Everyone has experienced having difficult and painful bowel movements at least once in their lives. Typically, when a person has difficulty moving the contents of their intestines, it comes with abdominal pain and the feeling of being bloated and sluggish. Such is the condition known as constipation, wherein the stool becomes harder than usual, making it more challenging to remove from the body.
Constipation is one of the more common gastrointestinal conditions that bring patients into outpatient departments. Statistics show that at least 2.5 million people annually come in and ask for medications to relieve themselves from distress caused by constipation. Doctors believe that hard and dry stools form when the colon absorbs too much water. The colon absorbs water when the digested food moves to the large intestine. When the muscle contractions push the stool toward the rectum and the intestine absorbs too much water, the stool becomes hard and dry. When the colon’s contractions are pretty slow, the stool moves slowly, too.
Doctors say that there are several reasons why constipation develops, namely: lack of exercise, lack of fiber and water in their diets, the side effect of certain medications, changes in lifestyle habits, irritable bowel system (IBS), and abuse of laxatives.
Here are some home remedies for constipation:
Rehydrating with Liquids
It’s one of the more obvious home remedies and doesn’t cost much. Constipation manifests because of inadequate water in the body, so it follows that if one is to prevent longer bouts of constipation, water, and other similar liquids must be re-introduced efficiently. The body is dehydrated, so it needs all the liquids it can to regulate body function.
Doctors recommend drinking various liquids to rehydrate the body to normal levels. Certain juices can relieve constipation symptoms in most people. These fresh juices contain water and an acceptable amount of fiber that can help soften the stool and help it pass through the gastrointestinal tract faster and less painfully. Fruit juices may also contain sorbitol which pulls more water into the large intestine, making it easier for stool to pass.
Drinking more water can stimulate bowel movement and keep stool soft enough to pass properly through the rectum. Doctors say that while drinking water will not cure constipation, it will significantly help clear the blockage inside the gut. People must replace the liquid faster when the body goes through more liquid than normal. Experts advise drinking liquids regularly and feeling how the body reacts.
