What should a fourteen year old do about constipation?
This is an embarrassing question, but I have really bad constipation a lot of the time. My parents have been telling me for years to eat right, but I didn't listen because I didn't like healthy foods and it didn't really bother me, but as I've gotten older it's gradually gotten more and more painful. What should I do? My mom is willing to get me medicine for it. We already got Phillips stool softeners but they don't work much. It really hurts and I don't think I can handle it anymore, so I'm willing to do whatever I have to to make it stop. Please don't make fun of me, I know this is a question lots of people would love to make fun of, but I'm hoping a nice nurse or someone will answer. Thank you for your time and for helping me.
First go to a doctor if it as bad as you say. They will adive you on any futher action.
However the proper diet is usually key to solve constipation problems. To help my constipation I usually eat the following foods to help me. Of course not all of them in one sitting – wholemeal bread covered in honey or jam, weetabix, fruit – apples are especially good, hard boiled eggs.
Also natural remedies such as Senna will help too. You can get them in tablet form from most shops.
I hope that helps. I hope it gets better soon.
Relieving Constipation: the Natural Methods
Popular Methods
When it comes to relieving constipation, we are a society expecting quick fixes. We want it out and now, right? Itâs no surprise we spend about 900 million dollars on laxatives each year. Laxatives, though, should be a last resort for many reasons. Since they are available without a prescription we tend to think of them as safe. Unfortunately, they can become habit-forming quickly and they are harmful to your body in the long-term.
Types of Laxatives:
- Bulk laxatives – This is the best type of laxative to relieve constipation for prolonged use. Though usually taking a few days to start working, they can provide some relief. Remember to drink plenty of water. Bulk laxatives include: psyllium husk (available through health food stores), bran, ispaghula husk, and sterculia.
- Stimulant laxatives – These laxatives aim at increasing bowel contractions but can cause stomach cramps as a side effect. These are taken at night to have a morning bowel movement, as they are supposed to work within 6-12 hours. Senna is an example of a stimulant laxative. Although they work to relieve constipation, experts believe the contractions cause weakening of the digestive muscles which will eventually make the problem worse. Since these laxatives cause contractions, they are not safe for pregnant women. Glycerol suppositories are included in this group. Although they are inserted into the rectum, they still act as a stimulant.
- Osmotic laxatives – These go to work at relieving constipation by helping the bowel retain water and by softening the stool. Epsom salts and Milk of Magnesia are osmotic laxatives.
- Lactulose – This medication comes in crystals or liquid form. A type of sugar that isnât digested by the body, Lactulose acts like a fiber and osmotic laxative combined. This type takes up to 3 days to work and may cause cramping and profuse gas.
There are other medications that act as stool softeners, which basically coat the bowel so water doesnât get absorbed from the stool. Since the body naturally removes water from the colon, it isnât suitable as a long-term solution for relieving constipation.
Natural Methods – Fiber In, Fiber Out
Adding fiber to your diet is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, relatively free of constipation. If you think fiber means just eating more bran, think again. You can also add fiber to your diet via fruits (with the skin), green vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds. Nuts and grains are also important because they are a good source of essential fatty acids (especially flaxseed or flax oil) which are wonderful options to relieve constipation naturally.
Adding fiber to your diet may make you feel like a gas-filled balloon at first. If your body has been used to eating white flour, heavy starches, fatty meats, and other low fiber foods, it may take some time to get used to it. Donât give up after one short week. Remember, it probably took years of eating a low fiber diet to make constipation an issue in your intestines. Give fiber a chance! After 14-21 days of including more fiber in your diet, youâll start to wonder why you didnât make it a priority before.
Forming new habits really means youâre getting rid of the old one. If relieving constipation is your goal, youâll want to stay away from the constipation culprits like: white flour, fried foods, sweets, carbonated drinks, alcohol, refined sugars, and cheese.
Maintain Your Flora
No, weâre not talking about your vegetable garden. Good bacterial flora is essential for proper digestion. In fact, if you took all the bacteria in your digestive system and put them all together youâd have a mass the size and weight of a brick. When we abuse laxatives and enemas, we can create havoc on the good bacteria we need to avoid diarrhea and help relieve constipation.
