But occasionally, constipation strikes,

但偶爾，便秘來襲，

a condition that causes a backup in your digestive system.

這種狀況導致你的消化系統罷工

The food you eat can take several days to exit your body.

你吃下去的食物可能要花上幾天才會排出體內

And for many, constipation can become chronic,

而對許多人來說，便祕可能變成一種慢性病，

meaning regularly passing lumpy hard stools accompanied by straining.

意味著經常得使勁才能排出乾硬的糞便

What's behind this unsettling phenomenon?

是什麼造成這種令人不安的現象呢?

Constipation arises in the colon, also known as the large intestine.

便祕發生在也被稱為大腸的結腸中

This muscular organ is split into four sections:

這個肌肉器官被分為四個部分 :

the ascending,

升結腸、

transverse,

橫結腸、

descending,

降結腸

and sigmoid colon,

以及乙狀結腸，

which connects with the rectum and anus.

它與直腸和肛門相連

The small intestine delivers stool

小腸將

consisting of ingested food, bile, and digestive juices

由攝取的食物、膽汁和消化液组成的糞便

to the large intestine.

輸送到大腸

As this stool moves through the colon,

當糞便通過結腸時，

the organ siphons off most of the water it contains,

結腸會吸收大部分其蘊含的水分，

transforming it from liquid to solid.

將其由液體轉化為固體

The longer this transmission takes,

這樣的過程時間越長，

the more reabsorption occurs, resulting in increasingly solid stool.

重新吸收水分的狀況發生的次數就越 多，導致糞便越來越硬

Once it reaches the sigmoid colon,

一旦糞便抵達乙狀結腸，

a final bout of reabsorption occurs before it enters the rectum,

最後一回合的再吸收會在它進入直腸之前發生

distending its walls and telling the internal anal sphincter to relax.

讓結腸壁擴張並通知肛門內括約肌鬆弛

This is the point where you can usually decide whether to physically expel

這往往就是你可以決定要排便或是

or retain the stool.

憋著的時候

That's regulated by the pelvic floor muscles,

這個過程是由骨盆底肌所調節，

particularly the puborectalis

尤其是恥骨直腸肌

and external anal sphincter.

和肛門外括約肌

The puborectalis forms a sling-like formation around the rectum

恥骨直腸肌在直腸周圍形成吊帶狀結構

called the anorectal angle.

稱為直腸肛門角

And when you voluntarily relax your external anal sphincter,

當你自發性放鬆肛門外括約肌時，

the stool is finally expelled.

糞便才終於被排出體內

When you're constipated, however,

然而，當你便秘時，

a desire to visit the bathroom isn't enough to coax your body into action.

想上廁所的慾望並不足以誘發身體採取行動

Usually there's two factors behind this problem:

通常導致這種問題的因素有兩個：

the stool's slow movement through the colon

糞便通過結腸的速度緩慢

and/or pelvic floor dysfunction.

以及/或者是骨盆底肌失能

In the first, stool moves excessively slowly through the intestines,

在第一種情況下，糞便通過腸道的速度過度緩慢，

causing over-absorption of liquid, which makes the stool dry and hard.

導致水分被過度吸收，讓糞便變得又乾又硬

With pelvic floor dysfunction,

在骨盆底肌失能的狀況下，

stool becomes difficult to eliminate from the rectum

糞便變得難以從直腸排出

because of tightened pelvic floor muscles, or due to a pelvic organ prolapse,

是由骨盆底肌僵硬或盆腔器官脫垂導致，

usually through childbirth or aging.

而這通常源於分娩或衰老

Both of these problems make the anorectal angle more acute

這兩個問題都使直腸肛門角的角度更加尖銳

and it becomes difficult to expel waste.

並且難以排出廢物

To identify constipation precisely,

為了準確識別便秘，

researchers have developed metrics, such as the Bristol Stool Chart.

為了準確識別便秘，研究人員開發了一些指標，如 Bristol Stool Chart

Most people who look at that chart

大多數人看著這個圖表

will be able to tell they've experienced constipation before.

都能說明他們是否有便秘的經驗

When you're on the toilet, you should ideally be in a squatting position.

上廁所時，理想情況下你應該採取蹲姿

With your buttocks firmly on the toilet seat,

把你的臀部牢牢地放在馬桶座上

you can elevate your feet on a stool

你可以把腳抬高到椅凳上

and lean forwards with a straight back,

背部打直並向前微傾，

which straightens the anorectal angle and eases the passage of waste.

從而矯正直腸肛門角的角度，讓廢物排出更加順利

Going a day without a bowel movement isn't necessarily cause for alarm.

一天沒有排便並不一定需要緊張

But if you are experiencing chronic constipation,

但如果您正經歷慢性便秘，

simple dietary and lifestyle changes,

透過簡單的飲食和生活方式的改變，

like fibrous vegetables,

像是充滿纖維質的蔬菜、

regular exercise,

規律的運動、

abdominal massage,

腹部按摩、

and 6 to 8 cups of water per day

以及 一天攝取 6 到 8 杯水

may help restore your daily trip to the toilet.

可能有助於恢復每天到廁所報到