Americans\u2019 poop problems aren\u2019t over yet.<\/p>\n
An \u201cexplosive diarrhea\u201d parasite had thousands of people glued to the toilets <\/a>this summer \u2014 while countless others began steering clear of fresh produce<\/a> for fear of catching the nasty bug.<\/p>\n Now, weeks after the stomach-churning outbreak made headlines, doctors are warning of an unexpected side effect of the Cyclospora scare<\/a> \u2014 and, unfortunately, it also involves No. 2.<\/p>\n The aftermath of a Cyclospora outbreak that sickened thousands nationwide is fueling a second wave of painful gut problems. Pixel-Shot \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n This time, however, the problem isn\u2019t going too much. It\u2019s not going at all.<\/p>\n Rather than expelling \u201cpure water\u201d nonstop<\/a>, as many people with cyclosporiasis have reported, a growing number of people trying to avoid the infection are dealing with painful constipation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you go from eating salads and fruit regularly to cutting it out completely, your fiber intake takes a significant hit and this can impact your bowel movements,\u201d Dr. Rabia de Latour<\/a>, a gastroenterologist who works with MiraLAX<\/a>, told The Post.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because fiber<\/a>, when paired with enough water, gives stool the bulk and softness it needs to make a smooth exit. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you deprive your gastrointestinal tract of the fiber, this can result in constipation and harder, difficult to pass stools,\u201d de Latour explained. <\/p>\n In more severe cases, she said stools may become smaller and lose their usual shape, even taking on an appearance similar to \u201crabbit pellets.\u201d<\/p>\n Federal health officials are still digging into the Cyclospora outbreak that tore through 20 states<\/a> this summer, sickening thousands, hospitalizing hundreds and killing at least two people<\/a>.<\/p>\n The source was traced back to tainted iceberg lettuce supplied to chains like Taco Bell<\/a> by Taylor Farms de Mexico, with contaminated greens also turning up in bagged salad kits at major retailers. <\/p>\n Fears of the stomach-churning parasite led many Americans to cut fresh produce out of their diets. Aleksandra \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Taylor Farms pulled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico off US shelves in July and issued a recall <\/a>\u2014 but by then, the damage to America\u2019s trust in the produce aisle was done.<\/p>\n Widespread fear of infection, paired with confusing early guidance from health officials, led many to stop eating fruits and vegetables altogether, since Cyclospora is highly resistant to chemical disinfectants and practically impossible to rinse away entirely.<\/p>\n The nasty stomach bug can survive being frozen or even doused in bleach. The only way to actually kill it is cooking food to at least 158\u00b0F.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a lot of friends and acquaintances reaching out to me seeking guidance on what is \u2018safe to eat\u2019 with the ongoing cyclospora outbreak,\u201d de Latour said. \u201cMany of them spent weeks avoiding almost all fruits and vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n That can backfire fast. <\/p>\n \u201cFood moves through our entire gastrointestinal tract to be broken down, digested, absorbed and waste byproduct produced (poop), taking anywhere from 24 to 72 hours total,\u201d de Latour said. \u201cIf you were to make a large adjustment to your diet, results could be seen in this similar time frame.\u201d<\/p>\n A lack of fiber from fruits and vegetables can contribute to painful constipation. New Africa \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n The good news is that the offending lettuce is past its shelf life and out of circulation, so de Latour expects new cases to keep dropping.<\/p>\n \u201cThat being said, Americans are still experiencing food anxiety and hesitancy and many people are still avoiding iceberg lettuce when precut and bagged,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n For the still-nervous, de Latour suggests eating spinach or getting whole heads of iceberg from a farmers market \u2014 and washing it from a farmers market. She would also avoid other foods that have historically been linked to cyclosporiasis<\/a> like snow peas, raspberries, parsley and cilantro.<\/p>\n Once you start eating fiber again, de Latour said stools should bulk back up and constipation should ease within 24 to 72 hours \u2014 but if not, you can try an osmotic laxative<\/p>\n