A MODEL has opened up about her poo phobia which left her so bloated she collapsed during a photoshoot.
Emmerald Barwise, from Wrexham, Wales, used to think avoiding the loo for weeks was “normal”.
Emmerald used to think not going to the loo for weeks was a ‘normal’ thing© Andrew Price / View Finder Pi
Olivia West – The SunThe 36-year-old model complained she was suffering from serious bloating while working on set[/caption]
The 36-year-old, who specialises in vintage modelling, began to suffer from serious bloating while working on set after avoiding the toilet for two weeks.
Speaking on the Channel 4 programme Know Your S***: Inside Our Guts, the model revealed how her phobia impacts her daily life.
“I don’t go to the toilet very often,” she said. “I don’t like using other people’s toilets, I’m poo shy.”
“When I have dated people in the past it’s been really hard to make excuses to go to the toilet,” she added.
Once her girlfriend asked her how she was hiding going to the toilet from her.
“You are not a unicorn, you do poo,” her partner said.
The professional model also claimed she can look pregnant on set when she skips going to the loo for weeks on end.
During the show, Emmerald spoke with dietitian Sophie Medlin to sort out her poop problem.
The model said her infrequent bowel movements are beginning to worry her.
“Before I was just plodding along, all of these symptoms were normal to me.”
“But now that I know that it’s not… I worry what lasting damage I’ve done to myself,” she explained.
According to the NHS, long-term constipation can cause several complications including haemorrhoids and bowel incontinence.
It can also lead to fecal impaction – which is when a hard, dry mass of stool becomes stuck in the colon or rectum.
After doctors tested Emmerald’s stool, results showed it contained bacteria associated with anxiety, low mood and ADHD.
To limit the bloating, Sophie recommended cutting down on foods such as garlic and onion which can make some people feel uncomfortably full.
And to help her poops pass more easily, Sophie suggested Emmerald change the way she sits on the toilet.
Plonking ourselves on the loo in a seated position can actually prevent our bodies from getting rid of poo, instead, we should find a way to squat, according to an expert.
Stephanie Taylor, health and wellbeing expert, previously told The Sun that a kink restrict your bowels, leaving you straining in an attempt to empty them.
Squatting, said Stephanie, could make all the difference.
Her tip is to use a stool to help you manoeuvre into a better pooping position.
Simply place the stool in front of the toilet and rest your feet on it when you go.