Constipation is a common health problem that everyone faces. It could be a result of eating junk food, smoking, alcohol, and overeating. This food triggers your condition, leaving you feeling uneasy most of the day. It is usually faced by many due to an unbalanced diet as well. The common symptoms experienced by people are irritation, restlessness, uneasiness, nausea, and mood swings. Eat healthy food and take proper medication for recovery. At the same time, you should also know about home remedies for constipation to get instant relief.
Constipation is of different types such as occasional constipation, chronic constipation, travel-related and age-related constipation, every individual needs to look for a solution. Facing this problem often? Check out home remedies for constipation immediate relief to have a healthier digestive system.
Signs of Constipation
While occasional constipation is quite common, some people can experience chronic constipation. It tends to interfere with the ability to carry on day-to-day tasks. Chronic constipation can also make people strain excessively to ensure a proper bowel movement.
Some of the common signs and symptoms of constipation are:
- Having hard or lumpy stools
- Passing less than 3 stools every week
- Straining to ensure bowel movements
- Feeling as if there is some blockage in the rectum preventing bowel movement
- Requiring help in emptying the rectum -like using hands to press the abdomen or finger to get rid of stool from the rectum
Feeling as if you are not able to totally empty the stool from the rectum
Causes of Constipation
Constipation usually occurs when stool moves too slowly through your digestive tract or cannot be properly eliminated from the rectum. It makes the stool become dry and hard. Chronic constipation can have multiple causes.
Blockage in the Rectum or Colon: A blockage can slow down or even stop the movement of the stool through the rectum. Some of the causes are:
- Colon cancer
- A blockage in the intestines
- Small tears around the linings of the anus
- Colon narrowing
- Rectal cancer
- Abdominal cancer
- Rectum bulge
Issues with Nerves Around Rectum and Colon: Specific neurological problems can also affect the nerves that might make the muscles around the rectum and colon contract while moving stool through the intestine. Some possible causes are:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Stroke
- Parkinson’s disease
- Damage to the nerves responsible for controlling specific bodily functions
- Spinal cord injury
Problems with Muscles Involved in Stool Elimination: Issues with pelvic muscles in ensuring a bowel movement can also lead to chronic constipation. Some potential causes are:
- Weak pelvic muscles
- Inability to relax pelvic muscles towards releasing stool
- Pelvic muscles not coordinating contraction and relaxation properly
Conditions Affecting Hormones: Hormones are responsible for balancing fluids in the body. Conditions and diseases that tend to upset the hormonal balance can lead to constipation. Some causes are:
- Pregnancy
- Overactive parathyroid gland
- Diabetes
- Underactive thyroid
12 Home Remedies for constipation
- Olive Oil: Olive oil is tasty and healthy. It helps to function your digestive system in an effective way. Olive oil is very healthy for your body. Having one tablespoon of olive oil with half tablespoon of lemon juice in the mornings or on an empty stomach. It is one of the most famous natural remedies for constipation to avoid indigestion.
- Lemon: Wish to get instant constipation relief? Lemon is the best stimulant during indigestion problem. It detoxifies toxins and undigested material. One fresh lemon with warm water in the morning is preferable. Lemon helps to flush out fluids and let go with your day.
- Coffee: Coffee is our morning drink. Drinking one or two cups can help you avoid constipation as it makes you urinate frequently. It is an effective home treatment for constipation. Coffee stimulates indigestion if overdone. Overdrinking can lead to frequent urination and can draw out water from the body, dehydrates your body.
- Fruits: Eating healthy would help you retain the essential nutrients. Due to a lack of basic vitamins and minerals, one might face a problem of constipation. Fresh vegetables and fruit would gain necessary nutrients to fight unprocessed food and have a smooth functioning of the digestive system. Try out the best home remedy for constipation.
- Water: Drink lots of water every day. Dehydration turns out to be a major cause of constipation. Therefore, it is imperative for you to be hydrated all the time. It is one of the simplest natural ways to treat constipation. It is found that sparkling water is more effective than tap water to treat constipation.
- Ample Dietary Fiber: When you include enough dietary fibre in your day-to-day diet, it also serves to be one of the best natural home remedies for constipation. When you consume insoluble fibre, it increases the consistency and bulk of bowel movements. This makes it easier for stool to pass through the digestive tract. You can include several fibre-rich foods -including whole grains, veggies, and fruits in your daily intake.
- Ginger Tea: The classic ginger-based tea is great for treating constipation. Ginger is a natural herb that leads to the creation of more heat in your body. The hot water present in ginger tea stimulates digestion while offering instant relief from constipation.
- Exercise: Regular exercises can regularize your bowel movements effectively. Both passive, as well as rigorous activities, can impart a positive impact on bowel movement. For instance, running can create movement in the colon and intestine such that it boosts bowel movement. Sports activities -including dancing, for around 10-15 minutes, can also serve as a hard stool home remedy.
- Abdominal Massage: As you massage the abdomen, it serves to be an immediate remedy for constipation. You can lie on your back, press the abdomen in a clockwise direction, and continue this for around 10 minutes. You can execute this massage two times a day. The clockwise movement will push the stool towards the rectum.
- Baking Soda: It is one of the oldest and the quickest natural home remedies for constipation. The baking soda is known to typically pop out the air bubbles that are trapped and lead to gas and bloating. Baking soda also helps in minimizing the acidic environment in the stomach. This allows the waste byproducts within the stomach to pass through the digestive system effectively.
- Molasses: Particularly blackstrap molasses, are known to be useful in delivering instant relief from constipation. You can take around one tablespoon of blackstrap molasses just before going to bed. It can help in relieving constipation by the next morning. Blackstrap molasses can be regarded as concentrated molasses featuring an abundance of vitamins & minerals -especially magnesium. Magnesium is a popular supplement used in the treatment of constipation. It helps in relaxing your bowel movement while pulling water from the intestine. The process helps in softening the stool while making it easier to get through the colon.
- Probiotics: In most cases, people struggling with constipation might have a lack of proper good bacteria in the digestive system. Probiotics are regarded as friendly bacteria that help in improving the functioning of the digestive system while relieving constipation.
When to See the Doctor?
When you suffer from chronic constipation, it tends to affect your social, mental, and physical health as well as peace of mind significantly. If the problem persists for over a week even after basic treatment and home remedies, it is best advised to consult your doctor. Moreover, if constipation takes place along with symptoms like cramps, fatigue, and dizziness, you should immediately go to your doctor. Medical assistance might be needed if you experience severe abdominal pain or bleeding while passing stool.
Constipation might appear to be a simple health problem. However, if it is not taken care of properly, it tends to affect the overall quality of life. Moreover, constipation, in some cases, could be a result of major underlying causes like metabolic disorders, bowel obstructions, pelvic prolapse, and colon cancer as well. Therefore, you should not ignore these signs under any circumstance.
Home remedies that involve naturopathic or ayurvedic forms of treatment might not offer instant relief. Still, they serve as a long-term solution to constipation-related problems. If constipation is left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications like faecal impaction, haemorrhoids, and bowel incontinence. With the help of homemade remedies for constipation, you can prevent these serious health implications.