Ever thought about how your lifestyle may be affecting your bowel health?

Take our quiz to find out which of these women you’re most like, and how your day-to-day living may be having an impact on your bowels…

Mostly as: Calm and Collected Cathy You are probably very health conscious and try to make sure you look after yourself properly. You exercise regularly, which can help to relieve stress and you watch what you eat. However, your diet could sometimes eliminate entire food groups which could cause bowel problems - for example, cutting out carbohydrates can lead to a sluggish gut due to a low intake of fibre. You may also take vitamins and supplements, some of which (iron and calcium supplements) can cause constipation.

Mostly bs: Busy Belinda You are usually rushing around, whether looking after your family or climbing the career ladder (or both!), and rarely get time to relax or de-stress. As a result of your busy schedule, you may often put off going to the loo when you need to as you feel so pushed for time. However, ‘holding on’ means that solids may sit in your bowel for longer than they should do and teaches your body to ignore the rectal reflex (the signal to the brain), which can lead to chronic constipation. You can find it difficult to make time for proper meals and tend to eat processed snacks on the go, which can cause your bowel to slow down and could lead to painful poo symptoms or constipation.

Back to the top

Mostly cs: Jet-setter Julie You are often travelling, whether with work or on holiday, which means you regularly end up eating on the move, drinking lots of coffee and getting less sleep than normal. When away from home you usually eat out, sampling more exotic foods accompanied by wine and cocktails. In warmer climates, you often don’t drink enough fluids which can leave you dehydrated and feeling blocked up. Travelling abroad can play havoc with your bowels due to the disruption in routine and change in diet, which can often lead to constipation and uncomfortable bowel movements.

Mostly ds: Party Girl Phoebe You are a regular on the social scene, drinking alcohol most evenings with lots of late nights and takeaways. You probably find that coffee gets you through the day, and don’t drink enough water which can leave you feeling sluggish and could lead to pain when going to the loo. Skipping breakfast also means that you are not stimulating your bowel in the morning, with any solids sitting in your bowel for longer and increasing the chances of painful poo symptoms. You don’t often have the energy for regular exercise classes or trips to the gym which means you are more likely to be constipated than those who regularly exercise.

It is likely that you can identify with all of these women in some way. In actual fact, a recent survey by the makers of DulcoEase® revealed that over half (51%) of women do not exercise regularly, 47% of women do not drink two litres of water a day and over a third (37%) of women feel stressed and don’t have enough time for themselves. It is perhaps not surprising that only 13% of women have never suffered from any common bowel problems. In fact, 64% have experienced constipation and 46% with difficulty or straining when going to the loo.

Today’s hectic lifestyles mean that you are more likely to find yourself suffering from a variety of common bowel problems such as constipation or painful poo symptoms. Painful poo symptoms describe the symptoms of pain or straining when you go to the loo associated with hard, dry poo. When you have painful poo symptoms it’s not that you can’t go to the loo, it’s just difficult or painful when you do go. In fact, over six million people at any time in the UK experience painful poo symptoms at some stage in their lives.

Back to the top