Myths and Facts About Constipation

Constipation is a common problem affecting people of all age groups. It has many definitions according to people understanding and myths. It is correlated with many symptoms and afflictions. Many problems are attributed to constipation and many homemade remedies are used to get over these problems. Basically we lack understanding of process of passing motion and thus have many wrong notions and myths about passing motion.

“There is no standard when it comes to passing motion. Everyone’s system is different, so if you’re concerned about how many times a day you should pass motion, it really depends on your body. Some people pass motion three to four times per day, others pass it once a week – and they’re fine, not sick. Everything from motion’s consistency (soft or hard) and fecal size, to how long it takes the body to pass feces( stools) is based on the individual. At what time one should pass motion is different for different individual and depends upon his food consumption previous day. What’s important is to your track any changes in bowel habits.”

When is time to consult your healthcare provider is when you notice the following changes in bowel habits:

1. Uncomfortable bloating
2. Pain while passing stools
3. Extremely hard stools, difficult to push out, or thin stools
4. Uncontrolled passage of stools, accidents in pants or bed
5. Feeling the colon never completely empties
6. Pooping, or lack thereof, disrupts day-to-day work and functionality

Passing Gas

It’d be hard to talk about passing of motion without mentioning passage of gas, or as some people call it, farting. Like passing stools, gas is related to bacteria in our digestive system, as well as the foods we eat.
“Gas is a by-product of bacteria in our large intestine digesting leftovers of the foods we ate. Bacteria produce hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane. Yes, it’s the methane that explodes, if you fart near a flame. There is no healthy or unhealthy amount of gas. How much gas you pass and the odor largely depends upon what you have eaten.

Foods that Make You pass stools easily

It’s no surprise that what we eat determines how we pass motion, more or less. Eating foods high in fiber is well known for helping ease time spent on the toilet and producing voluminous, bulky stools, sometimes gas, too.

“Fiber, both soluble and insoluble, holds moisture, keeping stools soft and bulky, which allows the colon to gently squeeze your stools through, as opposed to squeezing and straining to pass small hard bowel movements, possibly with cramping and discomfort.

In addition to what you eat, how much you drink can also play a role.“Staying well-hydrated is important. You know you are well-hydrated if you’re urinating every three to five hours, and the urine is barely yellow. Generally, stools stays softer then, too.

You can try these natural laxatives to ease passage of stools for occasional use:

1. Apple juice
2. Coconut milk/juice
3. Aloe vera juice
4. Coffee
5. Tea
6. Fiber supplements

When is constipation a problem ?

1. A sudden and recent change in the routine of passing stools
2. Change in color of stool – black color
3. Change in consistency and shape of feces
4. Blood in stool
5. Loss of weight and appetite along with any of the above symptoms

Don’t be scared or shy in discussing these problems with your physicians as they may indicate development of tumor. These symptoms are more important in patients with family history of cancer. They should not cause worry as they are signs for early check up to catch disease at early stage.