This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Hold In Your Poop

This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Hold In Your Poop



After a certain amount of time, things are going to get UGLY.

Just like the famous book says, everyone poops. But let’s be real, going at the office or at bae’s can be super awkward, prompting many of us to develop some odd holding patterns. But holding in your poop when you gotta go is not only uncomfortable, it can also be unhealthy. “The idea of holding it isn’t the best thing,” says

Niket Sonpal, M.D., assistant clinical professor at Tuoro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York. He gave us the scoop on poop, and what happens in your bod when you try to hold it in.

When you gotta go…

“When stool hits parts of the rectum, it sends you the signal saying ‘hey man, you’ve got to find a place to got to the bathroom and unload,’” says Sonpal. While everyone’s schedule and frequency is different, it usually happens right after you eat or have your morning cup of coffee—caffeine can act as an intestinal stimulant making you run for the porcelain throne after downing your cappuccino.