hello and welcome to math simplified in this video we will talk about how to treat constipation at home constipation is one of the most common digestive problems in the world affecting more than 2.5 million people every year in the united states alone most people think constipation means not having frequent enough bowel movements but in reality constipation is more complicated and more subtle than that with the range of symptoms that you may not always recognize in this video we will talk about the most common reasons why constipation occurs and the three simple steps that you can do to prevent and treat constipation we will also discuss about lifestyle modifications that help to relieve constipation people think if they are having bowel movements every day they cannot be constipated but medical definition of constipation actually requires a person to have just one of these symptoms that include less than three bowel movements per week straining to start or complete a power movement stool consistency that looks like rocks and pebbles or a feeling of incomplete emptying constipation can happen for many reasons such as when stools pass through the colon at a slower speed than they should the slower the food moves through the digestive tract the more water the colon will absorb and the harder the feces will become a person who poops fewer than three times per week may have constipation constipation can result from several underlying reasons they can include dietary changes such as low fiber intake or not drinking enough fluids eating excessive meat or chicken history of colon surgery diabetes history of gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowl syndrome history of pelvic floor disorders or history of intestinal obstruction and pregnancy it can also result from taking certain medications such as aluminium and calcium containing antacids anti-convulsants calcium channel blockers diuretics iron supplements narcotic pain medications and medicines used to treat parkinson's disease another very common reason of constipation is physical inactivity lower levels of physical activity may also lead to constipation some past studies have found that physically fit people including marathon runners are less likely to experience constipation than other people although the exact reasons for this remain unclear a study from 2013 concluded that increasing physical activity in the form of regular exercise helps to improve constipation among older adults people who spend several days or weeks in bed or sitting in a chair due to some medical conditions have a higher risk of constipation dehydration is one of the most common causes of chronic constipation the food you eat makes it way from your stomach to the large intestines or colon if you don't have enough water in your body already the large intestine soaks up water from your food waste this makes you have hard stools that are difficult to pass sometimes the movement of colon slows for no known reason leading to constipation so usually the most common cause of constipation is low intake of fiber people with a high intake of dietary fiber are less likely to experience constipation and that brings us to the first point about how to prevent and treat constipation which is dietary modifications dietary modification is the most important step to treat constipation it is more important than any other medicine you can take because medicines can only improve the short term episode of constipation in most of the cases the real reason behind why you get constipated is because of the poor dietary choices in the form of low intake of fiber excessive consumption of junk food and foods high in fat and sugar so the first and foremost dietary modification that you should implement is addition of more fiber to your diet this is because fiber promotes regular bowel movements especially when a person combines it with proper hydration dietary fiber increases the weight and size of your stools and softens them a bulky stool is easier to pass decreasing your chance of constipation the average american adult gets about 15 grams of fiber daily much less than we actually need according to the american dietic association women younger than 51 should aim for 25 grams of fiber daily and men younger than 51 should aim for 38 grams of fiber daily high fiber foods include fruits vegetables whole grains nuts lentils chickpeas and other legumes low fiber foods include high fat food such as cheese meat and eggs highly processed foods such as white bread and fast foods chips and other pre-made foods the next dietary change we will focus on is drinking plenty of water you should drink plenty of water and other liquids such as naturally sweetened fruit and vegetable juices and clear soups that will help you to help the fiber work better this change should make your stools softer and easier to pass when your body is properly hydrated less water will be withdrawn from the colon this will keep your stools soft and easy to pass another dietary modification is to include probiotics in your diet as some of you may know our gut contains healthy bacteria that are normal commensals of our body and are very important for the proper digestion of food probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system many types of bacteria are classified as probiotics they all have different benefits but most come from two groups lactobacillus and bifidobacterium the most important role of probiotics is in treating antibiotic induced diarrhea because when we take antibiotics for longer duration it damages the good bacteria in our gut which can lead to malabsorption and ultimately diarrhea well the question here is do probiotics provide relief from constipation researchers at king's college in london did a study in which they divided people who had constipation into two groups one group was given probiotics for two weeks and the second group didn't receive the probiotics the researchers found that probiotics increased the number of weekly ball movements and helped soften the stools making them easier to pass probiotics that contained bifidobacterium appear to be the most effective this study was published in the american journal of clinical nutrition i have included links to some of the best probiotics in the description box down below so make sure to check them out now let's look at some foods that you should avoid to prevent constipation and the number one in the list is alcohol alcohol is frequently mentioned as a likely cause of constipation that's because if you drink alcohol in large amounts it can increase the amount of fluids lost through your urine causing dehydration poor hydration either due to not drinking enough water or losing too much of it through urine is often linked to an increased risk of constipation another type of foods that you should avoid to prevent constipation is gluten containing foods gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat barley and rye some people may experience constipation when they eat foods that contain gluten also some people are intolerant to gluten this is a condition known as gluten intolerance or celiac disease you should also decrease the amount of milk and dairy products that you consume in your diet dairy appears to be another common reason of constipation at least for some people infants toddlers and children appear particularly at risk possibly due to a sensitivity to proteins found in cow's milk and there are reports of similar experiences in adults also you should also decrease your consumption of red meat red meat may worsen constipation due to many reasons first it contains little fiber which adds bulk to the stools and helps to move them along furthermore unlike other types of meat such as poultry and fish red meat generally contains higher amounts of fat and high fat foods take longer for the body to digest in some cases this may increase the