Constipation means different things for different people, however many people recognize it as infrequent bowel movements. For other people constipation means hard stool, or difficultly passing stool. Medically speaking constipation is defined as having less than 3 bowel movements a week and have dry stool that are small in size.
Author: Jay W. Marks, M.D.
http://www.medicinenet.com
Symptoms
Infrequent bowel movements which are hard and dry.
Bloating
Causes
Holding off on bowel movements - Sometimes people avoid a bowel movement because sometimes a bathroom isn't always available. What usually ends up happening is that the urge goes away. This will often lead to constipation.
Not Enough Fiber in your diet - The most common cause of constipation is often poor diet. People who have a high fiber diet normally suffer from constipation a lot less than those who have very little fiber in their diet. Both soluble and insoluble fiber which can be found in many fruits and vegetable help prevent hard, dry stool that many be very hard to pass.
Dehydration - Not enough liquids in a persons diet also play a factor in constipation. Research shows that a number of people found some relief in increasing the amount of fluids they drink such as juices and waters. People who have problems with constipation should try and drink liquids everyday however should gear away from liquids that contain caffeine of alcohol, as these tend to worsen the condition.
Use of Medications - Medications often cause constipation including:
Pain killers
Antacids that have aluminum and calcium
Blood pressure medications
Anti parkinson drugs
Antidepressants
Iron supplements
Anticonvulsants
Changes in lifestyles -
Women often times suffer from constipation while pregnant because of hormonal changes. Changes in normal diet and daily routine also lead to constipation.
Abuse of laxatives -
Although people may feel relief from the use of over the counter laxatives, the truth is that people sometimes become dependent on them. As a result, they loose their functionality which causes constipation.
Treatment
Since constipation is caused by different things, treatment varies from person to person.
Diet -
A diet with enough fiber allows you to pass softer and gentler stools.
Life Style Changes -
Eliminating junk food, the use of caffeine and alcohol and drinking enough fluids can reduce constipation. In addition, passing stool whenever you have the urge and not ignoring it.
Cutting back or discontinuing some medications.
Exercising
Colon Cleansing -
Colon cleansers that usually contain ingredients like cascara sagrada, senna extract, oat fiber, yellow dock among many more all act work to assist the body in the proper elimination of backed up toxic waste in the colon. Fenugreek seed works by triggering contractions on the intestinal muscle while other ingredients like aloe vera work to sooth and gently push waste out.
What to expect while you Detoxify
Many customers report improved, more productive bowel movements and excretion of long hard, extremely unusual fecal matter. This is normal during a detoxification process and you should not be alarmed. You are simply excreting the waste that has built up over the years. The amount of time after detoxification begins and such excretions occur is different for everyone, as everyone's body is different.
It is also normal when detoxifying to seemingly feel worse before you feel better. You may experience fatigue, headaches, intestinal and digestive stress, and mood swings during your detoxification. Do not be alarmed. These are signs that the detoxification process has taken effect. You are likely to start feeling better, then as more toxins buried deeper start to come out some additional negative effects may occur but as time goes on you should feel much healthier for longer periods of time.
While continuing to take the supplement it will assist your body in more productive elimination of toxins but as time goes on it's important to address the sources of toxins and make any reasonable adjusts to your lifestyle possible so you can attain the most optimal, healthy you!
