Constipation Solutions: Symptoms, Causes and Prevention

Constipation can be relieved with nutritional supplements and vitamins that will help you look for comfort and feel better.

Definition

Is a delay or difficulty in evacuating stools. It may be occasional (travel, pregnancy, etc.) or chronic. We talk about chronic constipation when the problem lasts for at least 6 to 12 months, with more or less severe symptoms. The stool evacuation frequency varies from person to person ranging from three times daily to three times per week. One can speak of constipation when stools are hard, dry, and difficult to pass. Typically, this occurs if less than three bowel movements per week.

Constipation may be either transit (or progression), that is to say, that the stool stagnating too long in the colon or terminal (or discharge), that is to say, they accumulate in the rectum. The two problems can coexist in the same person. In North America, it is estimated that 12% to 19% of the population, both children and adults, suffer from chronic constipation.

The symptoms manifested during constipation

Too slow intestinal transit
Hard, dry stools
Difficult or painful evacuation
Bloating of the abdomen
If you are experiencing constipation, that changing your diet can reduce the situation. There are food supplements and vitamins, among others, to help you overcome this discomfort.

Relieve constipation with natural supplements

Constipation can be prevented through regular physical exercise and a diet rich in fiber and fluids that help regulate intestinal transit. If the body needs a little help, supplements are effective natural remedies and safe. Stool frequency varies widely from person to person, but most doctors believe that an individual is constipated when fewer than three stools, hard consistency, a week.

The benefits of nutritional supplements to prevent constipation

Any abrupt change in the functioning of the bowel can be a sign of a more serious problem, such as cancer or bowel obstruction, and therefore requires medical attention. If constipation points, several nutritional supplements can be helpful. They generally act in one or two days. With the exception of cascara sagrada bark, the various supplements listed below can be taken over a long period. Psyllium and fucus provide fibers that give larger and softer stools so easier to pass; we can take every day. Soak them with water to aid digestion. You can also try cereal and juice or whole prunes plums, rich in fiber, you need to associate with the other supplements.

Recommended supplements to avoid constipation

Psyllium

Dose: from 1 to 3 tbsp. tablespoons of powder per day, diluted in water or fruit juice.
Namely: You can substitute 2 tbsp. teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds; in both cases, drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

Prunes

Dose: 1/2 glass of prune juice or 3-4 prunes every morning.
Namely: you can consume daily.

Dandelion root

Dose: 1 brewing cup 3 times daily.
Namely: Use 1 tsp. powdered root tea per cup.

Magnesium

Dose: 400 mg daily.
Warning: abstain in case of kidney disease.

Acidophilus

Dose: 1 or 2 yogurts with active ferments daily.
Namely: preferably without sugar.

Cascara sagrada

Dose: 100 mg of bark extract at bedtime.
Namely: extract dosed at 25% hydroxy anthracene derivatives.
Warning: against-indicated during pregnancy and lactation.

Herbal tea to drink when you are constipated

The dandelion root tea stimulates the liver and helps decongest strengthening its slightly laxative action. The curly dock infusion is also recommended for its sweet action on the intestine.

If a combination of these remedies offers no relief after one or two days, try, ultimately, bark Cascara Sagrada. This plant is a powerful laxative that stimulates intestinal contraction and should not be used for more than one or two weeks in a row. As a precaution, wheat bran also is an excellent source of insoluble fiber as an effective ballast. Eat it daily in the form of fortified cereal to his or wholemeal bread.

What causes constipation?

In most cases, constipation results from a deficiency in dietary fiber and liquid. It is often due to liver dysfunction:

Bile salts produced by the liver are in fact natural laxatives essential to the proper functioning of the digestive system.
Other factors may be mentioned such as the lack of exercise or a prolonged period of inactivity, severe depression, and certain physiological disorders such as hypercalcemia, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or colon cancer, irritable bowel syndrome functional and muscle spasms.
The abuse of laxatives or antacids can damage the intestines, while certain medications (including antihypertensives, antidepressants, and narcotic analgesics) promote constipation.

Pay attention to the following situations and see a doctor if:

You notice a sudden change in frequency of stool
Constipation persists despite two weeks of curative measures, or whether stubborn constipation is accompanied by unexplained weight loss
Constipation causes fever and abdominal pain
Spasmodic pain is very strong or disrupts your daily activities
You see blood in your stool
Constipation becomes diarrhea or if you start to vomit
You have recently started treatment with constipation can be a side effect
Beware, if you are taking medication, consult your doctor before taking supplements

Other interesting information about constipation: What else?

Eat high-fiber foods: raw fruits and vegetables, pulses, and wholegrains. Apples (raw or cooked) are particularly suitable because they contain pectin, which acts gently on the intestines.
Drink at least eight glasses of water or fruit juice a day.
Get regular exercise and, wherever possible, go to the bathroom when the urge needed. In constipation, it is essential to drink a lot, but not anything.
Alcohol and drinks containing caffeine cause water loss that aggravate constipation.

Constipation Solutions: What’s up?

A US study conducted at the University of Nebraska, it is now recognized as psyllium accelerates remarkably intestinal transit in subjects suffering from constipation. Recent research in Seattle (USA) showed that the incidence of colon cancer was much higher in people with constipation often. According to researchers, the extended stay of stool in the gut more vulnerable to the gut potentially carcinogenic substances contained in feces. The results of the study confirm the interest of people with constipation taking daily psyllium or other nutritional supplements.

Possible complications

In general, constipation is mild and disappears by itself in a few days, with an appropriate diet. However, if it persists, complications can sometimes arise:

Hemorrhoids or anal fissures
Bowel obstruction
Fecal incontinence
Fecal impaction, that is to say, an accumulation and compaction of dry stool in the rectum, which occurs mostly in elderly or bedridden
Abuse of laxatives

When to See the Doctor?

Constipation, especially when it occurs suddenly, can be a sign of serious illness, such as colon cancer. So do not neglect this symptom. It is advisable to consult a doctor in the following cases:

Recent constipation or accompanied by blood in the stool
Bloating, pain or constipation alternating with diarrhea
Weightloss
Saddles whose caliber decreases an ongoing basis, which can be a sign of a more serious problem in the gut.
Constipation that lasts for more than three weeks
Constipation that persists in the newborn or very young children (because you have to eliminate Hirschsprung disease).