likelihood of constipation even further other types of foods that you should avoid if you suffer from constipation are fried or fast foods and processed grains so now that we have discussed about diet related changes for treating constipation let's talk about some lifestyle modifications you should implement that will help you to manage constipation number one is to exercise regularly according to experts exercise does more than tone your heart and other muscles exercise is essential for regular power movements in fact one of the key things that leads to constipation is inactivity about 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day is optimum number two is stress management stress can contribute to many conditions and constipation is one of them try meditation relaxation going to bed earlier and deep breathing to manage your stress number three is bald retraining bowel retraining is important as it helps people who have chronic constipation it involves trying to go to the bathroom at the same time every day in an attempt to help train your body to have regular bowel movements you will need to set a time each day in which you try to have a bowel movement after several weeks you will ideally have a bowel movement around the same time every day choose a regular time each day to try to have a bald movement as a general rule the best time is 20 to 40 minutes after eating most doctors recommend going in the morning about 20 minutes after eating breakfast spend 10 to 15 minutes on the toilet to see if you can have bowel movement make sure you don't strain as you try to go if you don't pass a stool resume your regular daily activities remember that it can take time to train your bowels so try not to worry about your inability to have a bowel movement at first other minor lifestyle modifications that are proven to be effective to relieve constipation include eating your meals around the same time each day drinking a glass of water right after you wake up do some light exercise such as walking after breakfast and dinner take a 20 minute walk during your lunch break pack a piece of fruit to eat as a snack during the day substitute white bread with whole wheat bread and white rice with brown rice get enough sleep when you have the urge to have a power movement use the bathroom right away don't hold it now that we are done with the diet and lifestyle changes that you should do let's talk about some medication that is used to treat constipation the first line medications that are used to treat constipation are known as laxatives now there are a lot of different types of laxatives with different mechanisms of actions but in simple terms laxatives can be defined as a type of medicine that helps a person empty their bowels laxatives can be taken orally by mouth in the form of liquids tablets or capsules they can also be taken through the rectum for example suppositories and anemias like any medication laxatives can have side effects which we will discuss later laxatives are of different types depending upon their mechanisms of actions broadly laxatives can be divided into four main groups the first one is the bulk forming laxatives also known as fiber supplements these work in the same way that fiber in a diet normally does fiber works by increasing the water content and bulk of the stools which helps to move it quickly through the colon when taking fiber supplements it is essential to drink enough water they usually take 12 to 14 hours to have an effect adults with constipation should start taking bulk forming laxatives first the next category of laxatives is known as osmotic laxatives the word osmotic is derived from the word osmosis which basically means movement of water osmotic laxatives are small particles which can be proteins fibers or sugar that promote the net movement of water into the center of the colon through the process of osmosis the result of using osmotic laxatives in the intestine is to draw water into the center of the colon resulting in softer and more easily passed stools next we have stimulant laxatives as their name indicates they are stimulants stimulant lactates trigger the intestines to contract and push out the stools and due to their mechanism of action they are fast acting laxatives that induce bowel movements by increasing the contraction of muscles in the intestines and are very effective when used properly the last category of laxatives are known as emollient laxatives also known as tool softeners stool softeners increase bowel movements by helping the water in our colon to mix into the stools easily which prevents dry and hard stool masses these laxatives are effective in reducing straining during passage of souls however they are the least effective option for treating constipation they are best for people with temporary constipation or mild chronic constipation i have included links to some of the best laxatives available online in the description box down below so you can check them out to start the treatment you should first use bulk forming laxatives as they are the safest and quite effective also psyllium husk is a good bulk laxative psyllium is a form of fiber made from husks of seeds of plant known as plantago ovata it is also known as isfal besides keeping your ball movements regular and managing chronic condition of constipation psyllium has the ability to soften your stools provided you drink enough water other examples of bulk laxatives are methyl cellulose and carboxy methyl cellulose in people who don't get relief from bulk laxatives alone the addition of other laxatives is often the next step in the management of constipation and the next type of laxative that is prescribed is usually an osmotic laxative lactulose and polyethylene glycol are most oftenly used osmotic laxatives as they are quite effective and safe the recommended dose of lactulose for adults is 15 to 30 milliliters once or twice daily laterals containing laxatives start working in one day usually loose is a good brand that contains lactulose and miralax and lactolite are some good brands that contain polyethylene glycol if the patient still doesn't get relief from constipation the next step is to add a stimulant laxative stimulant laxatives increase intestinal motility and intestinal secretion they begin working within a few hours bisacodyl is a good and safe stimulant laxative that is available over the counter by the brand name dulcolax visacodel is a useful laxative especially suitable for single dose used in patients with temporary constipation another example of stimulant laxative is sodium picosulfate widely available under the brand names cremafin and cremalax it is quite effective but can cause diarrhea and loose tools if you still don't get relief from constipation or you have severe chronic constipation interventions like enemas and suppositories can be tried animals are rectal injections of fluids intended to cleanse or stimulate the emptying of your bowel suppositories are solid medications that are inserted in the body through the rectum suppositories contain one or other type of laxatives usually stimulant laxatives like bisacotyl and stool softeners like sodium docusite another drug that is recently launched for treating constipation is lubi prostone lubiprostone increases water secretion in the intestine which makes the stool soft and it also increases the speed at which the food moves through our colon it comes by the brand names lubilax and luber well it is given in a dose of 8 to 24 micrograms twice daily so i hope friends with this video i was able to give you some information about constipation and its treatment if you found this video helpful make sure to support us by becoming a member of our channel or joining our community at patreon.comsimplified also you can share this video with someone who might find it useful thank you so much for watching see you in the next video
