What toilet habits comes to mind? But even before then, let’s start with what goes on in the toilet? Did I hear someone say peeing, pooing, and in some combined facilities bathing, brushing one’s teeth. The list is endless and so is the list of toilet habits that may be dangerous to one’s health
So I’ll keep the ball rolling
1. Not peeing or pooping when you feel the urge to
Not peeing when you feel the urge to urinate, gives room for urine to stay longer in the bladder and this can increase the risk of getting a Urinary Tract Infection
Many health problems that affect the anus and rectum (bottom and back passage) are caused by bad toilet habits. The most effective time to empty your bowel (poop) is when you first get the urge to go to the toilet to poop. First thing in the morning or following a meal are common times to get this urge.
So avoid this bad toilet habit and don’t hold in your pee or poop for longer than necessary
2. Not wiping or cleaning properly
Not wiping or cleaning properly after using the toilet can result in skin problems such as itching and skin rashes. It also makes the underwear dirty and unpleasant odor may arise
It is recommended to wipe or clean from the front to the back (especially in females) after passing stool.
Wiping the other way around i.e back to front spreads bugs from the anus (where faces come out from) to the vagina and urethral area (where urine comes out from) and this increases the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), vulvovaginitis (an infection of the vulva and vagina) and yeast infections
3. Straining to Poop
Straining pushes down on the muscles supporting your pelvic area, preventing the bowel from emptying effectively. It also pushes out haemorrhoids (also known as piles, which are swellings containing enlarged blood vessels that are found inside or around the bottom i.e the rectum and anus).
If you find it hard to poop after a couple of minutes in the toilet, don’t force it. Instead, get up and go do something else. When you have the urge to go again, you may return to the toilet again
If you have problems passing stool, you may be constipated, and you can read about simple solutions here
4. Prolonged sitting on the toilet seat
Think about the last time you sat on the toilet seat? How long did it take you? Were you operating your phone or perhaps reading a book? Many of us are guilty of these common habits
A study on the smart phones of secondary school students showed that their phones were heavily contaminated with bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli ) which can be traced to stool samples and can lead to a bad infection
Also, sitting for prolonged periods on the toilet puts pressure on one’s anus (back passage) and can increase one’s risk of getting hemorrhoids. So next time you are in the toilet about to do the do, remember what you’ve just read
5. Not washing your hands after using the toilet
Washing our hands goes a long way in keeping us healthy and reducing the spread of illness such as infections transmitted via faces and oral route like Typhoid, Hpylori etc
Hand washing should not be limited to just after using the toilet. Remember to wash your hands before and after contact with shared, or potentially unsanitary or contaminated surfaces to protect yourself and others.
Now, that we are all abreast about common bad toilet habits we should avoid, which have I missed out on? And which have you decided to stop going forward? Let me know in the comment below
If you would love to discuss further with a doctor, you can do that here
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