Constipation generally means that you have three or fewer bowel movement a week. It can also mean straining to have bowel movements or passing stools that are small, hard, and dry. Constipation can either be acute or chronic. Acute constipation is that which appears to be sudden and lasts for a short time, while chronic constipation is long lasting and can cause complications.
Constipation occurs when digested food spends too much time in your colon. Your colon absorbs too much water, making your stool hard and dry and difficult for your rectal muscles to push out of your body. It is considered a symptom of various health issues rather than a disease in and of itself.
Some of the common causes of constipation are poor diet and an inactive lifestyle. A lack of exercise and eating too much junk food can wreak havoc on your digestive health, medication and aging, pregnancy or other hormonal factors.
What actually makes constipation so difficult to treat is the fact that many patients are not honest with their physicians about their recent behaviour. Severe cases of constipation have been known to lead to death should the bacteria population grow dramatically. Unless a massive injection of antibiotics is given, the infection can lead to death.
Six habits you should avoid to improve your digestion are:
Inactivity/Exercise
Lack of exercise not only causes weight gain and other health problems, it can also affect digestion and cause constipation. The best thing you can do to move your bowels is wake up, eat a real meal, and do some level of activity. It doesn’t have to be rigorous exercise, moving your body every day will improve your digestive health, and getting enough exercise daily can help solve constipation problem.
A Low Fibre Diet Slows Digestion
Fibre is the material in plant foods that your body can’t digest, it’s important for good digestion. It goes through you and gives you something to form a stool around. When you don’t have enough fibre in your diet, stools can become small, dry and hard.
Ensure you eat more fibre to add bulk to stools, making them softer and easier to pass. To get more fibre in your diet, eat more fruits and vegetables, legumes and beans and whole grains.
Not Drinking Enough Fluids
Not drinking enough fluids causes constipation, when you are dehydrated; your body has less fluid available to keep stools soft. You can become dehydrated and not know it especially in hot weather. Taking enough fluids and exercise is very important to anyone looking to solve their constipation problems permanently.
Poor Bowel, Missing or Withholding a Normal Bowel Movement
Failing to evacuate waste in a timely manner is a big issue because it can cause toxins and even bacteria to accumulate in the colon until they are reabsorbed into the blood stream where they can cause big problems. Always go to the toilet whenever you feel like poo; never withhold.
Certain Medication
Avoid activities and consumption of products that may lead to constipation. Any constipation remedy, including colon cleansers, should be made from all natural products because anything made with chemicals is more likely to cause side effects such as killing beneficial bacteria, skin problem and constipation. Certain medications such as pain killers and iron supplements should be avoided.
Aging
Your digestive tract doesn’t have to become a victim of age like the rest of your body, it can often be protected with a healthy lifestyle. If you want to keep your digestive tract in good shape and keep uncomfortable symptoms at bay, try these tips that can make digestion a little easier.
• Stay hydrated by drinking lot of water
• Limit fats in your diet and maintain a healthy body weight.
• Load your diet with fibre.
• Stick to healthy portion sizes and avoid over-eating
• Get regular exercise.
Healthy living will not only keep your digestive tract healthy but also reduce your need for some of those side effect causing medications. You will feel young, happy and healthy both inside and out.
