Home Remedies For Constipation

What Is Constipation?

If you don't have bowel movements on a regular basis, it's usually due to a lack of water in your stool, which happens when you don't consume enough fluids.

The National Institutes of Health defines constipation as having fewer than three bowel motions per week and having stools that are hard, dry, and tiny, making them uncomfortable and difficult to pass. You may feel compelled to strain or that you have not had a full bowel movement. It may also feel as if your rectum is obstructed.

If these symptoms linger 12 weeks or more, your constipation is likely chronic.

Home Remedies for Constipation

You may be able to cure your constipation without the help of a doctor. It may seem obvious, but your diet has a huge impact on how you defecate.

Consume More Fiber

Fiber thickens and softens feces, making them more easily passed. Increase your fiber intake progressively until you have at least 25 to 34 grams per day. Whole grains (such cereals, breads, and brown rice), legumes, vegetables, and fresh or dried fruits are other good sources. Prunes and bran cereal are tried and proven constipation remedies.

Stay Hydrated

Water is also good for preventing constipation. Aim to consume at least eight glasses of water every day.

Try Coffee

While caffeinated drinks and alcohol may dehydrate you, studies show that a cup of coffee or tea in the morning may be an effective constipation treatment.

Limit high-fat, low-fiber foods

Cheese and other dairy products, processed foods, and meat may all cause constipation.




Techniques To Treat Constipation

Regular exercise

Flowing your body helps to keep your bowels moving

Adjust your toilet posture

Squatting, elevating your legs, or leaning back may allow you to defecate more comfortably

Check your medicine

Many prescription drugs may cause constipation. Ask your doctor whether this is the case and if there is another option.

Biofeedback

Some people get constipated because they automatically contract their muscles when attempting to defecate. A therapist can teach you how to relax the pelvic floor muscles.

Massage

Massaging your tummy in a certain manner may help encourage bowel movements.

Enemas

To soften and flush the contents of your colon, you may use either tap water or an over-the-counter treatment. It is safe to use them to cure constipation, however side effects may occur.

Using enemas too often may cause your colon to "forget" how to move your bowels, perhaps leading to worsening or chronic constipation.

Prebiotics and probiotics

You may have digestive issues, such as constipation, as a result of an imbalance in the bacteria that live in your colon. Prebiotic pills or meals, such as bananas and oats, as well as probiotics like yogurt and fermented foods, may be useful.

Bowel training

When feces enter your rectum, you have the need to evacuate your bowels. When your system goes off, you may need to retrain your bowels to move frequently. To retrain them, do the following:

Find a regular time to use the restroom, especially 10 to 20 minutes after a meal (coffee may help induce the desire to evacuate your bowels).
Sit on the toilet for around 15 minutes.
Don't worry if nothing occurs.
Try to relax.
Repeat the training everyday; if you don't see results after a few days, try using an enema.
Tips for Instant Constipation Relief at Home

Natural Treatments for Constipation

In addition to eating more fiber-rich meals to prevent constipation, there are additional foods and therapies that may help with constipation naturally.

Prunes

In addition to being rich in fiber, prunes contain a lot of the natural sugar alcohol sorbitol, which does not break down easily during digestion. As a result, when sorbitols enter the colon, your body instantly attempts to flush them out with a bowel movement.

Herbal Teas

Green tea and herbal teas, such as peppermint, are another natural remedy for constipation.

Senna

Senna is a natural laxative whose leaves and berries stimulate the digestive system. Do not use senna for more than a week since it might cause your bowels to stop operating correctly. Senna (brand name: Senokot) is often sold in tablet or liquid form and may be added to herbal teas.

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is a fiber-rich food that also serves as a moderate, natural therapy for constipation. It is better to ingest milled flaxseed, which allows your intestines to more easily absorb its fiber, or flaxseed oil.

Laxatives for Constipation

A package of laxatives should not be the first place you go to ease constipation. Reserve laxatives for constipation that persists despite the addition of fiber and water to your diet.

If your doctor advises laxatives, inquire which kind is best for you and how long you should take them. Laxatives should only be used for a brief period of time since you do not want to get reliant on them to use the restroom. Also, inquire about how to gradually discontinue the use of laxatives once they are no longer required. Stopping them too suddenly may impair your colon's capacity to contract.

Laxatives come in a variety of forms

Calcium polycarbophil (Equilactin, Fibercon), methylcellulose fiber (Citrucel), psyllium (Fiber-Lax, Konsyl, Metamucil), and wheat dextrin (Benefiber) are some of the bulk-forming fiber supplements. Unlike other laxatives, they may be used every day. They make the stool larger and softer. Although fiber supplements are generally safe to take, they may interfere with your body's capacity to absorb certain medications, resulting in bloating, cramps, and gas. Drink plenty of water with these.

Lubricant laxatives, such as Zymenol, assist feces travel more readily through the colon. In general, physicians do not advocate utilizing mineral or castor oils. Mineral oil may create vitamin shortages, whereas castor oil might result in long-term constipation.

Medicines for Constipation

Suppositories are over-the-counter constipation medications meant to be inserted directly into the rectum. They typically work faster than laxatives you take by mouth.

If over-the-counter remedies don’t do the job, your doctor may prescribe a different kind of medication for constipation treatment.

Prescription laxatives such as linaclotide (Linzess), lubiprostone (Amitiza), and plecanatide (Trulance) work by increasing the amount of water in your intestines and speeding up the movement of stool. Note that Amitiza is approved for use only in women.

Serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptors. Prucalopride (Motegrity) is a powerful stimulant that’s used for chronic constipation without a known cause.

PAMORAs. This is a shorter way of saying “peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists.” These work on constipation that’s caused by opioid pain medicines. These drugs include methylnaltrexone (Relistor) and naloxegol (Movantik).

According to some estimates, almost 4 million Americans have constipation on a regular basis. Women experience constipation more often than males. This may be due to the slower transit of food through a woman's intestines, as well as the impact of female hormones on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.