Fed Up With Constipation?

Constipation is a pain in more than one way. Not only does it cause physical pain, it causes mental stress too. Not to forget the endless trips to the physician and a battery of tests to follow and you still end up being constipated. Individuals suffering from constipation sometimes tend to get fed up with constipation due to the lack of proper treatment and permanent solution to constipation. Hence this disorder of physical pain and mental agony requires proper evaluation and treatment.

Constipation generally occurs from lifestyle and irregular food habits. Lack of exercise, stress and a low fiber diet contribute to constipation. Hence if you are looking for a quick fix with laxatives and other treatments without making any serious changes to your habits, then you are sure to end being fed up with constipation. Treating constipation permanently requires major changes to your overall lifestyle and diet along with medications. This can go a long way in making lasting improvements to your bowel movements.

On average an adult experiences three or more bowel movements per week. Any count less than this is termed as acute or chronic constipation. Acute constipation occurs when there is less than three bowel movements per week and chronic constipation occurs when there is less than one bowel movement per week accompanied with severe pain, bleeding and vomiting. Constipation turns from acute to chronic when individuals tend to ignore it or take an interim treatment for immediate relief. This creates a pattern of constipation-relief-constipation and in the end you are fed up with constipation.

Evaluating and treating constipation effectively requires a series of tests ranging from blood tests to sometimes even colonoscopy which can be as painful as constipation itself. All this can be avoided with few simple but substantial changes.

Ensure to include more fiber into your diet. Fibers increase the bowel movement and help in easier defecation. Fruits, vegetables, whole cereals are all rich sources of fiber. Switch from refined foods to whole-grain food like cereals, whole-wheat or multi-grain bread, brown rice and beans. All these contain nearly 2.5 grams of fiber per serving unlike refined foods which contain only 0.6 grams of fiber per serving.

This is what most would suggest for those who are fed up with constipation and want to fix it permanently but increasing the fiber content in your diet more than required can cause flatulence. This is just the beginning of problems associated with increased fiber intake.Prolonged intake of large amounts of fibers in worst cases leads to intestinal blockage, skin itching and rashes.

The much required roughages are provided by sesame and flax seeds. These can be sprinkled over your salads or food for easier bowel movement. Half an ounce of these seeds do promise to relieve constipation but at the cost of causing gassiness and impaired gastrointestinal function. Prolonged intake of roughages causes improper absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract which leads to weakness and fatigue.

Constipation occurs due to the lack of lubrication of the stool particles inside the intestines. This is medically treated with the usage of laxatives. Certain laxatives lubricate the stool particles for easy passage like the ones which contain mineral oils. Others help water retention in the colon and help the water penetrate the stool particles and softens the stool for easier defecation.

Laxatives are attractive over the counter solutions for those fed up with constipation. But what many do not realize is that abuse of laxatives is the most common cause of constipation. Laxatives that contain mineral oils work by lubricating the intestines but they do not break down the stool particles hence while defecating the colon muscles have to stretch to pass the stools. Stretching the colon muscles beyond a certain limit causes rupture and damage to the colon walls.

Saline laxatives cause severe dehydration along with impaired kidney function. Saline laxatives decrease the potassium levels in the body and hinder proper emission of sodium from the body.

Natural laxatives like honey can be taken every morning mixed with lukewarm water to improve and increase bowel movements. Similarly molasses is also used for effective treatment of constipation. A tablespoon of molasses every night before bed time ensures bowel movements the next morning. Honey and molasses are natural laxatives hence are considered to have zero side effects. But both honey and molasses cause increases in blood sugar levels and add to your calorie intake thereby increasing your problems rather than reducing them.

Enemas are known to produce almost instant relief for those suffering from acute to chronic constipation. Enemas are particularly helpful in treating fecal impaction, a painful condition in which the stool hardens in the rectum preventing any passage of stool. Full application of enemas results in defecation with 15 minutes to an hour.

Enemas though seem like a quick fix for those fed up with constipation but enemas cause more damage than relief in the long run. Prolonged usage of enemas is the usual cause of chronic constipation. Enemas rupture and damage the colon walls making defecation a painful experience with each passing time.

The last resort if all others have failed is surgery. Some people are so fed up with constipation that they resort to surgery as a permanent solution to their constipation troubles. The surgery involves removing most of the colon leaving the rectum and attaching the small intestine directly to the remaining rectum.

This might seem as a probable solution for those fed up with constipation but surgery actually complicates matters than solving it. If there are no bowel movements for a week then post surgery you cannot strain the muscles to apply pressure for defecation. This will cause you to reach out to the easy fixes like enemas and laxatives thus resulting in a never ending constipation-relief cycle.

Constipation is a growing phenomenon simply because it is not taken seriously and often ignored because of the myths and lack of knowledge. Hence it is better to think before you utilize one of the quick fixes and compound your painful problems of constipation.