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Everybody poops, so in theory we all know how to do it.
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Lingering puts stress on the tissues of your butt, which can eventually lead tohemorrhoidsor other problems.
If nothing is moving at that point, its probably time to get up and do something else.
The problem with dawdling
Its simple physics.
When youre on the toilet and your butts not supported, everythings kind of hanging out there.
Dr. Westrich agrees that five minutes is a reasonable cutoff for your toilet time.
Dont strain to take a stab at have one.
And the longer you sit on the toilet, she says, the greater the temptation to push.
Some people do that, she says, because they learned thats key to staying regular.
If youre in that range and dont feel backed up, Dr. Chen says, then youre probably good.
All three doctors agree that toilet time should be no-nonsense.
Dont use your phone on the toilet, dont read the newspaper, Dr. Westrich stresses.
Just sit down and do your business then get out.
Keeping your phone out of the proceedings also eliminates the chances of dropping it in the toilet.
Heres the big one.
If youre pooping fewer than three times a week, thats an indicator that you could have constipation.
Most concerning, she adds, ongoing constipation is sometimes asymptom of colorectal cancer.
Last but not least, theres the dyssynergic defecation we mentioned.
When they dont, pooping is like pushing against a closed door.
People with this kind of constipation may have other symptoms, like difficulty peeing or chronic pelvic pain.
