When stool becomes too hard to pass, it can result in two conditions – constipation, and later on culminating into piles. However, constipation is the more common form as because most people begin treating the issue as soon as it reaches that stage, before moving on to the next one. Constipation usually arises from the poor passage of food through the digestive tract, affecting the body’s ability to digest the food properly. A proper digestive system has to be maintained for the prevention of stool becoming too hard to pass through the excretory pipe. The digestive system must make way for the stool to pass through your rectum and cleanse your bowel regularly. Here are some natural ways to soften your excreta and help prevent chronic constipation or more serious issues:

11 Effective Home Remedies for a Stool That is too Hard to Pass

Drink more water

Keeping yourself well hydrated is one of the key factors that contributes towards the maintaining of a good digestive and excretory system. If your body is dehydrated, the foods that you consume, cannot be effectively broken into simpler forms and cannot be smoothly passed through your digestive tract. The more lubricated your digestive tract is, the better passage it creates for the food to get digested and reach the rectum for excretion.
Eat fibre-rich fruits and vegetables: Fibre, both soluble and insoluble, is one of the most important ingredients of your regular food intake, which helps in breaking down the complex food into simpler forms by enabling the systemic secretion of enzymes. Dietary fibre also acts as an excellent source of roughage and adds to the bulk of your stool, making it easier for the excreta to be effectively disposed of, by your body. Green vegetables , nuts, lentils, beans, and fruits with multi-vitamins are good carriers of fibre that improve digestion.

Drink warm caffeinated beverages

Caffeine is said to contain ‘magical’ properties that stimulate your bowel movements. Coffee, in particular, stimulates the muscles near your belly and digestive system, increasing the urge to visit the wash room soon after drinking it. Other drinks like tea, green tea, or chamomile tea are also good for this. Many people, in fact, rely on their morning cup of caffeine to help them defecate. Doctors also say that caffeine boosts bowels more among women than it does among men.

Drink warm water with lemon (and honey)

One of the most popular home remedies to treat hardened stool is drinking warm water with lemon and preferable also honey. This treatment has been followed by people all over the world for hundreds of years now. Warm water, on an empty stomach, is known to work wonders on the excretory tract. Along with that, both lemon and honey have properties that burn the unnecessary fats and make way for the digestive tract to pass foods that can be easily excreted through the rectum. Drinking this concoction first thing in the morning each day, can reduce hardening of stool by nearly 30%!

Exercise more

Exercise is good to get your bowel moving. Most doctors say that one of the reasons for poor digestion and excretion is the lack of physical movement in today’s corporate world. Exercise stimulates the body’s muscles and hence helps the food consumed, to get digested properly. If there is a lack of proper digestion, it becomes difficult to cleanse your bowel on a regular basis.

Walk briskly everyday

Walking is one of the most common activities that everyone should follow without fail. Try using the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, or the subway instead of the zebra crossing at a stone’s throw distance. In fact, walk around in the house while talking on the phone or listening to songs. As you walk, the muscles in the lower part of your body, the stomach, lower torso and hip region, get stimulated and thereby help in proper passage of the mashed food that turns into soft stool to be excreted through the rectum. At least 30 minutes of brisk walking daily can help pass that hard stool.

Consume probiotics

Consume foods or drinks that are high on the probiotic ratio, as they help in digestion. An imbalance of bacteria in your gut is one of the primary reasons for the stool turning hard not being able to pass properly. Good bacteria is required to promote proper digestion and excretion. Probiotics are effective in refilling your body’s lost bacteria that help in digestion.

Do sitz bath

This is derived from a German word. In this method of treatment, you take a small tub filled with warm water, and submerge your lower body. You need to sit in the tub for about 15 to 20 minutes. By doing this, the muscles of your abdomen and intestines get stimulated and are able to function better. The intestines thereby improve their functioning and help pass the undigested foods to be ejected as soft stool. For the best possible results, do this everyday.

Try an Epsom salt bath

Epsom salt is well known for soothing sore muscles. Warm water and Epsom salt make for a wonderful soothing solution. Bathing in warm water with this salt will help your digestive system’s muscles to function better and help in passing the undigested foods to the rectum smoothly. It also cure the internal cuts that might occur due to forceful passage of hard stool.

Eat flax seeds

One of the best natural laxatives without much side effects is flax seed. This is commonly used in porridges, puddings, curries, salads, bread, and various other recipes, due to which flax seeds are easy to consume. When your colon functions too slowly, the nutrients found in flax seeds help in improving its speed, and hence it can replenish the lost water after a bowel clearance. This water is required to make the stool softer for easy passage through the rectum.

Drink aloe vera juice

The ancient Chinese have always banked on the aloe vera plant for lots of reasons surrounding its positive health benefits. Aloe vera soothes sore muscles and lubricates your body’s internal organs so that they can help the foods pass easily through the tracts. Food that is properly digested will automatically lead to softer stool and more regular bowel movement.

Regular maintenance of your digestive health by following home-based natural remedies is the best way to relieve yourself of constipation and piles. These home remedies improve your digestive system and the body’s capacity to loosen and push out the waste matter routinely.