Constipation: Top Causes And Home Remedies

Constipation is really a common problem everyone faces one time or the other. Some people have even seen it as normal thing. Constipation occurs in children and adult. Maybe after a party or someday you find yourself overeating, eating junk food, you smoke or drink alcohol leaving you feeling unease and bloated for almost all the day. The common symptom is inability to defecate and some people present other symptoms like weight loss, stomach swelling, vomiting, nausea, mood swing, irritability and even the feelings of embarrassment and worry. It commonly happens when stool moves through the gastrointestinal tract slowly. Chronic constipation can leads to colon or rectum blockage as a result of stoppage of stool movement. Colon and rectal cancer, anal fissure and also bowel stricture can stop stool movement.

Causes of Constipation

• Exercise- lack of exercise makes the body metabolism slows and thus affects digestion. People in the urban with sedentary lifestyle are prone to regular constipation.
• Water- low water intake or absence of fluid in our meals can cause constipation. Artificial drinks cannot be used to replace water as it can enhance constipation itself.
• Change of meal- some food with high amount of fat, caffeinated drinks and alcohol triggers constipation. If you started a new weight loss therapy and you have to undergo meal change, it can also triggers constipation
• Some drugs- certain analgesics can cause constipation as it brings the body system to halt. Example of such medication is antidepressants, anti-psychotics, diuretics, iron supplement, aluminium antacids and anti-epileptic. Whenever medication cause constipation, it will stop once you stop taking it but do not stop prescribed medication unless your doctor or physician advise you to stop it.
• Pregnancy- some women also experience constipation especially at the early stage. This is mainly because of high secretion of progesterone which relaxes the muscle. Muscles of the bowel find it difficult to contract and thus affect peristalsis that moves bowel down the digestive system. Pregnant women need to be careful about drug and home remedies they take. See your doctor for the best remedy.
• Other factors causing constipation include traveling, fever, obesity, violence and neurological problem that affects nervous supply to colon and rectum muscles in stoke and spinal cord injury. Hormonal imbalance in disease condition and even during normal physiological changes can cause constipation example is an increase in female hormone progesterone during menstruation and pregnancy.  

Home Remedies For Constipation

Constipation can be treated at home before taking laxatives. Here are some things you can use at home

• Pure Olive oil-   apart from olive oil being a good fat for the body, it also stimulates the gastrointestinal tract and thus enhance bowel movement. Taking olive oil regularly helps to prevent constipation. Take a teaspoon of olive oil on empty stomach in the morning. In case you have eaten, wait for some hour when you feel an empty stomach. You can add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
• Aloe Vera- a pure gel from Aloe Vera plant does the magic against constipation. Take like 2-3 teaspoon of aloe gel. You can mix it with natural fruit juice and drink in the morning. Aloe juice can also be used.
• Baking soda-  it serves as neutralizer to acid In the stomach.it is a bicarbonate that makes air in form of fetus to come out and thus balance pressure. Apart from constipation, it works well for stomach pain.  In about half of a cup of warm water, mix a teaspoon of baking soda and drink it as fast as you can.
• Epsom salt- it contains magnesium that encourages bowel contraction making it easy to pass stool. Just like table salt, Epsom salt draws out water from its environment and thus softening stool up and ease constipation by defecating easily.  Dissolve 2 spoons of Epsom salt in a cup natural fruit juice or water and drink all of it. After 3hours, if you don’t get relieved, you can take another cup. Use only half teaspoon for children.
• Yogurt- bacteria in our body prevent constipation and reduce its severity.  Healthy gut flora is important for an efficient and effective digestive system. Yogurt contains probiotics and helps your bacteria to flourish. Just take a cup of yogurt with your breakfast. It is a non-drug home cure for constipation.
• Fiber- fibers present in fruit, vegetable, and whole grain meal is a good remedy for constipation. Drink water after whole grain meal to improve its action. Sorbitol present in fruits and natural carbohydrates needs a lot of water to pass through the digestive system and thus draws water that softens the stool and encourages easy defecation. Too much of sorbitol can result in increased flatus with too soft feces.
• Exercise- try to involve yourself in regular exercise in other to increase the rate of body metabolism and increase digestion of food.  Engage yourself in at least 20 minutes exercise daily to prevent constipation if you are a sedentary worker.