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Constipation
Natural ways to deal with
a common problem
More than 80 per cent of
people suffer from constipation at some
time in their life and most are too
embarrassed to talk about it. Women can
discuss the contents of their babies
nappies without so much as a blush and
many people are happy to discuss intimate
details of their lives, but ask them to
talk about their bowel movements and they
cringe with embarrassment. Yet
constipation is a common complaint that
affects just about everyone at some
stage. We have so much knowledge about
what causes it and its simple to cure,
yet left untreated it can lead to serious
health problems.
To come to grips with constipation, you
need to understand how your colon (part
of the large intestine) works. As food
moves through it, the colon absorbs
water. Muscle contractions in the colon
push the waste along, while water is
absorbed from the waste and it becomes
more solid. If the contractions are slow
or sluggish, the waste moves too slowly
and too much water is absorbed. The
faeces become hard and difficult to move,
leading to faecal impaction.
Ideally, a normal bowel movement is daily
with one or two fully formed, soft and
effortless stools that partially float in
the water, are not excessively smelly and
leave little residue. However, there is
no right number of daily or weekly bowel
movements. Normal could be three times a
day, depending on the individual, what is
eaten and how much. Some people have
three bowel movements a week but the
stools are soft. If your stools are
usually hard and dry, slow and painful to
move, and accompanied by abdominal pain,
bloating and cramps, you probably have
constipation. The best way to check how
effectively your bowel eliminates waste
is to eat visible foods such as corn,
sesame or sunflower seeds. Don't chew
thoroughly and they should appear 18-30
hours later. Longer than 48 hours is a
problem.
Most health professionals agree that
whether its mild or severe, constipation
affects your well being and is
responsible for a large amount of
low-level ill health. Besides the general
bloated, uncomfortable feeling, it can
lead to haemorrhoids, varicose veins,
anal fissures, diverticulitis, hernia,
appendicitis, gall bladder disease,
headaches, bad breath and colon polyps.
In serious cases, it leads to irritable
bowel syndrome, a condition that involves
constipation and diarrhea, and even
rectal and colon cancer.
Karen, 39, has been plagued by
constipation since her early 20s, when
she went travelling for a few years and
changed her diet and routine. I have
eaten more bran and fibre than I care to
remember. Ive gone the colonic irrigation
and fasting route, and I try to exercise
regularly, but the constipation
continues, she says. The problem is that
in the beginning, when I started to get
constipated, I took laxatives, then I
carried on taking them, more and more,
until my bowels could not function
without them. Now, its all very difficult
to get back into a regular routine
without them.
Sometimes things go quite smoothly, but
the minute I drop my guard and stop
drinking plenty of water or start eating
meat and bread again, the problem returns
with a vengeance. My stomach starts to
bloat, my hair and eyes look dull and
lifeless, I get headaches and a furry
tongue, and I feel extremely
uncomfortable. The temptation to take a
laxative by day four is enormous, but its
only a short-term fix. Now, my entire
mood depends on whether I have gone to
the toilet that day or not, she says.
Karen is typical of many people who have
become caught in the laxative trap. Some
people take as many as 30 pills a day,
simply because their systems have become
so battered by laxatives that it really
does almost need dynamite to get them
going again. The only solution is to wean
themselves off the pills, make radical
changes to their diet and fluid intake
and get professional medical help in
learning all over again to do what comes
naturally.
Other common constipation triggers are
food sensitivities and allergies, which
may provoke more serious clinical
problems, and at the other end of the
scale, the self-induced triggers of poor
diet, inadequate liquids and a lazy
lifestyle.
Getting to the bottom of
the problem
Most blame lies at
the door of a poor diet high in
animal fats (meat, diary products
and eggs), white flour (found in
bread and cakes) and foods low in
fibre.
Irritable bowel
syndrome (IBS), commonly known as
a spastic colon, is also a common
cause of constipation. The spasms
of the colon delay the speed with
which the contents of the
intestine move through the
digestive tract.
