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Many people think that normal means having one bowel movement every day, but that’s not always true. People are different, and so are their bowels. Normal for one person might be three bowel movements a day, and normal for another might be three bowel movements a week. If your bowel movements fit somewhere in that range, then you’re on a normal schedule.
Constipation
Constipation (what TV ads call irregularity) means that you’re not moving your bowels often enough, and your bowel movements are harder and drier than normal.
Normal bowel movements should be soft and easy to pass. They shouldn’t be dry, hard, or painful. If they are or you’ve gone for more than 4 days without having one, you may be constipated.
If you think that you’re constipated, tell your parents. They can help you try some very simple ways of getting your bowels back on a regular schedule. Most of the time, this means changing the foods you eat, at least for a while. You may need more foods that have lots of fiber (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains). You may need to eat fewer fatty and greasy foods (like fried chicken and french fries) and fewer sugary foods (like soda and candy). Drinking more water is also often a good idea.
Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your digestive system moving, so you may want to turn off the TV and take a bike ride instead. You also might try getting up a little earlier in the morning to give yourself extra time to use the bathroom before school. And when you’re in school, if you need to use the bathroom, don’t wait. Waiting only makes constipation worse.
And no matter what the TV commercials say, don’t use laxatives unless your parents and your doctor say that it’s OK. Laxatives may make constipation worse and cause other problems if they’re not used properly.
Sometimes, if you’re very constipated, some liquidy stuff that seems like diarrhea might leak out around the hard poop that hasn’t come out. If this happens, you might have a messy accident. You may feel a little embarrassed, but talk to your parents about this problem. Your doctor can help your bowels get back on track and you can learn how to prevent accidents in the future.
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