Irregular Bowel Movement

Almost 3 million people seek help from physicians annually due to irregular bowel movement.

Irregular bowel movement or constipation is one of the most common gastroenterological symptoms treated by doctors. Almost 3 million people seek help from physicians annually due to irregular bowel movement. This doesn't include the millions of people that self medicate or use natural products and diet to correct the problem.

The word or term constipation has varied meanings. If a person has fewer than three spontaneous bowel movements per week, that is considered constipation. When the stool is to hard or too small that may be considered constipation. When excessive straining is needed to have a bowel movement that may be constipation. If after a bowel movement there is a sense there is an incomplete bowel movement that could be constipation.

The older we get the more likely we will have a problem with irregular bowel movements. At the age of 65 approximately a third of people have a problem with irregular bowel movements. The percentage of people having constipation swells to over 50 percent at age 80. In most of the cases of constipation no cause can be found.

Two of the culprits that can cause problems with bowel movements are an incomplete bowel movement are lack of fiber and to many refined sugar calories. Consuming foods rich in animal fats (dairy products, meats, and eggs) can cause constipation.

Two other things that causes constipation is the fear of using a public toilet or suppressing a bowel movement because we are busy or just don't want to take the time when we have the urge. This is called poor bowel habits and can lead to a poor bowel movement.  If we ignore the need to have a bowel movement it can start a cycle of constipation. After we eat a large meal we will have an urge to have a bowel movement, this is called gastrocolic reflex. If we ignore this urge it can also lead to constipation. The frequency of the bowel movement is important.

This is a biggie and so easy to correct, the lack of exercise and not drinking enough fluids, preferable water, can cause constipation and the feeling of an incomplete bowel movement.

Some prescription drugs and over the counter medications can cause constipation or irregular bowel movement. Some of these are, but not limited to, antacids containing aluminum, calcium channel blockers to treat high blood pressure, antidepressants, and drugs to treat pain.

You are thinking, okay I've got a problem but what can I do about it?

The best thing to do is first go over your medical history with your doctor to identify or eliminate anything that could be causing the constipation. Then after a physical examination, with blood test, illnesses like thyroid problems, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and cancer can be excluded. The good news is, in most cases these big bad guys are not the culprits.

Our goal here is to use natural means to regularize, increase the frequency of bowel movement and obtain normal bowel movements. This will in most cases mean changing your diet to include the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and cereals. Cooked fruits and vegetables will help, but raw fruits and vegetables are better. Whole fruit and vegetable juices are good way to get more of these fiber and nutrient filled items into your system and eliminate constipation.

You can increase bulk in your diet by taking psyllium (Metamucil) or methylcellulose (Fibercon). These can be taken up to three times a day with a full glass of water. These are not a laxative or stimulate and are only used to bulk up your diet and relieve your irregular bowel movement.

Never ever suppress a bowel movement. If you have an urge for a bowel movement, don't ignore it. This will help get you back to good bowel habits and on the road to solving your constipation.

You can make a mixture using equal parts of ground flax seed, sesame seed and hulled sunflower seed. Eat about one tablespoon of this mixture three times a day or it can be added to you whole grain cereal, oatmeal or salad. This will add fiber to your daily diet, omega-3 fatty acids (good fat) and naturally vitamin E and decrease your constipation problems..

Changing your diet to provide more fiber, increasing your water consumption and getting more exercise is the best way to alleviate irregular bowel movement. If this fails you can try an over the counter laxative but these should not be used over a long period of time due to health concerns.

Stop Irregular Movements

 

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