Constipation causes a lot of problems. It causes discomfort in the stomach, spoils the mood. Treatment of constipation in adults is necessary. Fecal masses, being in the intestines, poison its walls. Because of this, people become depressed, experience fatigue, depression, headaches.
Prevalence, risk factors and signs
Statistics show that 20% of the world's population is constipated. They often occur due to age-related characteristics, pregnancy. More than 60% of people over 65 indicate the presence of such an unpleasant symptom. Among pregnant women, approximately 50% of women complain of constipation. A disorder in the motor function of the intestine can also be caused by various diseases.
Age, pregnancies, illnesses are all considered risk factors. They also include:
- operations on the organs of the small pelvis and abdominal cavity, which were transferred relatively recently;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- malnutrition (insufficient fluid intake, dietary fiber);
- applicationsome medicines (for example, Almagel), simultaneous intake of a large number of drugs.
General practitioners who deal with the symptoms and treatment of constipation in adults note that this condition is characterized by a decrease in bowel movements. In medicine, the frequency of urges is normal - from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. If acts of defecation occur less than 4 times a week, then this is already constipation. People who encounter this condition supplement this definition of specialists with several signs. First, the consistency of the stool changes. It becomes hard, fragmented. Secondly, there is a feeling of incomplete emptying of the intestine, pain is felt. Thirdly, with constipation, you have to strain hard during the act of defecation.
The need for constipation treatment: looking after appearance and liver function
If there is a decrease in the acts of defecation, then it is necessary to take measures. There are several reasons for treating constipation in adults. First of all, the work of the intestine affects the appearance. Due to constipation, the face acquires an unhe althy color. Due to the feces in the intestines, toxic substances begin to accumulate in the body. They poison the body, cause metabolic disorders, incomplete absorption of minerals and vitamins. As a result, toxins cannot leave the body naturally. They go through the skin, causing premature aging. Constipation is one of the reasons why people look much older than their years.
Violation of acts of defecation negatively affectsliver. This internal organ neutralizes toxins, but with excessive amounts of them, it ceases to cope with its functions. After the liver, all other internal organs begin to suffer, because the barrier to poisons disappears, and they spread throughout the body, affecting all systems, the brain. Constipation is especially dangerous for those people whose liver function is initially impaired due to any existing diseases. Toxic substances begin to affect internal organs much earlier.
Cancer Prevention
Treatment of constipation in adults is also necessary because of this problem increases the likelihood of developing cancer. At the moment, modern medicine does not know the mechanisms for the onset and progression of oncology. However, there is one assumption of experts. Many modern products contain carcinogens. With constipation, these harmful substances linger in the intestines. The duration of their negative effects increases, so the likelihood of developing cancer increases.
Oncology that affects the intestines, as a rule, always manifests itself in the later stages. Very often, cancer is diagnosed in older people. It is important to understand here that a malignant disease occurs at the age of 60 or 70 not because of any one product containing carcinogens. The way of life that a person has observed throughout the years leads to oncological disease. In youth, people do not feel the harmful effects of fast food, refined foods. However, this does not mean that there is no negative impact at all. Exposure to carcinogensbegins with imperceptible and imperceptible changes in the intestines at a young age.
Diet therapy for constipation
When the intestinal motor function is disturbed, you need to reconsider your diet, because it may be the cause of constipation in adults. And then the treatment will need a simple - diet therapy. First of all, it is worth learning about products that delay the emptying process. This is:
- fatty meats;
- mucus soups;
- canned foods, smoked meats, spicy dishes;
- buns, fresh white bread made from premium flour;
- potatoes, vermicelli, rice and semolina porridge;
- strong coffee and tea, cocoa, jelly;
- chocolate;
- astringent fruits and berries (pear, pomegranate, blueberry, quince).
All of the above products are excluded from the diet in the treatment of constipation in adults. Additionally, legumes, cabbage dishes, spinach, sorrel, grape and apple juices are temporarily removed from it. These foods increase gas production. This means that they can cause pain in the abdomen when constipated.
The menu for such an unpleasant problem is made up of products that stimulate bowel movements. These include:
- bananas, dried apricots, prunes, kiwi, non-sour apples, dates, figs;
- lactic acid products (kefir, curdled milk);
- foods rich in vegetable fiber (buckwheat, oatmeal, pearl barley, diet bread with wheat bran, zucchini, beets, pumpkin, carrots, etc.)e.).
