Constipation: symptoms, causes, complications and treatment
More and more people are suffering from constipation, a problem that is increasing, fruit to a greater extent by the current society in which we live, where we must go running from one side to the other and to which we must also add problems such as anxiety and the stress.
Stated in a simple and direct way, constipation is the retention of fecal matter, beyond the physiological time of evacuation, which tends to be up to 48 hours, or at least three times a week.
And is that a common habit in many people is that they tend to rush out without time just to eat breakfast, in such a way that they avoid not only one of the most important meals of the day, but the obvious passage through the bathroom.
This comes to mean that we repress the gastrocolic reflex, which is a stimulus for correct and proper intestinal functioning, as well as the optimal elimination of the different and diverse toxic waste of the organism that tends to occur during the morning.
But what are the main causes of constipation? And the different consequences? What foods should we avoid if we suffer constipation? It can regulate intestinal transit through food ?.
What is constipation? How to know if you suffer
It is usually thought that there is only constipation when the person goes to the bathroom a little, so that it can take several days without the person visiting the toilet to makelarger waters. But did you know that it is really a mistake?
That is, for there to be constipation, not only is it necessary to go to the bathroom a little (registering less than three stools per week); It can also exist when these stools are hard, small-in the form of pellets-and dry, painful or difficult to pass.
These discomforts are often accompanied by other related symptoms, such as a feeling of fullness and abdominal swelling It continues that it only disappears when it is evacuated, although in many cases it is also usually felt between the thorax and the hips.
Therefore, we can say that there is constipation when:
- There are less than three stools per week.
- The stools are dry, hard and small. In addition, they are usually difficult to evacuate and / or painful.
This means that you may still have constipation even though you go to the bathroom every day, but in reality it hurts or costs to evacuate normally. When this happens it is usually usual that it is due precisely to the fact that the stools are hard and dry.
In fact, the person who actually suffers from constipation may have all or only one of the characteristics indicated above.
It is estimated that, in a person generally healthy and without notable health problems, the normal frequency of bowel movements is between 3 daily to 3 per week, which tend to be expelled without difficulty in 75% of cases. In addition, for there to be no constipation it is important that the evacuation be painless, complete and not require excessive effort.
We must be clear that most people suffer from constipation at some point in their lives. And is that, in general, the most common is that it lasts only a short period of time, while in most cases not usually dangerous.
However, when it is known what has been the cause of constipation, it is possible to follow some guidelines and recommendations that help alleviate it, as indicated in the note on how to improve your intestinal transit.
Main causes of constipation
As you probably already guessed, among the main ones causes of constipationwe met with:
- Stress.
- Eat quickly, without chewing properly, or even eat standing.
- Eat a diet without fiber or poor in fiber.
- The sedentarismo.
- Dehydration, or ingest less than 2 liters of water per day.
- Make only 1 or 2 meals a day, when it is recommended 5.
- Abuse laxatives, which tend to disturb the physiological normality of the intestine.
What are the symptoms of constipation?
Precisely for these causes, constipation appears and at the same time different consequences that directly affect the body itself:
- Depositions are dry, hard and small
- Sensation of heaviness and swelling.
- Accumulation of toxins, which are - as you know - waste generated by our body.
- Irritability and bad mood.
- Formation of diverticula.
How to treat constipation and helpful tips that will help improve your transit
There are times when you have to go to the laxatives to try to solve as much as possible the bouts of constipation.Once consulted with the doctor and have ruled out any organic problem perhaps you should consider before resorting to those remedies if your diet is present foods that could help you correct the problem.
Recommended dietary advice
Foods rich in fiber should be taken daily, it is not worth only resorting to them when you go through a bad time with the time to go to the bathroom.
What foods are ideal to improve intestinal transit?
It is important that the following foods are not lacking in the diet: vegetables, cereals of all types, but better that they are whole, liquids at least two liters a day (water, natural juices, infusions), all fruits contain fiber and It is advisable to eat them with skin and well washed, nuts are also rich in fiber, prunes, dried apricots, all kinds of legumes.
Other useful tips
Daily physical activity is also important, that will help to move the intestine because in cases of constipation sedentary lifestyle does not help at all when it comes to improving symptoms.
Further, it is useful and fundamental to live as relaxed as possible, given that both stress and anxiety negatively influence our intestinal transit. A good example is the rhythm of life that we follow day by day, which we can live in constant chronic anxiety without having noticed.
The key? Eat healthy and healthy, following a balanced diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits, practicing regular physical exercise, and living in a relaxed and as happy as possible. This article is published for informational purposes only. It can not and should not replace the consultation with a Physician. We advise you to consult your Trusted Doctor. ThemesConstipation
