Chewing Gum!?!
Posted by doularama | Filed under News
I have never understood the idea of chewing gum. What is the appeal? Chew, chew, chew and at the beginning you get a little flavor. Oooh, that’s exciting. Can I also chew it with my mouth open to annoy the people around me and make little crackling noises on the train so they won’t be able to read even though this is the only opportunity they’ll have? What fun. Even bubble gum, which provides some amusement as you practice a skill that you will never use elsewhere, seems pointless to me. I didn’t even need to finish that last sentence, did I?
Well, finally I see the reason gum was invented at all. Following are the results of a study that say that chewing gum after a cesarean surgery can help speed the rate of recovery. Now that’s something to chew on.
RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA-Chewing gum after giving birth by C-section appears to help new mothers recover faster, stimulating bowel function sooner, which can translate to shorter hospital stays and lower healthcare costs, according to a study published in the journal BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
THE DETAILS: Researchers looked at 200 pregnant women who delivered by elective cesarean section and put them into two groups; 93 who received one stick of sugarless gum for 15 minutes every two hours after surgery, and 107 who underwent traditional treatment-no clear liquids until a patient passes gas, and no regular diet until the first bowel movement.
WHAT IT MEANS: Generally, after any abdominal surgery, including hysterectomies and C-sections, a portion of your intestines is temporarily paralyzed. Most doctors won’t allow you to eat or drink until your gut awakens because they don’t want food to become stuck in your GI tract and cause complications. This study adds to the evidence that chewing gum is a helpful way to wake up your gut after surgery, perhaps because the act of chewing signals that food is on the way.o Make the chew case to your doctor. If you’re scheduled to undergo any abdominal surgery, ask your doctor if chewing gum could be used to speed up your recovery. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers found that patients who had undergone colon surgery and chewed gum for 15 minutes four times a day saw a return of bowel function a half a day sooner than those who just sipped clear fluids.
Tags: abdominal surgery, ceasarean, chewing gum, recovery
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