Constipation refers to the compactness of the stools and the difficulty passing them, not the frequency of bowel movements. The stools are usually hard, dry, small in size, and difficult to eliminate. Some people who are constipated find it painful to have a bowel movement and often experience straining, bloating, and the sensation of a full bowel.

Constipation is not usually a serious disorder. However, there may be other underlying problems causing constipation and, therefore, testing is often recommended.

The diagnosis of chronic constipation will occur when your normal schedule is interrupted.

If you normally go every day, and suddenly can’t have a bowel movement for four or five days, you are constipated. This can be the result of a number of factors.

Understanding Constipation

In other to understand constipation, it is important to understand how our digestive system works. When we eat, food is ground up in our stomachs so it can be digested. This ‘liquid’ food passes into the small intestine where nutrients are extracted. It then moves on to the colon, where water is removed, allowing a stool to form. If too much water is extracted from the stool as it passes through the colon, it can become hard and difficult to pass leaving you constipated.

What causes the constipation?

Constipation is often caused by a lazy colon that does not contract properly and fails to move the stool to the rectum. The colon also can become spastic and remain contracted for a prolonged time. In this case, stool cannot move along. Too much water is absorbed and hard pellet-like stool develops. Constipation also can result from a mechanical obstruction, such as tumors or advanced diverticulosis, a disorder which can distort and narrow the lower-left colon. Other conditions that can produce a sluggish, poorly contracting bowel include: pregnancy, certain drugs, thyroid hormone deficiency, the chronic abuse of laxatives, travel, and stress

One of the main causes of constipation includes lack of water. Other causes include eating foods that are not of nutritional value and lack vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body, excessive amounts of tea and coffee consumption during the day and poor exercise routines.

Unfortunately, age can be a factor of chronic constipation. As the body ages the digestive system naturally slows. This can be a result of a decline in the production of stomach acid and natural stomach enzymes.

What are the symptoms of constipation?

Individual may experience symptoms differently which may include:

* Not having a bowel movement for several days, or passing hard, dry stools

* Abdominal bloating, cramps, or pain

* decreased appetite

* Small liquid or soft stool smears that soil the child’s underwear

How to Prevent, Avoid and Treat Constipation

1. Drink water (at least 6-8 glasses) everyday. Drinking lots of liquids could alleviate the symptoms of constipation. It is more difficult to pass when intestine lack proper hydration because stool may get hard and dry. Drink plenty of water, especially if you are taking supplemental fiber.

2. Stimulate bowels by drinking hot water, tea or coffee. Take a glass of warm milk when going to bed with ghee in it helps also relieving constipation. Ghee pertains to clarified butter without any solid milk particles or water which popular in India and other parts of Asia. Hot beverages, especially ones containing caffeine, may help stimulate.

3. Avoid eating rice, lot of spices, fried and frozen foods, beans, legumes, grams, cabbages, mushrooms and foods, which are hard to digest foods. Consume a high fiber diet made up of lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. If that is not possible, incorporate a dietary fiber supplement such as psyllium hulls, Natures Sunshine’s Nature’s Three or their Irritable Bowel Fiber into your daily health routine. Dietary fiber holds water and help to keep the stool soft, while added bulk help to move the stool through the colon.

4. Begin a regular exercise program to help promote normal bowel movements. Lack of physical exercise may cause constipation. Digestion is enhanced when the abdominal muscles are used. The contraction and relaxation of the muscles help the intestines to effectively move stools through the digestive tract. So any type of regular exercise is a great home remedy for relieving constipation. The best exercise for the prevention or cure constipation is walking.

5. If you are constipated and are feeling uneasy as a result of the constipation then you must drink apple juice all day long. The apple juice helps to relieve the pain and acidity that you may experience as a result of the constipation. It will also ensure that you have a bowel movement within a few hours. This is very effective with children.

6. Consult a doctor if symptoms of fever, severe abdominal pain, continuous vomiting, prolonged bloating, very thin stools, blood in your stools or frequent bouts of constipation occur.