Friday 20 September 2013



Constipation­­­-A Common Problem


What goes up must come down. Sir Isaac Newton proved that, sitting under an apple tree. What goes in must come out. We prove that, sitting on the toilet every morning. But for some, it is not so regular as we think. When it is not so, it is constipation, and constipation is no fun. Sometimes it can be painful. But the cause of your sluggish bowels is not often easy to find. It may include a lack of fibre in the diet, insufficient liquid intake, stress, medications, lack of exercise, and bad bowel habits. However, in reality, the need to defecate varies greatly from individual. For some, a bowel movement three times a day may be considered normal, for others three to four times a week may suffice.
Possible factors and ways to remedy the situation :
The first thing a constipated individual should do is to check his diet. The foremost menu items for batting constipation are dietary fibre and liquids. Both fibre and liquids are equally important to keep the stool soft and to help it pass through the colon.
A minimum of 6 to 8 glasses of liquid should be part of every adult’s diet along with fibre, Where does the fibre comes from? It comes mainly from complex carbohydrates-such as those in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Fibre helps with constipation:
Fill up your plate with food like cherries, grapes, crunchy bell peppers, beans, whole grains and nuts. Fibre-rich foods like these help digestion, and keep you regular. Your body needs a recommended 20-35 grams of fibre daily. It can also keep weight gain, hart disease, blood sugar fluctuations, and haemorrhoids at bay.
Drinking fluids helps your body get rid of waste and prevent constipation.
Fluids can not only be found in drinks like water and juices, but also in our foodstuff.
Good exercises : Good exercises is not only good for heart but also good for your bowels. Regular exercise tends to combat constipation by moving food through the bowels faster. Any form of regular exercise will tend to alleviate constipation. But most experts recommend walking which is particularly helpful to pregnant women.
Toilet train yourself/your child: Throughout our lives, many of us condition ourselves to go to the bathroom not when nature calls but when it is convenient. Ignoring the urge to defecate, however, can lead progressively to constipation. But it is never too late to improve your bowel habits. Sit on the toilet for 10 minutes every day. You will condition your colon to act as nature intended.
Stress factor: When we are frightened or tense, or when mother scolds, our bowels stop as well or we ignore the call temporarily. If you suspect tension is at the bottom of your constipation, take time to relax. A good belly laugh can help with constipation in two ways. It has a massaging effect on the intestines, which helps to foster digestion and it’s a great reliever of stress. Some medications also can bring on or exacerbate constipation. So go for a review with your doctor who can find an alternative. Some people tend to use laxatives which may be natural or vegetable laxatives or chemical laxatives. We must see that our bowel doesn’t get used to them. Sometimes certain foods also trigger constipation. For instance, milk can be extremely constipating to some, while it gives others diarrhea. Have a close witch on your diet, and try to avoid such food stuff.
Do not strain: Everyone wants to puff our way out of constipation. It is not wise to do so. We may risk giving ourselves haemorrhoids and anal fissures, which are not only painful, but can also aggravate our constipation by narrowing the anal opening. If you are really miserable, nothing will work faster to move your bowels than an enema or a suppository. But if you use them too often, you risk creating a lazy colon.

Though constipation by itself is not very serious, you should consult a doctor when symptoms are severe, lasts longer than a few weeks, or if you find blood in your stool. It may be a signal for a serious underlying disorder. 

0 comments :

Post a Comment