Constipation and How to Get Rid of it?
Constipation is referred to as a hard time passing stools or difficulty emptying the bowel. Painful, incomplete, and infrequent bowel movement is termed as constipation. It is a type of digestive issue among all age groups. Normal passage of stool may range from three times a day to three times per week.
This means bowel movements less than three times per week are regarded as constipation. When you have constipation, the fecal materials transit through the large intestine very slowly and this will make you feel strenuous to complete the bowel movements. Constipation can occur in all ages but when there is constipation for babies, constipation newborn, constipation pregnancy are the major issues to be taken.
How does Constipation happen?
When food moves through the digestive tract, water and nutrients are absorbed. Partially digested food (waste) moves from small intestine to large intestine. During that time, the colon absorbs water and electrolytes from this waste material, which creates a solid material called stool. If the food spends a longer time in the large intestine, then the colon will absorb more water from stool and the stool bec
omes dry, hard, and difficult to push out.
That is how constipation happens when your colon absorbs too much water from excretions (stool), making it hard to excrete out of the body.
Causes of Constipation
Constipation can be caused by different factors. Such causal factors can be discussed here.
Insufficient Water: Insufficient water or dehydration or lack of fluid in your body can definitely cause constipation. This is the main cause of constipation. Your body needs enough water for digestion and if it is lacked, the large intestine will absorb the water from waste materials of food. This makes the stool harden causing constipation.
Low-Fibre Diet: Another common cause of constipation is low fiber intake. Soluble fibers like fruits, vegetables, and legumes help to soften the feces. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to the feces, making it easier to pass through the bowel. Good sources of insoluble fiber are wheat bran, wholegrain breads, and cereals.
Lack of Exercise: Lack of exercise and living a sedentary lifestyle can lead to constipation. Exercise stimulates the nervous system and helps the muscles and nerves in the intestine to work better.
Change in Routine: When you change your daily routine of eating meals, going to bed, and using the bathroom, your bowel habits will also be affected, increasing the risk of constipation.
Not Using the Bathroom at the time: Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement will result in a long time of feces in the large intestine, making the gut absorb water from stool resulting in constipation.
Pregnancy: Hormonal change, dietary change, reduction inactivity, and weight of the growing uterus against the intestines can cause constipation.
Aging: One of the major diseases in advanced age is constipation. In elderly age, there will be reduced contraction of intestinal muscles and people will be less active, hence contributing to constipation.
Medications: A certain group of medications can cause constipation. Medicines like narcotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antacids with aluminum and calcium, iron supplements, calcium-channel blockers can result in constipation.
Medical illnesses: Medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, colorectal problems, hernia, abdominal surgery, hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypopituitarism, etc. can cause constipation. Diseases of the central nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or stroke can also cause constipation.
Symptoms in Constipation
Symptoms in constipation is difficulty in stooling due to the hardening of stool. Because some other questions might arise while you have constipation like is constipation sign of pregnancy ?, constipation with diarrhea occurs or not, constipation stomach pain is the cause or not The Main symptoms of constipation are basically listed below:
- Passing fewer stools than usual.
- Difficulty and strenuous bowel movements.
- Dry, lumpy, or hard stools.
- Longer than usual toilet habits.
- Feeling of not completely emptying the bowel movements.
- Feeling of blockage in the rectum that prevents the passage of stool.
- Pain and abdominal cramps.
- Bloated abdomen.
- Reduced appetite
- May have constipation cramps
- constipation back pain may occur
Treatment of Constipation to make constipation ease
Generally, constipation remedies can be also done at home itself with the best results not even taking constipation medication drugs.onstipation in children@ constipation pregnancy should be very careful while doing the treatment. Let’s discuss about treatment and prevention for constipation below:
Sufficient Water Intake: Drinking plenty of water about 6 to 8 glasses of water a day can treat or prevent constipation. When your body has sufficient water, the colon does not need to absorb water from stool, resulting in the softening of stool.
Dietary Changes: When we have constipation, we should change our dietary habits or take constipation relief food. Increasing the amount of fiber in the daily diet will help your stool to be bulk up and will speed up the transit of stool through the colon. Fiber containing foods are whole-grain cereals, whole-grain bread, brown rice, beans, fresh fruits, and veggies. The foods like milk and dairy products, red meat, white flour, white rice, etc. must be restricted because such foods contribute to constipation.
Exercise: Regular exercise or physical activity improves the contraction of intestinal muscles. Improved bowel motility helps to speed up the transit time of stool, limiting the amount of water absorbed from stool in the colon, hence relieving the constipation.
No ignorance on the urgency to have bowel movement: When you have the sense to have bowel movement, you should not delay as waiting can end up in the hardening of stool.
Fiber supplements: If you have constipation, you can take fiber supplements. These make stool be bulky and easier to pass out.
Limit consumption of alcohol and coffee: Consumption of alcohol and caffeinated drinks dehydrate you, so should have a limit on alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
Laxatives: constipation laxatives are stool softener. There are different types of laxatives. Fiber supplements, stimulants, osmotic, lubricants, stool softeners, enemas, and suppositories are kind of laxatives, which all relieve constipation.
