Are You Constipated?

Constipation is not a disease in itself but a symptom. A person is said to be constipated, if he or she does not have bowel movement two times in a day. It becomes difficult to pass the stool as it becomes hard, dry, small in size and painful.

People think they are constipated if they do not have bowel movement every day. But in actual sense one should have bowel movement two times a day.

Everybody suffers from constipation in life. But if you know its cause and preventive measures, then you can easily avoid it.

When we eat food, it goes to stomach and then to large intestine. It absorbs the water and forms waste product or stool. The muscle contraction in the intestine sends it to the rectum and by the time it reaches there it becomes hard as the intestine reabsorbs most of the water. But when there is excess re absorption of water then constipation occurs.

The common causes of constipation are low fiber or milk in diet, lack of physical activity, and any problem with the intestine or any medicine intake that causes constipation.

Sometimes constipation can cause fissures around the rectum. These appear due to the cracks in the skin, which occur after having difficulty in passing the hard stool.

To avoid constipation, the most important thing is to add more and more fiber in your diet. Fruits and vegetables are high source of fiber. High fluid intake also reduces the constipation.

You can treat constipation yourself by keeping the above things in mind. However, if you severely constipated then the doctor would prescribe some laxatives or enemas for a limited period. This treatment can help you a lot. If the condition remains serious for longer period, then some surgery to rectify the rectum may become necessary.