Proven, time-tested Ayurvedic treatment for chronic constipation.
Natural, side effect-free relief.
Chronic Constipation can lead to a lot of stress, affecting your normal lifestyle.
- One in five people experiences chronic constipation, a condition that’s increasingly common in women as they get older.
- The findings of a ‘Gut health survey’ by Abbott says that 22% of Indian adults suffer from constipation, with 13% complaining of severe constipation.
Although, one in five people experiences constipation, it affects women more than men. Hormonal changes make women more prone to constipation and makes it more likely to happen in them at certain times, such as pregnancy, in the days preceding menstruation and all the more common after menopause.
Occasional constipation is quite common. Chronic constipation and ongoing constipation is not just uncomfortable, but can cause more serious and long-term complications and significantly affect the quality of life.
Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation
The symptoms of constipation
- Less than three bowel movements in a week
- Hard, dry and lumpy stools
- Straining to have bowel movements
- Painful bowel movements
- A sense of incomplete emptying
- Abdominal pain and bloating
Constipation can present itself with several noticeable symptoms. These include fewer bowel movements, harder stools, difficulty in passing stools, bloating, and discomfort.
How is constipation diagnosed?
Constipation is diagnosed through a combination of medical history, physical exams, and in some cases, additional tests such as blood tests, X-rays, or colonoscopy. Your doctor may ask about primary chronic constipation, meaning constipation with no known cause, and assess whether it is linked to underlying conditions.
Causes of constipation
Constipation often has multiple causes, with common factors including:
1. Medications: Certain drugs like sedatives, iron supplements, opioid painkillers, some antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and even long-term laxative use can worsen constipation.
2. Low Fiber Intake: A diet lacking fiber-rich foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans) can hinder digestion and affect bowel movements.
3. Dehydration: Insufficient fluid intake can lead to dehydration, making stools harder to pass.
4. Underlying Conditions: Various health issues contribute to constipation, such as:
Digestive conditions like Irritable bowel syndrome, Endocrine disorders (e.g., diabetes, hypothyroidism).
Neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s, spinal injury).
5. Structural issues in the digestive tract.
Pregnancy and related hormonal changes.
Identifying the root cause can help in managing constipation effectively.
Natural Remedies for Constipation
For those seeking natural remedies for constipation, lifestyle and dietary adjustments are key:
1.Increase fiber intake: As mentioned earlier, fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes act as natural laxatives. Psyllium husk and flaxseeds are effective remedies to add bulk to stools.
2. Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps keep stools soft and easier to pass. Herbal teas such as ginger or peppermint tea can also aid digestion.
3. Exercise regularly: Physical activity stimulates muscle contractions in the intestines, promoting easier bowel movements.
4. Prunes: Prunes contain sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol that helps soften the stool. Eating a few prunes or drinking prune juice daily can be an effective natural laxative.
5. Warm lemon water: Drinking warm water with lemon juice in the morning can help jumpstart the digestive system and relieve constipation.
6. Immediate relief at home: For immediate constipation relief at home, consider using a castor oil remedy. Consuming 1-2 teaspoons of castor oil can act as a quick natural laxative, providing relief within hours. However, this should be used sparingly.
7. Herbal remedies: Ayurvedic remedies like triphala (a mixture of three fruits) are known for relieving constipation. They help in regulating bowel movements and improving digestive health.
8. Basti (enema therapy): In Ayurveda, Basti is often used as a cleansing method to relieve constipation by clearing accumulated waste from the colon.
Risk factors for Chronic constipation
Factors that may increase your risk of chronic constipation include:
- Old age: Constipation is more common in older adults. This can be attributed to lack of physical activity, use of certain drugs to treat other medical conditions, slower metabolism and less muscle contraction strength along digestive tract in the elderly.
- Gender: Constipation occurs more frequently in women. Changes in a woman’s hormones make them more prone to constipation.
- Stress: Stress hormones can affect gut health and digestion, which can lead to constipation.
- Lack of exercise: Good muscle tone is generally important for regular bowel movements. Lack of exercise can lead to weaker colon muscles that can lead to chronic constipation.
- Resisting or delaying to evacuate: Overriding the urge to pass stool can increase your risk of being constipated as the stool remains in your rectum where it loses more moisture and eventually becomes dry, hard and extremely difficult to eliminate.
- Travel or changes in regular routine: Alterations in your daily routine such as traveling, eating, or going to bed at different times can cause constipation in some people.
- Pregnancy: Pregnant women may become constipated due to an increase in progesterone, which slows digestion, leading to pregnant and constipated discomfort.
- Menopause: Chronic constipation may be the result of declining hormone levels such as estrogen and progesterone in postmenopausal women.
Complications of chronic constipation
For most people constipation rarely causes complications, but people with long-term constipation can develop:
- Hemorrhoids (piles): Chronic constipation may cause people to strain excessively in order to have a bowel movement, which may lead to the development of hemorrhoids in and around the anus.
- Anal fissure: An anal fissure is a small tear in the tissue that lines your anus. An anal fissure most often occurs while you pass large or hard stools or strain to have a bowel movement, both of which are common with constipation.
- Fecal impaction: Chronic constipation can also lead to fecal impaction. This happens when hard stools get stuck in your rectum.
- Rectal prolapse: Over a period, chronic constipation can cause rectal prolapse where a small amount of rectum protrudes from the anus caused by straining when trying to have a bowel movement.
Ayurveda treatment for constipation at UWAY:
The above-mentioned image provides a high-level view of the treatment for chronic constipation. The duration of each stage and the prescribed medicines can vary depending on the patient’s condition.
Constipation may be caused by underlying conditions like diabetes, thyroid disorders, Parkinson’s disease, pregnancy, or the use of certain medications. It is important to differentiate whether it is normal constipation or chronic constipation before starting any medication.
- For normal constipation, our doctors prescribe Ayurvedic medicines like decoctions, churanam’s, or tablets, which can be effective in providing relief.
- For chronic constipation, UWAY follows three specific Ayurvedic protocols, which include:
1. Dietary Modifications: Treatment involves dietary changes tailored to the underlying issues identified during diagnosis.
2. Lifestyle Changes: Depending on the patient’s condition, our UWAY doctors may recommend yoga, meditation, and other lifestyle changes.
3. Ayurvedic Medication: Our UWAY doctors prescribe time-tested, proven classical Ayurvedic medicines from India’s top Ayurvedic medicine manufacturers. So, there is no common prescription for this condition because each patient’s condition is unique.
Our UWAY doctors prescribe personalised treatment plans like Panchakarma (detoxification treatment), Abhyanga (oil massage), or Basti (enema therapy) and combinations of medication recommendations.
Chronic constipation in adults requires a comprehensive approach, addressing not just the symptoms of constipation but also diet and lifestyle factors to achieve long-term relief.
FAQ
Ayurveda medications are usually a very safe and effective option for treating constipation.
At UWAY, our doctors prescribe only proven medicines from well-established and reputed ayurvedic medicine manufacturers. However, just like certain foods do not always agree with everyone, few ayurvedic medicines may cause mild side effects in some patients. This is very rare though. In case you notice any such issue you can always talk to your consulting doctor or our medical team.
Your discussion with our medical advisor can last between 5 to 10 minutes and the doctor consultations can last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
If you are already under treatment for constipation, we require medical records related to the treatment. And details of other medicines you are currently taking, especially for any pre-existing conditions for diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, cardiac issues etc.
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