What’s constipation?
You’ll find that it is a problem that most people have to cope with during their lifetimes, but bowel obstruction is (not surprisingly) an issue that few people wish to publicly speak about. On the other hand, for the people afflicted with this issue, it’s usually bothersome, painful and trying – it may consequently help to have the facts.
Constipation involves stools becoming less frequent (i.e. lower than 3x each week) and frequently more difficult. Nonetheless, constipation can be a problem in spite of consistency of the stool.
Although a very prevalent condition of the digestive system, which may arise in any of us, constipation most regularly affects women (specially during pregnancy), older persons and little children.
Just what are the most typical factors behind constipation?
Irregular bowel movements could be attributable to a variety of external factors. Including:
gastrointestinal system problems, like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), candida albicans, dysbiosis, Leaky Gut Syndrome and ulcerative colitis
a bad diet high in refined food, saturated fats, sugars and cholesterol
not enough dietary fibre
food intolerance or allergy
change in schedule (particularly during travelling)
prescribed medication
lack of physical activity
lack of water
diseases
old age
becoming pregnant.
What are the symptoms of constipation?
Seeing that constipation is not a sickness itself (instead it’s a sign of another problem), the presentation may vary from one individual to another – especially given that bowel motion patterns can themselves range quite significantly between individuals. For instance, constipation may be either an acute or a chronic condition.
That being said, whilst constipation is a relative term, typically an adult who’s not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel motion in 4 days is considered to be constipated. Babies who are still solely breastfed may go 7 days without passing a stool. Additionally, a common factor is that the stools themselves will usually become small, hard and dry, which can lead to incomplete evacuation and straining.
Where the constipation is extremely severe and it prevents the passing of faeces and wind, it’s called obstipation.
Why then is it vital that you sort out constipation?
If faeces stay in the colon for longer than is desirable, large quantities of toxic compounds will be reabsorbed into the blood stream. This is called auto-intoxication or self-poisoning.
Constipation is therefore on the list of primary factors that cause many ailments, as toxins are transmitted in the blood stream to other areas of the body, which can not only have a negative effect on the immune system, but can also cause weakening of the bodily organs. Severe and untreated constipation is also a major cause of hemorrhoids and parasites.
What can you do about constipation?
If you have a health problem which you are concerned with, it’s usually best if you talk to your physician or some other qualified health practitioner. However, listed below are some steps that you can take at home to help allay symptoms, if they don’t resolve by themselves:
drink enough pure (filtered) water everyday – 6 to 8 glasses
do exercises on a regular basis
eat a well-balanced diet, including sufficient fresh fruit and vegetables (preferably organic)
up your consumption of dietary fibre bit by bit (coupled with an increase in water consumption), in order to produce soft, bulky stools. Soluble fibres include pectin, flax and gums; insoluble fibres include psyllium and brans from grains like wheat and oats.
Even in circumstances where diet and lack of exercise are not the primary causes, they are usually contributing factors. Dairy products, greasy foods, alcohol and caffeine are just a few of the products we routinely take in which could lead to constipation problems.
It’s actually logical that diet plays a major role in both the cause and treatment of constipation, not least as your digestive system is where your body receives food, soaks in nutrients and removes waste. Plenty of people troubled with constipation subsequently find that, by altering their way of living and notably their eating habits, they can manage symptoms or remove the problem completely. If you require guidance in terms of devising an appropriate meal plan, working with a nutritional expert who is an expert in gastrointestinal system conditions can help to speed up the process of recovery.
Similarly, many people with constipation find that they really benefit from taking health supplements. For instance, those which include high quality psyllium husks and fibre to help support the digestive system and gently maintain bowel regularity. We recommend CONSTIfree Supreme, which contains added L-Glutamine (an important amino acid that helps the body with repair processes) and digestive enzymes.
Specialist Supplements Ltd, a premium supplier of health foods, organic products and food form supplements, has a wide range of digestive system supplements, colon cleansers and cleanse and detox products. Click on any of the links above to visit the website and view full product listings now!
* Before changing your diet or taking health supplements, it is recommended to consult your doctor or qualified health practitioner (particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medications).