CONSTIPATION

What is constipation?

● Constipation - refers to bowel

movements that are infrequent or
hard to pass. Constipation is a
common cause of painful defecation
What triggers constipation?

● insufficient dietary fiber intake

● inadequate fluid intake
● decreased physical activity
● side effects of medications
● Hypothyroidism
● obstruction by colorectal cancer.
● Constipation with no known organic cause, i.e. no
medical explanation, exhibits gender differences in
prevalence: females are more often affected than males.
 ○ Don’t’s
○ Do’s
1.dry foods
1.Drink 8-10 glasses
2.rice
of water daily.
3.beans, legumes,
2.Go for morning walk
grams, cabbages and
3.fresh fruits and
mushrooms.
green leafy
4.fight the urge when
vegetables
you feel like
4.Check your diet.
relieving yourself.
5.Establish a toilet
5.Overfeeding
habit
Exercise and constipation

Exercise helps constipation by decreasing the time it

takes food to move through the large intestine, thus
limiting the amount of water absorbed from the stool into
your body. Hard, dry stools are harder to pass. In
addition, aerobic exercise accelerates your breathing and
heart rate. This helps to stimulate the natural
contraction of intestinal muscles. Intestinal muscles that
contract efficiently help move stools out quickly.
 Remedies

1) Fiber
A diet low in fiber may play a role in constipation. Insoluble fiber, which passes through
the body almost unchanged, gives stools bulk and a soft texture, making them easier to
pass.
2) Fluids
Making sure you drink enough fluids such as water may help some people with
constipation. Fluids make bowel movements softer and easier to pass.
3) Stimulant Laxatives
Many herbal laxatives and "dieter's teas" are called stimulant laxatives, or anthranoid
laxatives.
4) Biofeedback
Biofeedback therapy may help people with constipation resulting from pelvic floor
dysfunction, a condition in which the pelvic floor muscles do not function properly. It
occur as a result of conditions such as obesity, an enlarged prostate, or after childbirth.

5) Probiotics
Probiotics, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, are live microbial organisms that are naturally present in the
digestive tract. Some of the ways they are thought to promote health include suppressing the growth of
potentially harmful bacteria, improving immune function and enhancing the protective barrier of the digestive
tract

6) Acupressure
Acupressure is a traditional healing practice that involves the application of nger pressure to speci c

fi
fi
acupuncture points on the body.

A point that is often recommended by acupuncturists for constipation is Large Intestine 4. Although it
7) Magnesium
A de ciency of the mineral magnesium may contribute to constipation. Magnesium is found naturally in foods
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such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains and in supplements.