Medtick

General Tips Constipation

  • Diet is very important. Prevention is always better than cure.
  • Eat more fibre
  • Increase your fibre intake to 20-35 g/day (if suitable):
    1. Helps digestion process
    2. Increase absorption of nutrients and food
    3. Lowers cholesterol
    4. Make stool soft and bulky
    5. Control sugar levels in blood.
    6. Control appetite
    7. Eat lots of raw vegetables and fruit, Fibre-fortified, cereals, prunes, apricots, kiwi, prunes, plums, raisins, peas, beans, broccoli, pulses (add to casseroles and salads), whole grain.
    8. Eat more brown foods e.g. brown bread, brown rice, and brown pasta.
  • Lose weight if over weight
  • Drink plenty of fluids. 6-8 glasses of water at least per day (if suitable- patients with heart disease and or Kidney disease should get professional advice first), avoid caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks these products promote dehydration.
  • Do plenty of cardiovascular exercises (30 minutes daily or in divided sessions) e.g. running, cycling and swimming and not stress sport e.g. weightlifting
  • Avoid holding back.
  • Eat regularly, try not to skip meals. It is important not to skip breakfast. Try to eat at least something for breakfast. The bowel usually goes to sleep at night and wakes up in the morning. Eating, drinking and moving around all stimulate the bowel. The most likely time for a bowel action is about 30 minutes after the first meal of the day.
  • Avoid foods that trigger constipation.
  • Try to avoid overuse of laxatives.
  • Spend enough time on toilet to completely empty bowels.
  • Anxiety, stress or feeling down can cause constipation. Try to do a hobby that helps one to relax
    • Pilates
    • Yoga
    • Thai-chi
    • Aromatherapy
    • Acupuncture
    • Reflexology
  • Always wash your hands thoroughly

Wind

  • Peppermint tea may help.
  • If have a lot of wind increase intake of oats and linseeds and papayas
  • Charcoal products (tablets and pads) may help if suitable (they help to absorb gas, but can interfere with absorption of medication, see your pharmacist if unsure)
  • Probiotic yogurts may help, they help to restore the natural flora in one’s stomach (gas release can occur if there is an imbalance of ‘friendly’ bacteria and bad bacteria).

When going to the toilet

  • A “semi-squat” position helps a lot. One of the footstools that toddlers use to reach a sink is ideal, 8-12 inches high (20-30cm). Position this just in front of your toilet and rest your feet flat on the stool, keeping your feet and knees about one foot (30cm) apart. Lean forwards, resting your elbows on your thighs.
  • Try to relax.

Breathing

  • It is important not to hold your breath when trying to open your bowels. Many people are tempted to take a deep breath in and then hold their breath while trying to push. Try to avoid this.
  • Sit on the toilet as described above, relax your shoulders and breathe normally. You may find it easiest to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
  • If you hold your breath and push this is STRAINING and tends to close your bottom more tightly. Also, if you hold your breath, you are limited in how long your can hold this and when you have to take the pressure off and breathe; you tend to be back to square one.
  • If you find that you cannot help straining and holding your breath, try breathing out gently, or humming or reciting a nursery rhyme.

Pushing without Straining

  • The best way to open your bowels is by using your abdominal (stomach) muscles to push. Leaning forward, supporting your elbows on your thighs and breathing gently, relax your shoulders. Make your abdominal muscles bulge outwards to “make your waist wide”. Now use these abdominal muscles as a pump to push backwards and downwards into you bottom. Keep up the gentle but firm pressure.

Relaxing the Back Passage

  • Putting it All Together
    1. Sit properly
    2. Breathe normally
    3. Push from your waist downwards
    4. Relax the back passage
  • Keep this up for about 5 minutes, unless you have a bowel action sooner. If nothing happens, don’t give up. Try again tomorrow. It often takes several weeks of practice until this really starts to work.

For babies who have not yet weaned

  • Give the child extra water (boiled and cooled) between feeds if necessary. With breast milk this may not be necessary , those on formula please consider.
  • Do not dilute baby’s formula any more than the instructions say on the formula package
  • Move baby’s legs in cycling motion (giving baby exercise) and or massage abdomen.

For babies eating food

  • Give the baby plenty of water and fruit drinks.
  • Give the baby chopped and/or puree fruits: apples, grapes, pear (these have sorbitol which acts as a stool softener). Apricot, peach, plums, prunes, strawberry, raspberry may also help.
  • Never force the baby/child one may get stressed and be negative.

For children

  • Train and encourage the child to go to the toilet.
  • Reward them.
  • Never pressure them. They may get over anxious or show negativity.

Natural treatments and tips (DR Axe)

Click on ‘DR Axe Co founder on ANCIENT NUTRITION’  to find out more about natural treatments, home remedies treatments and much more!

  • Simply type the symptom/condition in the search bar and read the informative treatments.
    (please note Medtick is not responsible for the information on external websites)

© Medtick - 2024. All Rights Reserved.