How to Cure Constipation for Good
Curing constipation involves more than alleviating its symptoms, it also means making sure that the symptoms don’t come back. For people who have a more than average occurrence of constipation, this probably means making some permanent lifestyle changes.
The best place to start is most likely with your diet. Dietary reasons are the most frequent cause of constipation. If you’re a cheeseburger and fries type of person, that simply won’t do. Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grain cereals will likely help you here. It is also important to chew your food well; it will be digested better if you do. You should also drink close to 2 quarts of water per day. This will keep your stools softer.
What you don’t eat or drink can be equally important. Alcohol consumption has a dehydrating effect and this will worsen your constipation. If you are a heavy drinker, you should at least cut down some. Coffee, tea and cola contain caffeine, which also dehydrates the body. Lessening their consumption will be beneficial in preventing a return of constipation. Opiate pain relievers have an extremely strong constipating effect. If you are taking one and also having problems with constipation, consult your doctor about the possibility of finding a substitute. The same holds to a lesser degree, for certain antidepressants, iron supplements and antacids. Dairy products also bring on constipation in some people; see if minimizing your intake of them leads to an improvement.
Sometimes, people ignore the signals that their body is trying to send them. The best time to have a bowel movement is when your body signals that it’s time. If you ignore this signal, it will go away and your stool will become drier. Generally, people get the urge shortly after eating. If you’re a very busy person whose work doesn’t always allow you to accommodate the urge, try to set aside a brief period after eating when you can attend to your needs. Your body will likely adjust to this routine shortly, but only if you make the time for it. Mild exercise also seems to help people avoid constipation. Most people can manage at least a short walk daily. Doing this seems to help them avoid constipation.
Constipation sometimes has psychological causes. People in unfamiliar surroundings sometimes experience constipation. There’s not a lot to be done for this; you’ll probably have to wait to you acclimatize yourself a little better. If stress and anxiety are causing constipation, you may need to take steps to lower the general level of stress in your life. While this is much easier to suggest than to actually achieve, breathing exercises, meditation or even just taking an occasional timeout can dramatically lower the amount of stress you experience and may be beneficial to a number of bodily processes.
Dealing with constipation is never an easy thing. You may need to make some little yet serious changes in your lifestyle. Incorporate more fruits and veggies into your eating plan, avoid drinking too much coffee and alcohol, exercise regularly and make sure you consult your doctor. Do you have any tips for relieving constipation?
