How to poop instantly when constipated

We all have those days when it's so tough to have a bowel movement that even the throes of childbirth look like a cakewalk.

In fact, it happens more often than you think: According to the Women's Health Foundation, more than 4 million Americans suffer from frequent constipation. And as luck would have it, women are three times more likely to get blocked up than men.

Constipation danger signs

Some doctors speculate it's because our colons are slightly longer, adding more twists and turns—and potential roadblocks—to our digestive tracts.

But while the bloating and abdominal pain associated with a gridlocked gut may be common, the symptoms aren't something you should simply flush down the drain.

"Very severe constipation is not only very uncomfortable, but it can also lead to blockage of your colon (obstipation), which then may require more invasive treatment than laxatives alone," says Lee Ann Chen, M.D., a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Medical Center.

Translation: The last thing you want to do when there's a kink in your pipes is parta

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