Do you ever experience a sharp pain in your head when you push to poop? If yes, then welcome to the club! You're not alone. Many people worldwide also experience this kind of struggle when they are pooping. It's often referred to as exertion headache or bowel movement headache.
Exertion headaches occur due to increased pressure within the skull while doing physical activities such as coughing, sneezing, lifting heavy objects or... pushing during defecation. While it may sound like a small problem that will go away on its own, it can be quite discomforting and inconvenient for those who face this issue every time they visit the loo.
Here we'll explore what might cause an 'exertional' type of headache associated with bathroom business and possible ways of resolving it so you could comfortably (and painlessly) carry out your bodily duties without any inconvenience.
The Science Behind Exertion Headaches
Before diving into how constipation leads to a headache each time we make our way into the toilet let's look at how exertion headaches occur in general.
-
What Is An Exertional Headache? An exertional headache typically presents itself as a sudden onset of throbbing pain located mainly at the back section of our heads that progressively worsens during physical activity but tend to dissipate immediately once we rest.
-
Causes Of Exertional Headache The actual physiological mechanism behind exercise-induced headaches remain unclear; however researchers have come up with some theories:
- A rapid increase in blood flow causes local arteries from specific cranial areas (such as forehead muscles)to dilate substantially - leading towards stretching nerve fibers causing extreme pain
- Overproduction/negative shift towards prostaglandin production
- Altered serotonergic functioning potentially lead to increased susceptibility towards headache occurrence.
-
How Can Exertional Headache be Treated? In most cases, over the counter pain-relieving medications such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen could effectively treat those experiencing exertion headaches. However, for underlying medical conditions triggering exercise-induced headaches (like migraines) other treatment procedures may be necessary.
With that out of the way let's move on to explore how constipation links up with our toilet visits and eventually causes a headache every time we try to push one out.
The Toilet Struggle
There are tons of factors, which come into play when it comes down to pooping trouble such as intermittent bowel movements and constipation - both lead towards bowels unable to quickly eliminate stool via our anus during defecation due.
When we pass stool while being constipated, It requires more effort(as enormous abdominal pressure is required) from all relevant muscles within your body; this tends to make blood vessels constrict before dilating again rapidly Thus leading individuals who fail in eliminating fecal matter 'easily' either through bad eating habits/other pre-existing physiological abnormalities can trigger occasional bouts/exacerbate existing instances of a headache overall instead!
Now you might wonder "how does straining my lower abdomen relate back to me feeling terrible inside my head?" Well...
How Constipation Affects Blood Flow To Our Brain
The general process behind why pushing too hard down there leads towards inducing diarrhea-linked pains originate from vascular physiology: When any given individual strains/diligently pushes downwards from their front end consistently upon toileting without successfully eliminating said waste product typically causes them immense frustration/stress physically draining/energy sapping contributing symptoms like dizziness nausea...(to name just some).
During these moments hearts have no choice but severe constriction/dilation resulting temporarily diminishing oxygen supply going straight up into someone's heads! This reduced O2 flow leads many people affected towards indirectly aggravate/pre-existing headache predicaments making things even worse overall!
Possible Ways to Avert the Struggle
Having an exertion headache every time we poop can be quite uncomfortable and inconvenient. Luckily, some lifestyle changes can reduce this unwanted experience:
-
Choosing the Right Food Digestive health is crucial in maintaining bowel regularity; therefore, it's recommended that you avoid unhealthy food like refined sugar, alcohol, and highly processed meals - rather opt-in for fiber-rich foods which facilitate faster bowel movement processes.
-
Staying Hydrated Water does wonders for our body - It assists with waste elimination processes by facilitating digestion and keeping your stool soft thus accelerating its exit rate from our colon/nature's rearguard! Drinking at least eight glasses of water daily could help prevent or ease constipation-related headaches.
-
Physical exercises Sedentary lifestyles are one of the significant contributors to recurring experiences when pooping becomes close to nightmarish-horror tales...Therefore incorporating simple exercises such as going for a walk/jog/stair climb coupled up with Kegel workouts could boost abdominal muscle strength leading towards swift painless defecation processes while also reducing instances where blood vessels constrict/dilate rapidly irritating weak/overworked cranial nerve fibers!
-
Use Medications If Required Consulting a doctor regarding taking OTC medicines/prescription medication seems like an evident final point; however sometimes we tend to ignore getting professional help resulting in prolonged agonies when applicable medications under medical supervision usually bring results relatively quickly than waiting on nature doing its thing!
In conclusion,
Pooping should always be a pleasant experience (yes... I said it). No one wants to dread using their toilet facilities due to fear of feeling terrible each time afterwards! Therefore consider altering any feeding habits/working out more frequently plus staying adequately hydrated as feasible ways helping avoiding painful effects caused by repeated over-straining within our digestive tract toward experiencing constipation-triggered headaches!