Constipation: Questions Answered
Severe or Chronic Constipation is a topic about which you may have a lot of questions. How do I know if I’m constipated? What causes it? How common is it? Are there effective constipation remedies? The answers to these questions may surprise you!
What is Constipation?
Technically speaking, the definition of constipation is the following: if you have 3 or fewer bowel movements in a week, you are constipated. But when doctors evaluate constipation they also (should) listen to subjective symptoms – things they can’t observe in the doctor’s office. Diagnosing constipation isn’t only a matter of frequency. In fact, it is possible to be constipated and yet have frequent diarrhea, at the same time!
Causes of Constipation
There are many different causes of constipation. In fact, “constipation” is technically a symptom of other problems. Probably the biggest causes of constipation are functional issues – sedentary lifestyle, dehydration and improper diet being chief among these.
Many people don’t know that medications can cause constipation. They may know that narcotics (opiate-based drugs) often cause it, but did you know that antidepressants can cause symptoms? How about clonidine? Even NSAIDs like Ibuprofen or Naproxen can cause symptoms of constipation.
But the main reason it is so vitally important to go to the doctor, especially for chronic constipation, is that it can be a symptom of physical and neurological causes. Diverticulitis, intestinal lesions, hypothyroidism, diabetes and IBS lead the physical causes. But neurological causes of constipation can include Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), and even spinal chord tumors.
Chronic constipation is also often caused by personal issues – anxiety and depression can directly cause constipation (among other unfortunate stress-related conditions).
Other than the clinical definition, 3 or less bowel movements in a week, there are many subjective symptoms doctors use when diagnosing constipation, including:
- straining while defecating
- incomplete evacuation
- abdominal bloating
- abdominal pain
- hard or small stools
- the need for digital manipulation to have a bowel movement
However, the scary thing is that if you have a hard fecal mass in your gut, it can block normal bowel function. Loose stool can easily slide around the blockage, leading to diarrhea. Go ahead – take an anti-diarrhea medicine in this situation, and see what happens. I strongly recommend you don’t take anti-diarrhea meds, unless you’ve seen your doctor!
Some estimates say that up to 80% of all American adults will have constipation at least once. As many as 30% of the population can be technically constipated at any given time! Is it any wonder, then, that constipation causes 2.5 million doctor visits each year, and people spend a whopping $800 million on laxatives for constipation relief? Some studies say that 92,000 hospitalizations occur every year because of constipation symptoms. Complications from severe or chronic constipation can, in rare cases, even be fatal…
In other words, you are far from alone in having this problem, even though we really don’t like to talk about having constipation.
Usually the prescription for treating constipation symptoms include a high fiber/low fat diet with exercise or changing medications that may be causing symptoms. Of course, if the problem is actually another medical condition like hypothyroidism, treating that can offer relief as well. Doctors might also recommend probiotic supplements to temporarily restore proper balance of “good gut bugs”, especially after taking antibiotics.
But the worst of the modern treatments for constipation are laxatives, enemas and colon flushing – often done without consulting a doctor. This can lead to missing a diagnosis of an underlying condition! But other problems caused by these treatments include:
- Laxatives use harsh chemicals to force bowel muscles to evacuate fecal matter – a bowel movement. But in addition to being artificial and potentially unhealthy, they can also train your body to have a movement only on the drugs. That’s the opposite of what you want!
- Enemas can be bought over the counter, and carry the same risks as laxatives. It may look like water, but check the active ingredients on the bottle! You’ll see that it is not a gentle, wholesome solution.
- Colon flushing, or intestinal flushing, uses large volumes of water to fill your intestinal tract. This can loosen hard stools, and cause your involuntary muscles to contract powerfully, forcing a bowel movement.
Doctors may sometimes prescribe these treatments to deal with dangerous and immediate problems like impacted colon, but they should never be considered a long-term treatment option without direct orders from your doctor!
A growing body of research is proving that alternative medicine has a lot to offer in dealing with constipation symptoms. Acupuncture, Yoga/Tai Chi, and herbal teas either improve the body’s energy flow and proper functioning, or provide gentle relief of symptoms.No matter the cause of your symptoms, you need to know that there are natural remedies that strengthen your body’s natural functioning, so that whatever is causing constipation, the body takes care of the problem itself!
Restoring Body Equilibrium is the best possible treatment for almost every cause of constipation symptoms. Digestic, for example, has undergone over 8 years of research and testing. Digestic has a powerful ability to cure constipation symptoms, without stressing the body.
The revolutionary formulation is the result of Mother Nature meets Science – and provides immediate relief of constipation. But even more powerful, Digestic helps restore balanced natural function – it isn’t just an immediate relief, it’s a long-term cure.
Digestic is, frankly, a proprietary blend of thoroughly researched ingredients 5 All Natural ancient herbs, in a specific ratio, and these herbs must be harvested each at a specific time to get the most effective blend of essential oils and other organic byproducts, gently relieving and preventing constipation.
If you need immediate relief and/or need a permanent solution to chronic constipation, click here!