Everyone is aware of traveler’s diarrhea. But few people realize that there is also the opposite diagnosis – “traveler’s constipation.” Even those who have encountered such a problem do not know about it.
What is this condition, why does it occur and how to deal with it? aif.ru talks about this biologist, professor at the School of Systems Biology at George Mason University (USA) and famous medical blogger Ancha Baranova:
— If the intestines work well, that is, regularly, this regularity is tied to our biological clock. For example, it often happens that a well-trained intestine goes to the toilet at 8:30 in the morning, immediately after drinking a cup of coffee.
Traveler’s constipation occurs because this regularity is disrupted. Imagine a typical case. The appointed time for the intestines happened just as the plane was landing, when it was impossible to walk around the cabin. In such a situation, the brain sends a signal to the intestines to “pass.” And the intestines honestly fulfill it. Moreover, understanding that it is necessary to “skip” it, and not postpone it for half an hour. Because immediately after the plane lands there is a run to customs and a long wait.
This is how we get “traveler’s constipation.” Upon arrival in hot countries, it can be easily eliminated – grab some plums or overripe apricots from the nearest street stall.
Therefore, there is a better way. You need to have a laxative in your pocket, but not a strictly pharmacological one, but a natural one. Because nothing particularly pathological happens with “traveler’s constipation.” Your obedient gut is simply following the brain’s directive to wait until the next opportunity. Among the preparations, psyllium is suitable – these are the skins of plantain seeds, as well as pectins, the same ones that are found in plums and apricots. Only here they are in the form of tablets, and not from the first stall you come across.
Source: aif.ru
