bowel disorder are multifactorial, and dietary habits such as food intolerance and low fiber diet are considered to be the primary factors.
[11] Multiple interventions, including physical activities, 'high-fibre diet', probiotics[13] and drug therapies can be widely and efficiently used to treat constipation and defecatory disorder.
They are closely related to different environmental risk factors, family genetics, and lifestyle choices such as smoking.
Recent research shows that immunodeficiency and monogenic disorders are the causes in young patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.
[17] Common symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases differ by the infection level, but may include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and unexpected weight loss.
Ulcerative colitis mainly affects the function of the large bowel, and its incidence rate is three times greater than that of Crohn's disease.
UC can also be relieved by using immunosuppressive therapy for mild to moderate disease level and application of biological agents for severe cases.
[21] The definite cause of irritable bowel syndrome remains a mystery; however, it has been found to relate to multiple factors, such as 'alternation of mood and pressure, sleep disorders, food triggers, changing of dysbiosis and even sexual dysfunction'.
Apart from these typical symptoms, rectal bleeding, unexpected weight loss and increased inflammatory markers require further medical examination and investigation.
Avoiding allergic food groups can be beneficial by reducing fermentation in the digestive tract and gas production, hence effectively alleviating abdominal pain and bloating.
[21] Drug interventions, such as laxatives, loperamide,[21] and lubiprostone[22] are applied to relieve intense symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation.
Psychological treatment, dietary supplements[21] and gut-focused hypnotherapy[22] are recommended for targeting depression, mood disorders and sleep disturbance.
Nonoperative therapy included nasogastric tube decompression, water-soluble-contrast medium process or symptomatic management can be applied to treat less severe symptoms[23] According to research, large bowel obstruction is less common than small bowel obstruction, but is still associated with a high mortality rate.
[25] In addition, lower mobility, unhealthy mentality and restricted living environment are also listed as risk factors.
[27] Attempting forced expiration of breath against a closed airway (the Valsalva maneuver) is sometimes practiced to induce defecation while on a toilet.
Cardiac arrest[28] and other cardiovascular complications[29] can in rare cases occur due to attempting to defecate using the Valsalva maneuver.
Also, in releasing the Valsalva maneuver blood pressure falls; this, coupled with standing up quickly to leave the toilet, can result in a blackout.
People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals or other open space for defecation.
In many cultures, such as Hindu and Muslim, water is used for anal cleansing after defecation, either in addition to using toilet paper or exclusively.
