Constipation is treated as a mere annoyance rather than an actual health issue. What most of us are bereft of knowing is the fact that even though it’s easy to be relieved of this condition, constipation can cause serious health problems if neglected.
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If the underlying cause of constipation isn’t fatal, home remedies can prove to be a quick cure.
Is Constipation Harmful?
In some cases, constipation is prolonged for a longer time than usual. This can be the case of chronic constipation for which one should immediately consult a doctor. The following points will enlighten you about how detrimental chronic constipation can be:
- Haemorrhoids – Swelling of veins in the rectum due to obstruction of bowel movement.
- Anal Fissure – Torn skin in the rectum due to hard
- For women, genitourinary health is compromised because of the fact that female reproductive organs are located near the large intestine. In severe cases, it can even lead to miscarriage.
- The general sense of well-being is hampered. Due to constipation, one tends to feel bloated, stressed and uncomfortable. This leads to irritation and headaches which can have an adverse effect on one’s health.
- Constipation can lead to the development of lesions in the large intestine because of the disappearance of the mucosal membrane. This may be the initial step towards colon cancer.
When Do Home Remedies Not Work?
For the following symptoms, you must seek advice from a doctor:
- Feeling of having a blockage in the rectum which opposes the flow of bowel.
- Having very irregular bowel movements, that is expulsion of stool once a week.
- Feeling of remaining presence of stool in the rectum.
- Very hard or lumpy bowel.
- Strain to have bowel movements or requirement to use external help for removal of stool.
Home Remedies For Constipation
For lighter constipation cases, you can always find hacks that can relieve you from irregular stool discharge.Here are a few home remedies that are natural laxatives:
- Olive Oil- It’s a lubricant, and it stimulates the colon which can lead to a better digestive system and clearing of waste materials from the body. It prevents constipation as well. Consumption of one tablespoon of olive oil in an empty stomach can help you fight against hardened feces!
- Lemons – When life gives you lemons … use it to recover from constipation! The citric acid in lemons flushes out toxins and undigested material from the body and relaxes the colon. One tablespoon of lemon juice mixed with a cup of warm water can work wonders for someone suffering from constipation.
- Coffee- Drinking coffee does relieve you from stress; and now that it’s on this list, we can say this literally! 1 or 2 cups of coffee a day can work as a great laxative and it also invigorates the digestive system. But, don’t overdo it. Coffee, being a diuretic, can lead to excessive urination which may cause constipation due to dehydration.
- Flaxseed Oil- Orange juice with flaxseed oil increases the lubrication of the colon, which leads to smooth expulsion of stool. Orange consists of fibrous proteins which softens bowels and helps to prevent constipation.
- Baking Soda- Aside from making food fluffy, baking soda can actually remove the food that’s completely the opposite of fluffy and holds an uninvited residence in your excretory system. The bicarbonate compound attacks constipation by producing air upon reaction with water and this causes pressure inside your body, thus, removing unwanted waste.
- Prunes – Prudes do quite well with prunes, because once the stiffness (not figurative, in this case) is eliminated, happy times are on their way! Prunes act as an age-old laxative due to the presence of sorbitol in its composition which absorbs a lot of water during its passage through the digestive system. This adds volume to the hardened stool and alleviates its removal from the body.
- Bacteria- There’s always light and dark; sometimes their distinction between the two is quite hazy. Gut bacteria are essential for the breakdown of ingested food and hence, play a crucial role in the digestive system. Absence of these bacteria can lead to constipation as well as other sorts of digestive problems. A cup of yogurt, which has abundance of probiotic bacteria, can help prevent recurrence of constipation.
- Exercise – Lack of exercise in today’s busy lifestyle is a common excuse for unhealthiness. Smooth muscles of the colon require movement for proper functioning and this can be achieved by 1 or 2 hours of regular exercise. Squatting, mostly, is the most effective routine to help lessen the frequency of occurrence of constipation because it’s the natural way for defecating. Therefore, find some time for a bit of jogging to help the unclogging!
- Raisins- In a study conducted by doctors, it was suggested that raisins, which are high in fibrous content and contains tartaric acid, are very effective laxatives. The people who took part in the study were seen to take half the time than other people for the ingested food to be processed through the digestive track.
- Castor Oil- Much like other oils, castor oil lubricates the rectum allowing the hardened stool a smooth passage out of the body. Castor oil stimulates the movement of the intestine and allows the stool to be removed from the body. One or two spoons on an empty stomach can bring you positive results in about 8 hours.
- Mint or Ginger Tea- The warm water in tea stimulates digestion and prevents constipation. Also, peppermint contains menthol which has antispasmodic effects, thus leading to relaxation of the involuntary muscles of the digestive tract. Ginger heats up the inside of one’s body causing an excessive desire to answer nature’s call!
Don’t Hold Up
Go to the loo whenever you feel the urge to do so. The longer you take to expel these toxins from your body, the harder they get since water is constantly absorbed from the stool. This is probably the best measure to prevent constipation because it’s as natural and easy as it gets!
Some Ways To Prevent Constipation
We all know, prevention is better than cure. Constipation happens, but it doesn’t have to. So, to emphasize this clichéd yet authentic idiom, here are a few things you can do to have regular and easy bowel movements:
- Eat some fibers but don’t get too enthusiastic: Introduce fibrous foods in your diet eventually. Lots of fiber can relieve constipation but adversely affects your body through bloating, gassiness and diarrhea. Examples of fibrous foods include beans, apricots, whole grain bread, broccoli, plums, potatoes, etc.
- Skipping meals are your worst enemy: Dieting can slim not just your body, but even your chances to have smooth and regular bowel movements. One large meal a day is not enough to get your digestive tract up and running. Doctors suggest that intake of meals should occur even intervals of time so that the reflexes of the gut are encouraged to move food forward through the digestive system. Also, breakfast is the most important meal as it starts the digestive juices flowing.
- Supplements are always available: People who cannot digest fiber are always complaining about constipation. They can opt for supplements that are high in fiber content and do not trouble the digestive tract.
- Fruit is a hoot: Enjoy an apple a day and keep hardened stool at bay. Doctors recommend eating 3 vegetable servings, 2 fruits and some whole wheat bread a day instead of munching on a pound of bran. Obviously enough, the latter is less tempting.
- Skip the milk: Not for all cases, though. Some people do not do well with milk products because of their lactose intolerance. A side effect of such a condition may be constipation for which laying off the ice creams can help them through the tough stools.
- Gallons of water – The most efficient fluid for our bodies is water and so, drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water per day can help one keep constipation away.
- Avoid excess caffeine – As mentioned earlier, hydration is must to steer clear from constipation and coffee is a diuretic. This means that excess caffeine can cause an overload of urination which will expel water quicker than you can compensate for its removal.
- Go to the bathroom – Don’t shy away from natural processes of your body. Whenever you feel the urge to find the restroom, excuse yourself as soon as possible.Constipation is not the term used for missing one day’s bowel movement. The word “regular” is different for everyone as many environmental factors that vary from individual to individual.
So, don’t always rush to the pharmacy for laxatives because, when consumed repeatedly, they can add on to the existing problem and/or register a new problem into your body. Therefore, find solace in these home remedies because more often than not, you don’t have to worry too much if you’ve irregular bowel movements. But of course, for extreme situations, constipation need to be treated by a medical expert.Source: