Constipated

I quite enjoyed a medical talk which The Old Frees' Association organised last Friday. Found it quite practical with easy-to-understand information on some common health issues. About 50 to 60 people attended, and we listened to four doctors from Aptus Surgery & Specialist Centre, namely, Dr Ong Hean Teik, Dr Lim Su Sian, Dr Cathy Heng and Dr Sabrina Jane Dass.

One of the segments was Dr Cathy Heng's presentation on the colon, particularly constipation. She began by asking how many people in the audience were constipated and invited us to raise our hands. Only one person responded. I suspect there were others who weren't quite prepared to own up, given that this isn't exactly the sort of subject we normally discuss in public.

But Dr Cathy made the point that constipation isn't simply about whether we pass motion every day. Some people go more than once a day while others may go only a few times a week. What matters is whether this is normal for us and whether we experience difficulty or discomfort. She also reminded us to pay attention to persistent changes in our bowel habits, particularly if accompanied by blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss or other worrying symptoms. These shouldn't be dismissed, as they could be signs of something more serious, including colorectal cancer.

Another point she made was about keeping our colon healthy through sensible eating and regular exercise. Eating more fibre, drinking enough water and staying active are simple measures, but they are easy to neglect in our daily lives. I particularly liked her comparison of exercise to putting money into a savings account. We save for a rainy day, and in much the same way, maintaining our muscles gives us a reserve to draw on when we grow older or when illness or an accident leaves us less active.

It was a useful reminder that looking after our health doesn't always require complicated measures. Sometimes, it begins with paying attention to what our bodies are telling us and doing the ordinary things consistently.