Toilet habit is not very uncommon terms for young parents nowadays. It is nothing but to educate toddlers to sit for passing stool. Schools are also playing an important role in this regard.
Now you must be wondering about why a proctologist is talking on toilet habit. Yes, I have something to say regarding this.
Toilet habit is all about learning to pass stool at proper time, total time spent in toilet and the position while sitting on the toilet. Here, I am concentrating on position while sitting on toilet.
Indian people used to sit in squatting position when going to the toilet because it was the only natural way to do it for millennia until the rise of western civilization and advent of the modern toilet, luxury, convenience and industry. The rapid urbanization has waved away our natural habits. We are nowadays more comfortable with western toilets.
Let’s have a brief idea of anatomical aspects of defecation. The process of passing bowel motions or defaecation is a lot more complicated than you might imagine. First, the rectum contracts as it fills up with stools. This causes the smooth muscle of the anal canal to relax. The puborectalis muscle, which loops around the rectum like a sling, normally pulls the rectum forward to create a tight angle (known as the anorectal angle). During defaecation, the puborectalis muscle relaxes and the anorectal angle widens. Squatting widens the anorectal angle even more to allow a clearer and straighter passage for stools to pass through the anal canal.
In this position, the individual sits with knees and hips sharply flexed and the buttocks close to the ground making an angle of around 35 degrees. It helps in opening the path for defecation due to proper alignment of the puborectalis muscles and smooth fibers in and around the rectum and anal opening. This prevents common health issues like constipation, piles and anal fissure.
Squatting position is now considered as a most scientific position for defecation.
Some people are obese, some are having arthritis in knee joints; they cannot sit in squatting position. They can use western toilets as usual with a little modification. Simply place a small stool of approximately 7inch or 9inch height in front of the western toilet and place limbs on it. In this way one can have squatting position even sitting on a western toilet.
Often it is said that ailments like piles, anal fissure, rectal prolapse and constipation are lifestyle disorder and are related with consumption of less dietary fibers, oily, spicy and junkfoods. This is true in medical point of view. Maintaining proper position during the act of defecation is another important cause and needs to be taken care of.
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