Eating yogurt with live cultures is one way to maintain your flora population. Be sure to read the label of your yogurt container. It should say it contains âlive and active cultures.â If youâd rather not take their word for it, check the ingredients for Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophius.
Refrain From the Strain
With some people, constipation stems from issues with muscle coordination. They seem to contract the anus muscles when they should be relaxing them. There are certain biofeedback methods available for people who suffer with this problem. The treatment is used on those suffering from severe constipation linked directly to this muscle contraction issue.
Weekly Cleansing
Most of the waste matter produced from the food we eat gets passed out within a 72-hour period. Sometimes, up to 30% of that waste can sit in the colon for a week or more. Since retaining waste is not good for the body or health, a weekly cleansing of the colon will go a long way at relieving constipation. Oxy-Powder® is a safe way to clean out any waste that may be loitering in your colon and using it once a week will help improve bowel function. Remember the following: Avoid chemical laxatives. True, they can work for a while but along with those results come the weakened bowels, potentially unsafe contractions, and other nasty side effects. Add fiber to you diet. Fiber bulks up your stool and helps it retain water, which makes it easier to move along. There are many tasty and nutritious sources of fiber from which you can choose, so donât fear that youâll have to eat twigs or acorns or something. Keep a good quantity of bacteria on hand. Especially while undertaking a thorough colon cleansing program, replenish your flora with healthful and yummy yogurt. Relax and go. Donât strain or try to force out impacted waste. You can end up tearing tissue and hurting yourself in the process. Cleanse naturally. Leave the chemicals in your garage where they belong and try a supplement especially suited for the job, one that just helps clean your colon so it can work its best again. Follow these guidelines to help relieve constipation and you can feel great again!
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The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/relieving-constipation-the-natural-methods-89966.html
Tips for Herbal Colon Cleansing
Although herbs have been used for medicinal purposes for years in countries like China and India, their medical significance was not recognized in most of the West. It is only recently that people have started showing interest in these and a lot of research work is being carried out to understand the full potential of these herbs.
If we look at China we will see that the Chinese people not only use herbs as medicines but they also use them extensively in their food. Some claim that such use of herb in diet is the reason behind prolonged lives of the Chinese people. And not only do they live long, they are extremely healthy even at a very old age. Studies have also revealed that Chinese people have a very low rate of heart diseases.
There has been a general rise in the interest levels among many Americans about colon health. Even if it is still considered not a very pleasant topic to talk about but at least now they have the internet where they can learn and understand what the threats are. And what they are seeing is that herbs can play a significant role in ensuring that you have a healthy colon.
The colon cleanse herbs and the herbal laxatives are generally harmless and are alternatives to commercial laxatives. Colon cleanse herbs contain substances which fall under the category of anthraquinones. These would include cascara sagrada, rhubarb, and senna. That the herbs have laxative effects can be attributed to the presence of the anthraquinone substances.
In fact the herbs are quite strong and potent in their action with most herbs starting to show results within half a day of consumption. It would be wise to keep the next two days of your week free as you wouldn’t be able to go outside your home due to the several visits to the toilet that might be necessary. Since the herbs are so powerful you need to take them only in moderate amounts.
It must be understood that some of these herbs have severe side effects and if are used over a long period of time can cause organ damage including your liver, kidneys and the colon.
A sustained use of them can also develop a dependency where you will stop having regular bowel movement without the use of these herbs.
These herbs should also not be taken by pregnant women, nursing others and children.
Colon Cleansers Basics
Colon cleansers are quite simply food, laxatives or procedures, such as a colonic, used to stimulate the bowels into action producing a bowel movement.
Colon cleansers are thought by some to provide relief from toxins that fill our bodies while others believe that colon cleaners are nonsense and a complete waste of time. Some even believe that colon cleansers are harmful to the body as the colon itself was designed to handle a variety of bacteria and works quite naturally.
