What is constipation?
What is constipation?
You’ll find that it is a problem that most of us have to manage during their lifetimes, but irregular bowel movements is (not surprisingly) an issue that few wish to candidly speak about. On the other hand, for the people suffering from this issue, it is typically distressing, painful and frustrating – it can subsequently help to possess the facts.
Constipation involves bowel movements becoming less frequent (i.e. under 3 times a week) and often more difficult. Nevertheless, constipation can be present in spite of consistency of the stool.
Though it is a particularly wide-spread problem of the digestive system, which can arise in anyone, constipation most regularly affects women (specifically during pregnancy), older persons and young children.
Which are the most typical triggers of constipation?
Bowel obstruction can be because of many external factors. For instance:
Just what are the symptoms of constipation?
Since constipation isn’t a disease itself (rather it’s actually a manifestation of a different issue), the presentation may range from individual to individual – particularly given that bowel motion patterns can themselves range relatively significantly between people. As an example, constipation could be either an acute or a chronic condition.
Nevertheless, while constipation is a relative term, generally speaking an adult who’s not had a bowel movement in 3 days or a child who has not had a bowel motion in 4 days is recognised as constipated. Infants who are still exclusively breastfed may go one week without a stool. Additionally, a common factor is that the stools themselves frequently become small, hard and dry, which can cause incomplete evacuation and straining.
In situations where the constipation is extremely severe and it stops the passing of faeces and gas, it’s called obstipation.
So just why is it very important to sort out constipation?
If faeces sit in the colon for a longer time than is desirable, considerable amounts of unhealthy toxins will be reabsorbed into the blood stream. This is what’s called auto-intoxication or self-poisoning.
Constipation thus remains one of the key factors that cause many diseases, as toxins are taken in the blood stream to other areas of the body, which can not only have a harmful effect on the immune system, but can also cause weakening of the organs. Extreme and untreated constipation is also a major cause of hemorrhoids and parasites.
What might you do about constipation?
If you have a health challenge that you’re worried about, it is usually wise to confer with your personal doctor or other qualified health practitioner. However, listed below are some steps that you can take at home to help improve symptoms, if they don’t clear up on their own:
Even where eating habits and lack of exercise are not the primary causes, they are usually contributing factors. Dairy products, greasy foods, alcoholic beverages and caffeine are just a few of the products we regularly eat that may lead to constipation problems.
It is really 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 gets rid of waste. Plenty of people suffering from constipation hence find that, by adjusting their way of life and notably their diet, they can soothe symptoms or get rid of the problem completely. If you think you would benefit from guidance in terms of devising an effective meal plan, working with a dietician 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 benefit from taking health supplements. For instance, those which include high grade 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).
