Let’s talk about Constipation

L2L initiative
Jul 28, 2017 · 2 min read

One very embarrassing ailment that can affect any human is constipation. It is a very popular ailment but then it is quite surprising that it varies from person to person. Let’s take a look at the definition of Constipation.

Constipation means different things to different people. For many people, it simply means infrequent passage of feces. For others, however, it means hard stools, difficulty passing them (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement. The cause of each of these symptoms of constipation vary, so the approach to each should be tailored to each specific patient.

I remember when I was younger, I once heard that someone died of constipation. Scary, right? I think so too. It’s important we deal with these things, because what you refuse to deal with will definitely deal with you.

Let’s look at the Symptoms of Constipation

● Lower abdominal discomfort

● A sense of incomplete evacuation (the feeling that you still have to “go”)

● Straining to have a bowel movement

● Hard or small stools

● Rectal bleeding and/or anal fissures caused by hard stools

● Physiological distress and/or obsession with having bowel movements.

When you notice these things, what’s the way forward? Not every time hospital, sometimes you can handle it yourself depending on the severity. Understanding that the cure is to spot the cause and deal with it, we need to spell out the causes of Constipation

● poor bowel habits;

● low fiber diets;

● possibly abuse of laxatives;

● hormonal disorders;

● diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon;

● high levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy.

REMEDIES

● Take lots and lots of water and fluid

● Eat foods with high fiber contents like oatmeal, Wheat e.t.c

● Prescription Medications

● Surgery

Constipation can be very embarrassing and discomforting. I hope this article has proffered help to anyone who has been threatened by it. The other extreme of constipation is diarrhea. I will shed more light on that in my next post.

Till then,Eat healthy and balanced!

Written by Pipeoluwa Hadassah

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