You're listening to Life Kit from NPR.

Hey everybody, it's Mariel.

Question, have you ever been really, really constipated?

Like you haven't pooped for a few days or a week and your abdomen is getting fuller

and you sit on the toilet, but nothing comes out?

Are you sitting on the toilet right now?

All right, just in case, we're going to start with a little pep talk.

Okay, here we go. You got this. Imagine that the poop is traveling and it's just waiting.

You're gonna open those gates and allow for that poop to naturally flow out because it's ready and you're

ready and you no longer want it in there.

That's Dr. Kum Patel.

She's a gastrointestinalontologist at Providence St Joseph and St Jude Heritage Medical Group in California.

Anyway, where were we?

So gently imagine it leaving your body. Now gently push over a deep breath in and push all the way out.

Relax your bottom and let it come out.

Now I hope that worked for you

and you know it might have because relaxation is one of the things that can for you. And you know it might have because relaxation is one of the things

that can help you poop. But sometimes it takes more than that, especially if you've got

chronic constipation, which can happen because of diet, medication, hormonal changes,

and lots of other things.

So on this episode of Life Kit,

we are going to give you a step-by-step guide

...