What Is Constipation?

Constipation is very bothersome condition and it can be rather embarrassing for the sufferer. Nevertheless, most of us have experienced it at some point of our lives.

The elderly and women are more commonly affected over men because a woman’s body goes through more changes. A man’s body only goes through puberty.

When bowel movements become difficult or less frequent this is known as constipation. One of the most common gastrointestinal ailments is chronic constipation which no one wants to experience.

Common Causes of Constipation

When you are constipated, your bowel doesn’t function the way it should. Constipation is rarely caused by some structural issues. Here are the most typical causes of constipation:

- Not enough water intake and fiber in the diet

- Overuse of dairy products, such as milk and cheese

- Depression, eating disorders, pregnancy, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), stress

- Traveling

- Too little exercise

- Ignoring the urge of having a bowel movement

- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease

- Antacids containing aluminum or calcium

- Antidepressants, iron pills, pain medicines

There are some typical constipation symptoms. Naturally, the most obvious one is difficulties to pass stool. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, swollen abdomen, and vomiting. Even though laxatives can be a quick solution to get relief from constipation, they should be used only as the last option. Frequent use of laxatives can cause loosening of the rectum which can cause more serious problems in the long run.

Dealing with Constipation Problems

People are using millions of dollars every year to laxatives in order to get relief from their constipation. However, if you want to obtain permanent results you should use natural constipation remedies. The easiest way to avoid constipation is to make sure that you drink enough water and follow healthy, high-fiber diet.

One common group of people who often suffer from constipation are infants. Here are a couple of things you could try:

- If the baby is over 2 months old try giving 2-4 ounces of fruit juice. Grape, pear, apple, or prune juice twice a day normally helps.

- If the baby is over 4 months old and is eating solid foods, try baby foods with a high-fiber content such as peaches, pears, plums, peas, beans, and prunes.

The frequency of bowel movements vary between individuals. However, if you haven’t had a bowel movement in longer than three days, the stool may become harder which makes it even harder to pass. This can be rather painful. That is why it is important to deal with the problem early enough.

Other Causes of Constipation

There are also constipation causes that are not so common. Here are some of them:

- Joining of tissues and inflamed adhesions

- A wedged gallstones

- Hernia in the abdomen

- Lead poisoning

Constipation is more common in elderly population due to following reasons: inadequate amount of water, poor diet, too little exercise, side effects of prescription medicines, and overuse of laxatives and enemas.