IF it is more than three days between bowel movements and/or there is difficulty in passing a hardened stool, then you are suffering from constipation. The normal frequency varies from three bowel movements a day to three a week.
“A person with constipation produces hard stool that may be difficult to pass,” explains The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “The person also may feel as though the rectum has not been completely emptied. Acute constipation begins suddenly and noticeably. Chronic constipation, on the other hand, may persist for months or years.”
“Many myths exist regarding proper bowel habits,” said Dr. Antonio L. Protacio, who used to write a regular column for a national daily. “One false belief is that a bowel movement is necessary every day. Another fallacy is that wastes stored in the body are dangerous to health or shorten life. These misconceptions have led to an overuse and abuse of laxatives.”
Laxatives are substances taken to evacuate the bowel or to soften stools. But prolonged use of laxatives is harmful. As such, they should be used for very short periods only. “Laxatives can cause diarrhea if taken in overdose, and constipation if overused,” says the book, Guide to Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs. “The most serious risk is developing dependence on the laxative for normal bowel action.”
But what causes constipation? Protacio shared the following:
- Poor diet and dietary habits, such as a diet high in animal fats and refined sugar but low in fiber; and insufficient intake of fluids.
- Poor bowel habits, as in ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement because one is too busy or does not want to use public toilets.
- Lifestyle changes, as in lack of exercise or prolonged bed rest after an illness or accident; traveling long distances, causing alterations in schedule and diet.
- Imaginary constipation. This is a very common cause since people do not know what a normal bowel movement is and what is not. This is seen often in older people who become overly concerned with having a bowel movement.
- Medications. Many drugs, including antispasmodics, antacids, and tranquilizers, and iron pills, can cause constipation.
- Specific diseases. Certain diseases can cause constipation, such as underactive thyroid glands, spinal cord injuries, strokes, multiple sclerosis and, most important, tumors of the colon.
Should you worry about constipation? “It is not generally serious but it could be an early signal of a more serious disease such as colon cancer,” Protacio said. “Some ailments that can result from constipation per se are hemorrhoids and anal fissures caused by extreme straining.”
“Constipation is no fun,” The Doctors Book of Home Remedies says. “Sometimes, it can be painful. But the cause of your sluggish bowels is often easy to find. It may include a lack of fiber in the diet, insufficient liquid intake, stress, medications, lack of exercise and bad bowel habits.”
Here, the book shares some solutions to this common problem:
- Drink the right amount of liquid. The foremost menu items for battling constipation are dietary fiber and liquids. Lots of both are essential to keep the stool soft and to help it pass through the colon. A minimum of six glasses of liquid, and preferably eight, should be part of every adult’s diet, says Patricia Harper, a registered dietitian in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While any fluid will do the trick, “the best fluid is water,” she points out.
- Eat lots more fiber. Where does fiber come from? “From your complex carbohydrates—such as those in whole grains, fruit and vegetables,” Harper says. “Eating a well-balanced diet rich in fibers, such as rice, whole-grain bread, vegetables and fruit (pomelo, for one) will help do the trick,” Protacio says. One word of caution: increase your fiber intake slowly to avoid gas attacks.
- Take time to go the gym. Exercise is good for your heart, and it’s good for your bowel, too. “In general, we feel that regular exercise tends to combat constipation by moving food through the bowel faster,” bares Dr. Edward Eichner, professor of medicine at the University of Oklahoma.
- Take a walk, and bring your baby. Any form of regular exercise will tend to alleviate constipation, but walking is the most-often mentioned type. Walking is particularly helpful for pregnant women, many of whom experience constipation as their inner workings are altered to accommodate the growing fetus. Anyone, including mothers-to-be, should walk a “good, hearty 20 to 30 minutes” a day, suggests Dr. Lewis Townsend, a clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology.
- Toilet train yourself. It’s never too late to improve your bowel habits, says Dr. Marvin Schuster, professor of medicine and psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. “The most natural time to go to the toilet is after a meal,” he says. So pick a meal, any meal, and every day following that meal sit on the toilet for 10 minutes. In time, you will condition your colon to act as nature intended.
- Slow down and take it easy. When you’re frightened or tense, your bowel stops. “It’s part of the fight-or-flight mechanism,” says Dr. John Lawder, a doctor specializing in nutrition and preventive medicine. If you suspect tension is at the bottom of your constipation, take time to relax, perhaps by listening to relaxation tapes.
- Have a hearty laugh. A good belly laugh can help with constipation in two ways. It has a massaging effect on the intestine, which helps to foster digestion, and it’s a great reliever of stress, says Alison Crane, president of the American Association of Therapeutic Humor.
- Get fast relief—once in a while. If you’re really miserable, nothing will work faster to move your bowels than an enema or a suppository. For occasional use, they are perfectly all right, says Dr. Paul Rousseau, an adjunct professor in the Adult Development and Aging Section of Arizona State University. Use them too often, however, and you risk creating a lazy colon. That is, you could wind up worse off.
- Beware of certain foods. Some things may constipate one person but not another. Milk, for instance, can be extremely constipating to some, while it gives others diarrhea. Those, whose constipation is the result of a spastic colon, Schuster says, should avoid foods tend to produce gas, such as beans, cauliflower, and cabbage. You should suspect a spastic colon if your constipation is sharply painful.
- Eat small meals. Those with spastic colons should also avoid large meals that distend the digestive tract, thus worsening constipation, says Schuster.
- Don’t strain. As tempting as it may be to huff and puff your way out of constipation, it is not wise to do so. You risk giving yourself hemorrhoids and anal fissures, which not only are painful but can also aggravate your constipation by narrowing the anal opening. Straining can also raise your blood pressure and lower your heartbeat.
“If you have done all the above measures and still do not feel relieved of your constipation, then it is time to see a doctor, who will do a more extensive investigation, principally of your large intestine, to exclude the possibility of some serious diseases like a colon tumor,” Protacio suggested.