Constipation

Kick constipation

By Jarrett Kruse

Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week. With constipation stools are usually hard, dry, small in size, and difficult to eliminate. Some people who are constipated find it painful to have a bowel movement and often experience straining, bloating, and the sensation of a full bowel. There are many colon disease symptoms that can affect the function of the muscles and nerves of the colon. These include diabetes, scleroderma, Crohn’s disease and fistula. Cancer or narrowing of the colon blocks the colon and can cause a decrease in the flow of stool.

To understand constipation, it helps to know how the colon, or large intestine, works. As food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water from the food while it forms waste products, or stool. Muscle contractions in the colon then push the stool toward the rectum. By the time stool reaches the rectum it is solid, because most of the water has been absorbed. colon health is of the utmost importance in the fight against constipation. Some people think they are constipated if they do not have a bowel movement every day. However, normal stool elimination may be three times a day or three times a week. Almost everyone experiences constipation at some point in their life, and a poor diet typically is the cause.

Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the United States. Treatment constipation with over the counter (OTC) laxatives is by far the most common aid. Almost three-quarters of a billion dollars are spent on laxative products each year in America.  People who eat a high-fiber diet are less likely to become constipated. The most common causes of constipation are a diet low in fiber or a diet high in fats, such as cheese, eggs, and meats. People suffering from constipation also may try to use various colon health supplements or a colon cleanse product to rejuvenate their gastrointestinal system. Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains that the body cannot digest. Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon’s muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly.