What Does Constipation Mean?

The food you eat everyday has its benefits for your body. It's nutritional content is used by the different parts of your body to function well. In the complicated process such as digestion, these foods and nutrients are broken down to bits and distributed accordingly among your bodily organs. But like in most process-based systems, digestion also has its own waste products. These can come in the form of feces and urine.

It is important that you regularly move your bowels because they can be harmful to your body if left in too long. They can cause you mental distress and physical discomfort. Also, as in most medical studies, the toxins that you do not get to release can be just as harmful to your internal body health. Therefore you have to understand the causes and possible treatments for constipation.

Constipation is the condition characterized by a difficulty in moving your bowels. It can be a case of bowel movements that are infrequent, meaning you move lesser than three stools within a particular week. But constipation can also be characterized by bowels or stools that are rather harder, which seem more strained when you try to release them.

There are various causes of constipation. Mostly, it is due to insufficient fiber intake. Fiber is needed to help your body get rid of toxins and wastes from your stomach to be released when you move your bowel. Low water intake can just as well cause constipation as it would make digesting your food difficult. A diet of mostly meat and with lesser vegetables can also cause constipation.

In some cases, you may be taking medicines that hinder the frequent and easy passing of your bowels. Narcotics and antidepressants definitely have this particular effect. Iron supplements can also suppress your bowels as well as calcium blockers.

While constipation is not an urgent matter, it is still important that you do not take it for granted especially if it has become a chronic condition. Laxatives and fiber supplements are some of the popular medications that you can take to boost your bowel movement. But then, you can actually treat it with a simple change in your diet. Eat more leafy vegetables and fiber-rich foods. You can also lessen your meat produces and increase your water intake. What is best is for you to completely revise your lifestyle so that your digestion would not be compromised. Your trusted doctor can help you deal with this problem, ask him or her to find the best solution.