Ignoring the urge to
go often triggers a bout of
block-up. Many people dont want
to go to the toilet in a strange
environment because of
inhibitions about the sound and
smell, so they suppress the urge.
Some people are so busy they just
never seem to find the time to
go. If you ignore the signals
often enough, your body will stop
giving them.
Constipation could
be aggravated by food allergies,
excess of foods the body doesnt
tolerate well, intestinal
overgrowth of yeast, intestinal
parasites or worms, poor
digestion or a sluggish thyroid.
Laxative abuse has
already been mentioned. It makes
your bowels lazy and you can
become dependent on them.
Eventually, your intestines may
fail to work properly.
People often
experience constipation when
travelling long distances, which
may relate to changes in
lifestyle, schedule, diet and
drinking water.
Pregnancy is another
common trigger, mainly because of
the pressure of the heavy womb
compressing the intestine, but
also because of hormonal changes.
The irregular hours
and change in routine for
travellers and shift workers can
result in constipation.
Other causes are
specific diseases such as
multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons
disease, stroke, inflammation of
the colon, or cancer. Injuries to
the spinal cord or tumours
pressing on the spinal cord
affect the nerves leading to the
intestine.
Constipation can
also be caused by medicines such
as pain relievers, antacids
containing aluminium,
antispasmodic drugs,
antidepressants, tranquillisers,
iron supplements and
anticonvulsants used for
epilepsy.
More and more
children are suffering from
constipation as parents are not
feeding their children properly,
giving them refined breakfast
cereals instead of wholegrain
types, mashing their fruit and
vegetables and feeding them white
bread and pasta, which are
particularly constipating.
Parents allow their children to
sit around watching television
instead of encouraging them to
run about and play outside.
Elderly people may
get constipated as they suffer
from reduced intestinal muscle
contractions and take more
regular medications for
age-related diseases.
Getting things moving
Youll need a
high-fibre diet, lots of fluids
(at least six large glasses per
day) and enough oil to lubricate
the digestive tract. In severe
cases, a fibre supplement made
from pure plant fibres, available
from health stores, will help.
However, if you have a bowel
condition such as diverticulitis
or IBS, stick to soft, soluble
fibres like fruit without pips,
skins or seeds, and soft oats.
Get some flaxseed
oil from your local health shop
and take one or two teaspoons a
day, preferably at breakfast,
mixed in with your cereal or a
little natural yoghurt. The oil
helps to lubricate the digestive
tract and keep stools soft. Fish
oil, contained in omega 3
capsules, are good, as is
primrose oil or olive oil.
Eat water-soluble
fibre found in fruit and
vegetables.
Listen to your body.
When you feel the urge, drop
everything and go.
Natural remedies
include slippery elm powder and
acidophilus and bifidus
supplements, available from your
health store. Fibre-rich
flaxseeds and aloe vera juice or
gel may also help.
Make all those
often-talked-about but
seldom-made lifestyle changes
such as eating properly and
regularly, drinking more water
and exercising regularly.
Set aside time after
breakfast or dinner for
undisturbed visits to the toilet.
Practise deep-breathing
techniques.
Colonic irrigation
may help get rid of the buildup
of putrefying solidified matter
in your bowel. A couple of
sessions will clean out the
pockets of swollen colon, the
sticky clay stuff like chewing
gum, the black pieces of
leather-like matter and other
scary-sounding old debris to get
things regular again.
If all else fails,
remember that prunes (or prune
juice) should set you free.
If none of the above
suggestions cures you of
constipation, contact your
doctor, especially if the
condition is accompanied by
vomiting, sudden weight loss or a
high fever. Its also advisable to
seek medical advice if the
constipation is recurrent,
getting worse, continues longer
than a week, or your stools
contain blood.
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for Australian residents and is not a
substitute for independent professional
advice. Information and interactions
contained in this Web site are for
information purposes only and are not
intended to be used to diagnose, treat,
cure or prevent any disease. Further, the
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