Be sure to drink more fluids with constipation. Experts who are faced with the causes and treatment of constipation in adults recommend consuming at least 2 liters. Additionally, they advise eating wheat bran. This product retains water in the intestines, making its contents more liquid. In the diet, first include 3 teaspoons of bran. Then this dose is gradually increased, bringing it to a total of 3-6 tablespoons.
Being active
Many modern people lead a sedentary lifestyle. He is extremely dangerous. Physical inactivity negatively affects all internal organs. It also affects the intestines. Due to a sedentary lifestyle, constipation occurs. To eliminate and prevent this delicate problem, you must at least do exercises in the morning. People who want to radically change their lifestyle should consider signing up for a gym or swimming pool.
If you plan to diversify your days only with exercises, then it can include special exercises that are just useful in the prevention and treatment of constipation in adults at home:
- Lie on your back. Bend your knees and begin leg movements that mimic cycling. Run 30 times.
- Lie on your back. Bend your knees. Pull them to your stomach with your hands. Return your legs to their original position. Repeat exercise 10 times.
- Keep on your back. Keep your legs bent at the knees. Bring and spread your knees. Repeat this movement 20 times.
- Kneel down and place your hands on the floor. The spine should be parallel to the floor. Raise the right leg bent at the knee, and then lower it and raise the left. Raise each leg 10 times.
There is another exercise that can help the intestines to restore their normal functions. It consists in making pushes with the stomach. First, take a breath, while drawing in the stomach. Then throw the stomach forward and immediately exhale. Perform this exercise 10 times before each evacuation of the chair.
Additionally useful self-massage of the abdomen. It is done in the morning in bed. Self-massage is carried out along the sections of the large intestine (i.e., clockwise), slightly pressing on the stomach. It is important to remember that you should never push straight down. Massage for 10 minutes.
Medicines from the garden
Almost instantaneous treatment of constipation in adults with folk remedies is possible when using beets. Juice is prepared from this vegetable and taken twice a day. A single serving can be from 50 to 200 g (i.e. from a small shot of vodka to a regular glass). However, it is important to know that with a large dose of beetroot juice, you may feel a slight malaise, dizziness, and nausea. For the first time, it is recommended to take about 50 g of juice. You can also dilute it with some additional ingredient. Beetroot juice goes well with carrot juice.
Decoction of carrot seeds - a medicine that can be taken if adult constipation occurs for non-dangerous reasons. For treatment with a folk remedy, you need 1 tablespoonPour a spoonful of seeds with 1 cup of boiling water. The container is then covered, and the infusion is steamed all night. After waking up, the product is filtered, heated and drunk hot, 1 glass three times a day.
There is another folk recipe using vegetables and berries from the garden. In accordance with it, a remedy for constipation is prepared on the basis of carrots (100 g) and prunes (100 g). Additionally, unsweetened yogurt (30 g) without any flavors and senna leaves (30 g) are required. The last ingredient is sold in pharmacies. So, how to prepare and take a remedy for constipation from all of the listed ingredients? The sequence of actions is as follows:
- grate carrots with a fine grater;
- grind prunes;
- combine prepared vegetable and berry with senna leaves;
- pour the mixture with yogurt;
- take the prepared remedy twice a day for 30 g.
Decoctions, infusions from medicinal plants
In alternative medicine, constipation in adults is treated with folk remedies. Medicines are prepared from various herbs, flowers, fruits, roots. Some sample recipes are shown in the table below.
