Your Health Saudi Magazine مجلة دليلك الصحي Oct 2013 | Page 39

FACT: Eating a poor diet, not drinking
enough water, or using laxatives
too often can be causes. Also, some
medicines can lead to constipation.
These include some antidepressants,
antacids containing aluminum or
calcium, antihistamines, diuretics, and
antiparkinsonism drugs.
MYTH: Constipation is not a common
problem.
FACT: Constipation is one of the most
common gastrointestinal complaints
in the Saudi Arabia. It often can be
combatted through diet, exercise and
commonly used over-the-counter
products that can help with relief.
MYTH: Can constipation be inherited
from parents?
FACT: Yes and no. A cause of
constipation can be inherited from
parents, grandparents, etc. Such a
cause may be a thyroid deficiency.
However constipation is a symptom
of many disorders and diseases so it
cannot be directly inherited as such.
MYTH: Lack of activity can cause
constipation.
FACT: 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 the 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.

YOUR HEALTH MAGAZINE OCT. 2013 | 39