Chronic Constipation Home Remedies
Constipation is a condition where a person is not able to make bowel movements regularly. The symptoms of constipation are different for different people. For some people, constipation means infrequent stools, while for others, it simply means hard stools which are be difficult to pass and involve a lot of strain while passing them. The causes of constipation can also be different for different people and therefore the treatment for each has to be different, related completely to the symptoms and the causes of constipation.
Gastrointestinal discomforts or infections may cause a person to alternate between diarrhea and constipation. People suffering from irritable bowel syndrome could also experience these symptoms. In this case, the person may have diarrhea, but at the extreme end of the passing of stools there is fecal impaction due to which the stool hardens and its passage becomes extremely difficult.
Usually, the frequency of bowel movements decreases with age. The frequency of bowel movements for different people is also different. It is commonly believed that it is normal to have bowel movement everyday. However, less than 50% people are able to have bowel movements everyday. It is only when there are fewer than three bowel movements per week that constipation is believed to set in.
Chronic constipation treatment is heavily based on the modification of diet. Only when constipation is extreme, does a person have to resort to medications. It is incorrect to assume that chronic constipation can cause a build up of toxins in the body. There is also no possibility of untreated constipation turning into cancer, despite what some people believe. Chronic constipation and acute constipation have different kinds of effects on the human body. Acute constipation requires an immediate assessment as it may be due to a medical emergency. It is therefore important to find out the underlying cause. In the case of chronic constipation, a specially formulated diet for chronic constipation can help treat the condition completely. There are several natural cure for constipation that can be tried for chronic constipation relief. The most common remedies for this condition are consuming dried figs with lukewarm water, drinking herbal teas, and consuming the husk of the psyllium plant (isabgol). The diet for chronic constipation should include lots of raw fruits and vegetables to add bulk to the fecal matter. Consume lots of fluids to soften the stools and avoid refined, fried and fatty foods. If there are other symptoms like rectal bleeding, nausea or cramps, you should immediately get yourself checked.
