Constipation is one of the most common and most unresolved physical symptoms. There is no particular geographical area where people are not constipated, and it’s prevalent all around the globe. Though many people have made peace with the symptom by drinking large quantities of water early morning or taking laxatives or stool softener and bowel stimulants, that’s not a cure. So, when you don’t drink water, you have a problem that morning. You experience gas, bloating, and discomfort until you have had your water. In this blog post, I discuss how to treat constipation without medication and constipation remedies.
What is constipation?
If your stool is hard and you have to put a lot of pressure to evacuate your bowel, you are constipated. It can be painful, and it creates discomfort, and you are not at ease until you have emptied your bowels. Other physical symptoms occur when constipated, such as low back pains, gas, bloating, hair fall, and spasms in your lower back or hip. It can turn into piles or haemorrhoids, bleeding piles, and fissures when constipation aggravates.
Why does constipation happen?
Some of the main reasons for constipation are lousy food, untimely meals, and insufficient water. Another reason why constipation happens is when capillaries in the large intestines shrink and do not receive adequate blood supply, and your intestines are unable to push stools out.
There are also psychological reasons for constipation. One of the most common psychological reasons for constipation is fear and anxiety, which cause the capillaries to shrink. Sleep disturbances and waking up late are other common reasons for constipation to occur. Workplace stress, frequent flying, and a sedentary lifestyle are also known to create constipation. You will learn how to treat constipation without medication in the points below.
Myths about curing constipation
There is a common belief that drinking large amounts of water every morning, usually about a liter and following it up with 3-4 liters of water during the day, cures constipation, which isn\’t true. Drinking water more than adequate for the body can stress your kidneys.
Another belief is that eating fibrous foods eases constipation. Well! It works sometimes and helps some people, but it is not a cure. Food is necessary for the body only when the body is hungry, and you must know why your body needs food, and that’s when you must eat.
Further, not everyone who doesn’t get to eat fibrous foods is constipated! Some people live only on meat and they have perfect bowels every morning.
How to Treat Constipation without medication
Bowel stimulants, stool softeners, and laxatives soften stools and must be taken daily. Laxatives may help but are addictive with time and may eventually stop providing relief.
There are a few essential steps you need to take to cure constipation. Essentially, these will also help prevent a buildup of gas and bloating.
Exercise:
One of the essential constipation remedies is adequate exercise. Exercises such as walking and climbing help properly circulate blood to every part of the body. This induces proper peristalsis in your large intestines to evacuate toxins in the way it is designed. Exercise eliminates excess gas from the body and prevents bloating. Training, by itself, acts as a bowel stimulant.
Eating:
Eating right is so important and necessary for all of us to follow to be well. It comprises how to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat, all of which are so important for us to know and practice to maintain a healthy body. Overeating can leave us with gas and bloating, which then causes constipation.
How much water is good for us:
Do you know what water does to your body? Water doesn\’t only hydrate your body. Water is one of the best bowel stimulants. It helps your body eliminate toxins. According to Ayurveda, toxins are eliminated from the body in three ways. They are sweat, urine, and stools. If you think I want all the toxins in my body to be eliminated, so I will drink a lot of water, it may not work! First of all, you must know how much water is good for you. Your body has a powerful and robust mechanism that works perfectly. When you abuse your body, it shows. Ayurveda has all the information and knowledge required to know how much water is good for you.
Sleep:
Sleep is one of the essential elements that help us maintain our body clock and crucial constipation remedy. Having a good night\’s sleep must not be just a dream, and you must be able to get into a sound sleep every night. You see how children sleep! When rest happens, they slip into it and wake up when sleep is over. Why can\’t we do the same? Sound sleep is necessary for our body to function correctly. Without proper rest, our body will have an altered bowel system. Things won\’t happen the same way!
Work
The work scenario has changed for many people all over the world. Countless people are spending over 8 hours on their desk jobs, and your body has stagnated sitting on your chair for hours at a stretch without adequate exercise. More people work with a dream of earning quickly so they can retire at 40 and do what they always wanted to do. Work must be done for work’s sake and not with a dream of retiring at 40 and starting something new. With work from home, workplace stress is just a desk away, which is not good.
Emotional Stress
Desk jobs have caused people to become mentally overactive and verbally silent, which is slowly killing communication within the family and necessary socializing. Such behavioral changes can cause a buildup of unexpressed emotions and result in emotional stress, which can cause constipation. One must learn how to balance work and personal life. Therefore, it is vital to destress emotionally every day to stay balanced.
In Conclusion
You can prevent Constipation by watching your thoughts and feelings and maintaining your body with healthy practices so that you can stay healthy and age gracefully. When you know how to treat constipation without depending on stool softener or bowel stimulants and practice the constipation remedies, life is a lot lighter and healthier.
— Dr. Mahesh Krishnamurthy
