CONSTIPATION
Fact: Mood can affect Your regularity
Depression may trigger constipation or make it worse.
Reducing stress through meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and
relaxation techniques may help. Acupressure or shiatsu
massage may help, too. Massaging the abdomen may help
relax the muscles that support the intestines and get bowels
moving
Symptoms can
include:
• Infrequent bowel movements and/or difficulty having bowel movements
• Swollen abdomen or abdominal pain
• Pain
• Vomiting
While constipation is not a serious
medical problem, for a handful of people
it can be. So if constipation persists for
more than two weeks, you should advice
the person to consult a doctor
There are several things you can do to
prevent constipation.
• Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty
of fibre. Good sources of fibre are fruits,
vegetables, legumes, and wholegrain
bread and cereal (especially bran). Fibre
and water help the colon pass stool.
• Drink 1½ to two quarts of water and other
fluids a day (unless fluid restricted for
another medical condition). Liquids that
contain caffeine, such as coffee and soft
drinks, seem to have a dehydrating effect
and may need to be avoided until your
bowel habits return to normal. Some
people may need to avoid milk, as dairy
products may be constipating for them.
• Exercise regularly.
• Move your bowels when you feel the
urge.
If you are constipated, try the following:
• Drink two to four extra glasses of water
a day (unless fluid restricted).
• Try warm liquids, especially in the
morning.
• Add fruits and vegetables to your diet.
• Eat prunes and/or bran cereal.
If needed, use a very mild stool
softener or laxative (such as Peri-Colace
w
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or Milk of Magnesia). Do
not use laxatives for
more than two weeks
without calling your
doctor, as laxative
overuse can aggravate
your symptoms.
See a
doctor if:
• Constipation is a new
problem for you
• You have blood in
your stool
• You are losing
weight even though
you are not dieting
• You have severe
pain with bowel
movements
• Your constipation has
lasted more
than two
weeks
What's new in the
treatment of
constipation?
Each part of the intestine (stomach,
small intestine, and colon) has a network
of nerves that controls its muscles. A
great deal of research is being done in
order to gain an understanding of how
these nerves control each other and
ultimately the muscles. Much of this
research involves the study of
neurotransmitters. (Neurotransmitters
are chemicals that nerves use to
communicate with each other.) This
research is allowing scientists to develop
drugs that stimulate (and inhibit) the
various nerves of the colon which, in
turn, cause the muscles of the colon
to contract and propel the colonic
contents. Such drugs have great
potential for the treatment of
constipation that is due to colonic
inertia. The first of these drugs is in
clinical trials and is likely to be
available soon. These drugs are an
exciting development because they
offer a new treatment for a difficultto-treat form of constipation.
DIET TIPS FOR
DIGESTIVE HEALTH
Some simple changes that can
improve your diet and help relieve
constipation:
• Add veggies. You don't have to count
grams of fibre to get the recommended amount. Instead, aim to eat
2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day. Make sandwiches
with roasted veggies, add a salad
instead of fries to your meal, buy
pre-cut vegetables to snack on with
low-fat dip, keep the fruit bowl full
for a handy and healthy snack,
and add chopped, dried fruit to
oatmeal and cereal.
•
Go for grains. Replace white bread, white
rice, and regular pasta
with whole-grain bread
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