Our digestive system has several functions besides just digesting food and absorbing the nutrients from it to help other organs function properly. The human digestive system starts in the mouth cavity and ends in the anal canal.
Every part of the digestive system participates in performing several important functions in the body. The glands from the oral cavity to the lower digestive tract, the lymph nodes, and the tract itself, release some hormones and enzymes that are necessary for proper digestion. We can’t imagine our lives without a properly functioning digestive system.
Bowel Movements
By bowel movements, we mean the movement in the large intestine. Our large intestine contains most of the unwanted waste products from the movement and is now moving out of the digestive tract in the form of stool.
Bowel movements happen as a result of the rhythmical movement of the haustrations of the large intestine, and this makes the food move out of the body through the anal canal. The myenteric and Meissner’s plexus control the movement, and all of these mechanisms result in bowel movements.
Normal Bowel movements
Bowel movements are variable from person to person, and the term “normal” cannot be generalized and applied to everyone.
Normal bowel movements may be from two to three times a day to once a week, and none is considered abnormal. It depends on a person’s dietary habits, lifestyle, and many other factors.
Usually, it is considered the routine by which one is most comfortable—the normal bowel movement.
Bowel Sounds
Bowel sounds are produced when food is pushed through the large intestines. So, it is very much possible that you hear bowel sounds quite often. The normal frequency of bowel sounds is also variable. Usually, bowel sounds are audible every two to three minutes. But they can be more or less.
Decreased bowel sounds are a sign of constipation, especially in a post-surgical patient. Bowel obstruction and perforation are especially suspected, and special attention is given after surgery.
Bowel Movement Tracker
- A bowel movement tracker is used to determine the difference between normal and abnormal movements and their frequency.
- Once the normal bowel movements of a patient have been established, the abnormal routine can be very easily ruled out and treated promptly.
- In the tracker, we have to fill in the date in the first column. The movement tracker has to be filled every day to get a better idea of bowel movements.
- The next column has to be filled out to determine if the patient/person has had any bowel movements or not.
- The number of bowel movements is noted every day because this is the only way to tell what the normal frequency in that person is.
- The nature of stool is also mentioned in the case of regular bowel movements as well as in the case of constipation. The color, consistency, and associated symptoms like pain, bleeding, etc. are all mentioned.
- It is also important to mention the treatment option in case of constipation or diarrhea faced by the patient.
