What your bowel does and how faecal matter (stool) is made

When you eat food, it goes into your stomach where it is broken down in a very acidic watery solution. The food is then turned into a brown sludge which then leaves your stomach to go into the small intestine. The small intestine is a very long tube which removes all the good things that your body needs e.g. proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc.

The remaining brown sludge then enters the large intestine, which is a much larger tube. The large intestine starts at the lower right hand corner of your abdomen and ascends until it reaches the bottom right side of the ribs. It then crosses at the level of the ribs to the left side, where it then descends to the lower left side of the stomach. Water is absorbed from the sludge as it passes through the large intestine. This is why when you pass a stool; it is like a sausage and it is soft and not watery.

If you have constipation the sludge spends a long time in the large intestine, which means more water is absorbed from the sludge. Hence this means that the stool will be hard and can be difficult to pass.

If you have diarrhoea, it means that the sludge has passed through the large intestine too quickly and no or very little water has been absorbed. Therefore the stool that is passed is watery and can be difficult to hold on to.

 

How often should I pass stool?

There is a range of what is considered normal bowel habits. You can go to the toilet to empty your bowels 2-3 times a day, or up to every third day and can still be considered to be in the normal range.

More than 2-3 times per day or not passing a stool for more than 3 days is considered abnormal and you should seek help with this.

 

How do pelvic floor exercises work for bowel problems?

Tightening the pelvic floor with pelvic floor exercises will help tighten the anal sphincter and the muscles that assist in closing the anus.

If you find that you have been sitting down more than before, your pelvic muscles will lose their power and may not hold on as well as they once did. Some people can also have problems holding in gas. Pelvic floor exercises will help to strengthen these muscles so that you can hold onto gas and stool for longer when you first feel the urge to go, allowing you time to reach a toilet safely.

Published: 16/10/2020 11:48