You suffer from constipation if you have less than two or three bowel movements a week, or if the stool is too hard. It can be accompanied by a sensation of incomplete or painful evacuation and this can happen for at least three months, not necessarily consecutively. It is considered chronic when it is suffered for years. Constipation is associated with abdominal discomfort, flatus, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, etc. It is a very frequent discomfort, especially in women and the elderly.
What are the most common causes of constipation? Diet low in fiber, lack of physical exercise, insufficient fluid intake per day or delay in going to the bathroom when the urge to defecate is felt.
7 Tips to stop being a constipated woman
- Drink a lot, at least two liters of liquid a day: water, vegetable broths, fruit juices, infusions, etc. Drink one to two glasses of water or fresh orange juice every morning on an empty stomach, as well as a breakfast of solid foods that stimulate bowel movements.
- Eat slowly and chew your food well. Try to eat at regular times.
- Eat daily foods rich in fiber: vegetables; salad (carrot, celery, lettuce, onion,…); legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas); fruit with skin (plums, cherries, grapes, strawberries, pears, apples, etc.), fruit without skin (oranges, figs); nuts; whole grains (bread, oatmeal, rice…). Prunes and kiwi are the best laxative fruit.
- Limit foods low in fiber such as ice cream, cheese, meat or refined products (white bread, pastries, etc.).
- Eat yogurt every day (preferably with active bifid us). It is not a laxative, but a regulator of the intestine.
- Add a little wheat bran to food, usually vegetables, not yogurt or milk. Start with a small amount, sprinkle a little on the food and then increase; if constipation does not improve, up to 4 tablespoons twice a day. It is convenient to drink a lot of liquid with the bran. The effect of the bran is not immediate and can cause flatulence the first few days, which then disappears.
- Educate the intestine: It is important to always go to the toilet at the same time (after breakfast it is usually easier) and when you feel the need.
- Never repress the need to evacuate, go to the toilet when you feel the call to re-establish the habit of defecating. Take some time, at least 10 minutes, to attempt a bowel movement. If you have hemorrhoids, don’t sit on the toilet for too long. The best position to defecate is to sit on the toilet with your feet a hand’s length off the ground (for example, place a drawer or a low stool).
Tricks to go to the service without suffering
- Avoid making excessive efforts in the evacuation.
- Get moderate physical exercise daily: walk, cycle, swim, dance, do gymnastics, or work in the fields or garden.
- Massages in a circle around the navel (up on the right side and down on the left) and abdominal exercises also stimulate bowel movements.Avoid situations that favor constipation, such as: stress, anxiety and taking certain medications.
- Glycerin suppositories can serve as stool inducers, unlike previous measures that aim to regulate bowel rhythm within a few days.
- Avoid laxatives, including those derived from plants (sienna, cascara, aloe, frenula, rhubarb), they are intestinal irritants and can aggravate your constipation over time, so you should consult your doctor if you take them