For those supporters of colon cleansing, it is believed that colon cleaners are good for conditions such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, chronic fatigue, acid reflux (GERD), and even skin and hair problems.
Since most digestive problems are caused by a toxic build-up in the body, it is essential to flush the body of all toxic chemicals. This can only be done effectively with a colon cleanser.
In order to establish a healthy colon, you must regularly clean your colon just like you wash your body or brush your teeth. Food or products meant for colon cleansing are designed to cleanse and scrub the colon ridding the body of the toxins built up and ultimately leading to a healthier and "cleaner" life.
Colon cleansing must be done regularly and often since we are constantly taking in more food which leads to additional build up of toxic waste in the colon.
A common method of colon cleansing is to use specific herbs designed to stimulate action and the colon and get your bowels to move.
A commonly used herb for colon cleansing is senna. It is important to remember that you should not begin a colon cleansing or take herbs without first checking with your physician. At the time of this writing, the use of senna has not been evaluated for use by the FDA but has been used widely for years in more cultural and traditional settings, as opposed to Western medicine, to deal with issues such as constipation or desired colon cleansings.
Besides an herbal supplement colon cleansing other types of colon cleansers include colonics, enemas and cleansing through fasting.
Once you have begun a colon cleansing it is critical to begin to introduce good bacteria into your digestive system. This can be accomplished easily by taking probiotics supplements.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that when taken may improve the microflora of the intestines.
Advocates of colon cleansing believe that once the colon has been cleansed and probiotics have been replaced then the last step is to begin to take herbs, vitamins and minerals and amino acids to completely detoxify every cell in your body.
Once your body has been "cleansed" it is important to prevent your body from becoming toxic again and a healthy way to do so is take a dietary fiber supplement on a regular basis.
Other things that help to maintain a healthy colon include taking probiotics, eating high-fiber diet and daily exercise program.
So do your homework, talk with your physician and decide if colon cleansing is for you.
Why Shouldn’t Colon Cleansing Herbs be used over a Long Period of Time?
The concept of cleansing the colon has been there for sometime now. In fact if we go back in time, the very first mention of colon cleansing can be traced as far back as the Egyptian civilization. In fact the Egyptians believed that the root of all physical ailments can be traced back to the colon. So, most of the treatment that they practiced was targeted in getting the colon work properly.
Practitioners of conventional medicine strongly disagree with such a theory. However, what modern practitioners of alternative medicine tend to put across is that even if not all physical ailments can be traced to an unclean colon, a significant number of diseases are caused because of an unclean colon. There are also a number of people who report a remarkable improvement in their health after a colon cleansing.
One can use colon cleansing herbs to induce bowel movements and thereby clean the colon. Projected as alternatives to commercial laxatives there are genuine risks attached to having such herbs. Some of the most popular colon cleanse herbs are cascara sagrada, rhubarb, senna, etc. All these herbs contain substances called anthraquinones. These are the key substances responsible for the laxative effects of the herbs. But the risks associated in consuming these herbs over a long period of time are serious.
These herbs used as laxatives are quite potent and they start to show action almost as soon as they are administered. Effects begin in anything between six to twelve hours after the first dose. What this suggests is that continuing to have them beyond a week in a row can really be too much for your colon to handle. Your colon should be completely cleansed in a period of seven days. Also if they are to work, they will in the first seven days. So there would be hardly any point in continuing with them if they don’t yield results in a week.
There is also the possibility of you developing a dependency for such kind of products if you continue to use them for longer periods.
The colon cleanse herbs and the herbal laxatives are generally harmless and are alternatives to commercial laxatives. Colon cleanse herbs contain substances which fall under the category of anthraquinones. These would include cascara sagrada, rhubarb, and senna. That the herbs have laxative effects can be attributed to the presence of the anthraquinone substances.
If you don’t think that your problem of constipation is serious and you are not facing any severe ailments which conventional medicine is not adequate to handle, then it is sensible to stay away from the colon cleansing products and therapies. Just increasing fiber content in your regular diet should work.