Everyone has been through constipation at one point of time in their lives or another. Constipation, however, can be a very ambiguous term. Some people will refer to simply straining during stools, while others will say that it is hard stools and others yet will say it is the uneasiness of the incomplete emptying of a bowel movement. While all of these are types of constipation, they are more specifically types of acute constipation, and could be a symptom of an underlying condition that must be looked at thoroughly and immediately.
To understand what constipation is, we need to get a basic idea of how the digestive system works. When you consume food, the food is passed into the stomach where it is “broken down”. This processed food is then moved along the small intestine where most nutrients from the food are taken into the body. The food will then move into the colon where some water from the processed food is removed allowing the stool to be formed. However, if too much water has been removed, then the stool may become too hard and unable to flow through the colon.
A number of old school physicians will put constipation simply down to an inadequate intake of fiber. While this is one of the possible causes a person is suffering through constipation, acute or chronic, it is by no means the only one. Other cause would include a decrease in the amount of fluids, and a change in the levels of physical activity. Sometimes even simple stress can be the key that figuratively “shuts the door”. However, allergies and reactions to medication have also been known to be contributing factors to this uncomfortable condition. Even though the frequency of bowel movements decreases with age, most studies have shown an average of one bowel movement a day for the normal person. Suppressing the urge can also lead to a bout of constipation.
A few effective home remedies that will come in handy are: