Symptoms that you are Constipated

Beth — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:53:58 +0000

Young woman eating fruit

If you are having infrequent bowel movements and your stools tend to be hard, you are likely constipated. Constipation can be described as having three or less bowel movements a week. There may be some amount of pain involved during the passage of a bowel movement with constipation. When you are constipated, you are unable to pass a bowel after trying for 10 or more minutes. When an infant is exclusively breastfed, he or she may go up to seven days without having a bowel movement.

Low fiber intake is the most common cause of constipation. Adding fiber to your daily diet can be helpful to you. You should be getting between 25 and 35 grams of fiber a day. Unfortunately, most individuals are only getting between 5 and 15 grams of fiber a day. You naturally get fiber by eating whole grain foods as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. Bowel diseases, pregnancy and some neurological and mental health problems can also cause constipation. Colon cancer is a less common cause of constipation.

When children become constipated, this is often times due to them withholding bowel movements. Make sure you are incorporating plenty of water with your daily diet in order to help the food, which is digested. Infants that have constipation, should drink two to four ounces of fruit juice, such as grape, pear, cherry or prune juice twice a day if over two months old. If over four months old, if the baby has begun eating solid food, try baby food with high fiber content, such as peas, beans, apricots, prunes, peaches, pears, plums and spinach twice a day.

Stool softeners can also be helpful. Otherwise, consider bulk laxatives. This can add fluid and bulk to the stool. Laxatives and enemas should never be given to an infant or a child without first consulting a doctor!

Call a doctor if the following occurs:

Sudden constipation with abdominal cramping and the inability to pass gas (never take laxatives – call your doctor immediately)
Sharp and severe abdominal pain, particularly if you are bloated
Blood in your stool
Constipation alternating with diarrhea
Thin, pencil-like stools
Rectal pain
Unexplained weight loss
If using laxatives for several weeks and nothing is working
An infant 2 months or younger appears to be constipated
An infant that is not exclusively breastfed goes more than three days without passing a bowel
A child withholds bowel movements to avoid potty training

Certain tests can be completed in order to determine the cause of the constipation, but such tests should be conducted by a qualified healthcare professional.

Home Remedies for Constipation

Beth — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:36:00 +0000

Woman Jogging

Constipation is a common disturbance of the digestive tract. With this, the bowels do not move regularly. This condition is the cause of many diseases. It produces toxins which find their way into the bloodstream and are carried to all parts of the body.

The most common symptoms of constipation are infrequency or difficulty in eliminating feces or having a bowel movement.

The biggest cause of constipation is bad diet. As with all digestive problems, your diet may be lacking in fiber. You should eliminate processed foods, eliminate processed sugar and eliminate intake of large quantities of meat. On the other hand, you should increase your water intake and fiber filled foods.

There are many easy healthy foods that can lead to constipation relief. Most fruits are water-based so beneficial to constipation treatment. Some fruits are more effective including:

Bael fruit can be a natural laxative. It can be eaten raw or cooked. When unripened, it can treat diarrhea and when ripe, it can clean and tone the intestines.
Pears are beneficial for constipation. For chronic constipation, try a diet of pears and pear juice for a few days. For ordinary situations, eat a pear after dinner or with breakfast.
Guava: it provides roughage to the diet and helps release the bowel. You can eat one or two guavas a day and it should be eaten with the seeds.
Grapes: grapes contain cellulose, sugar and organic acid making it the most beneficial laxative. Eating grapes can not only help with constipation, it can tone up your intestines and relieve chronic symptoms. You can eat up to 350 grams of grapes for the best results.
Spinach: Spinach is one of the best vegetables vital to keeping the digestive tract healthy. Raw spinach contains organic materials and helps with cleansing and regeneration of the intestines.

Along with eating your way to relief from constipation, you can try spices added to your food. There are quite a few spices that have a laxative effect. For example, garlic, honey, sesame seeds and oils.

As for other remedies, you should exercise. Exercise keeps your body healthy, which can also lead to healthy bowel movements. When you are active, your bowels are also active. Additionally with exercise comes water, drink plenty of water. Water is vital to keeping your body healthy. It can also loosen the bowels helping with constipation.

Finally, it is vital to go to the bathroom when you need to go and don’t rush. Many individuals have an anxiety of public restrooms or discomfort using the bathroom at work or at school or whatever. Unfortunately, you may have to deal with this anxiety. In holding the urge to go when necessary, you may be causing your own constipation issues. Additionally, when you are using the bathroom, take your time. As your body regulates itself, you can start a routine and your body adapts to this routine. When this happens, you may have a regular bowel movement at the same time daily.

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Symptoms that you are Constipated

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Home Remedies for Constipation

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