| Recipe number | Required Ingredients | Number of ingredients | Cooking Means | Receiving funds |
| 1 | Brittle buckthorn bark | 30g | Pour water into a container, put onstove and bring to a boil. Remove from fire. Pour buckthorn bark, fennel fruits and anise grass into the water. Close the lid and leave for half an hour. | Drink the infusion before going to bed, 150 ml each. |
| Anise Grass | 10g | |||
| Water | 0.5 l | |||
| Crushed fennel fruit | 10g | |||
| 2 | Grass sweet clover | 20g | Bring water to a boil. Pour prepared vegetable raw materials (melilot grass and nettle leaves) into it. Cover the container with a lid. Infuse for half an hour. | Drink before bedtime. Recommended serving - 100 ml. |
| Dioecious nettle leaves | 20g | |||
| Water | 0, 3 l | |||
| 3 | Camomile flowers | 20g | Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Pour all the necessary herbal ingredients into it. Infuse the medicine for 1 hour. | You can take this folk remedy 100 ml twice a day on an empty stomach. |
| Yarrow herb | 20g | |||
| Crushed buckthorn bark | 20g | |||
| Water | 0, 6 l | |||
| 4 | Bark of buckthorn | 30g | Vegetable raw materials together with figs pour a glass of boiling water. Steep the medicine for 20 minutes and then strain. | Means to drink half a glass at night. |
| Dioecious nettle leaves | 20g | |||
| Yarrow herb | 10r | |||
| Figs | 20g |
Laxatives
On the shelves of modern pharmacies there is a huge amount of laxatives that can help as quickly as possible in the treatment of constipation in adults. Reviews of many drugs indicate that these drugs are really effective.
All existing laxatives are usually divided into 4 groups:
- Causing chemical irritation of the intestinal receptor apparatus. These drugs include "Regulax", "Dulcolax" and others.
- Possessing osmotic properties. In these agents, the mechanism of action is based on an increase in osmotic pressure in the intestinal lumen. This keeps water in the intestines. As a result, the feces are liquefied. Their movement through the intestines is accelerated. An example of a drug is Forlax.
- Increasing the volume of intestinal contents. Such preparations contain ballast substances. They absorb and retain water, soften the intestinal contents, increase the volume of feces and thereby increase the mechanical pressure on the walls of the intestine. One of these medicines is Mucofalk.
- Contributing to the softening of feces and its sliding. This group of products includes oils and preparations based on them.
Laxatives may not be for everyone. The drugs have certain contraindications (for example, pregnancy, fever, inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity). In addition, for the treatmentchronic constipation in adults may require completely different methods (eg, surgery). Before buying this or that medicine in a pharmacy, you should always consult with your doctor.
Probiotic use
Modern man lives in rather difficult conditions. Due to the busy rhythm of life, one has to eat improperly, experience constant stress and anxiety, face various diseases, and take medications. All this often provokes malfunctions in the body. One of these failures is a violation of the condition of the intestine. To restore its work, probiotics are used.
The named remedy is not a medicine. This term refers to live microorganisms that can be included in food products, food supplements. Probiotics are designed to help the human body with gastrointestinal upset. They can help to quickly treat adult constipation at home.
Food, live microorganism supplements are safe. This is confirmed by expert research. Even pregnant women can take probiotics. For women in position, most laxatives are contraindicated. For example, stimulant laxatives can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and irritant laxatives can provoke reflex contractions. Probiotics do not cause these unwanted side effects.
Probiotics can be purchased at pharmacies or hypermarkets as part of fermented milk products. As an example, suchnutritional supplements like RioFlora Immuno Neo and RioFlora Balance Neo. These products contain 9 and 8 probiotic strains. They can be taken by both pregnant women and other people. These nutritional supplements not only restore the functioning of the digestive tract, but also help strengthen the immune system, prevent intestinal disorders when taking antibiotics.
Using an enema
One of the effective methods of treating constipation in adults at home has long been considered an enema. To set it up, you will need an Esmarch mug or a pear-shaped rubber balloon with a soft tip and 0.5–1 l of warm boiled water (recommended temperature is 37 degrees) with the addition of 30 ml of lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons). The procedure is as follows:
- A person suffering from constipation lies on his left side, bends his right knee at about 90 degrees, and begins to carefully insert the enema tip, pre-lubricated with Vaseline, to a depth of no more than 5-10 cm;
- when administering an enema, gently massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction;
- after the procedure, quietly gets up and walks around the room;
- goes to the toilet for a bowel movement after about 5-10 minutes.
Enemas should never be done all the time. They are effective for constipation, but at the same time cause the development of lazy bowel syndrome, provoke a violation of intestinal motility and bacterial balance of the mucous membrane.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that you can tryget rid of it yourself only if it arose quite suddenly, unexpectedly. If this problem torments very often, then the help of a specialist is needed. Only a competent doctor will determine the exact causes of constipation in adults and prescribe the correct treatment.
