John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
When should a doctor be consulted for constipation?
Many people have a life-long tendency toward constipation
while
others tend to have occasional constipation alternating
with a normal
bowel pattern or even diarrhea. While mild and intermittent
constipation in these individuals is usually not a cause
for concern,
a doctor should be consulted under the following
circumstances:
A new onset of constipation or recent change in bowel habits
Moderate to severe constipation, or constipation that does not respond to
self-treatment with simple bulking agents that provide fiber
What natural remedies can a person take for constipation?
Mild constipation that does not have an underlying
cause (such
as medications, an underactive thyroid, or colon
obstruction) can
often improve with lifestyle modifications that
include:
Increase fiber in the diet. Fiber improves bowel
function by
adding bulk and softening the stool. Examples of foods that
are high
in fiber content include:
vegetables
fruits (include the skin)
whole grain breads
whole grain cereals
prunes
corn
whole beans (such as kidney beans and pinto beans)
oat bran
corn
barley
over-the-counter fiber supplements can also be taken
Increase fluid intake. Although this is widely recommended as
a treatment for constipation, there are no studies showing that increasing
fluids improves constipation.
Regular exercise such as walking, swimming, or
running. Similar to
increasing fluid intake, although exercise is widely recommended for treating
constipation, there are no studies demonstrating its value.
Hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the
rectum, usually caused by untreated constipation, but occasionally associated
with chronic diarrhea. If untreated, hemorrhoids can
worsen, protruding from the anus. Also known as piles.
Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
Digestion RSS
Healthy Living Tips
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