Constipation is a condition in which the bowels are opened too seldom or incompletely. The patient may pass infrequent and hard, dry stools. The desire to void the stools but inability to do so . It is an extremely irritating condition but easy to deal with if the treatment is proper. It is a common complaint and a large number of persons depend on laxatives and even purgatives to clear their bowels. Cigarettes, cigars, tea and coffee are believed to activate the bowels, but it is a wrong notion.
Most people who suffer from constipation do not understand the way human body functions. It leads to associated symptoms like heaviness, headaches, lethargy, loss of appetite, insomnia, depression and apathy. As a matter of fact if the body is unable to expel the waste matter that remains after the digestive organs have taken out leads to putrification and gases which are harmful for its functioning. After the food has been digested it passes into the colon that has greater capacity to absorb the fluids. If the colon loses its tone i.e. if its muscles become weak or inactive, the stools have a tendency to adhere to it and continue to putrify leading to flatulence and other symptoms. Retention of stools could lead to poisoning of the whole system.
How does a purgative or laxative act?
When the purgative passes through digestive tract, it produces, by chemical reaction, new liquids that flush the colon and the stools adhering to it are voided in liquid form. But such substances are habit forming.Treatment: Tips to get rid of constipationAYURVEDIC TIPS
*The treatment of constipation should start in kitchen and not in lavatory.In case of chronic constipation eat more cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, cabbage and fibrous food. The total intake of these should be a minimum of 250 grammes in a day. Eat as you eat salad season it with a pinch of salt, juice of a lemon in order to make it more palatable.
*Food should contain two parts of fruits and vegetables and one part of cereals.
*Boil the milk only once, let it not thicken by overboiling.
*Eat thrice in 24 hrs, but in case you have crossed forty do not exceed two meals a day.Fruits can be taken in between the meals but in reasonable quantities.
*The water intake should be increased. It should be 3 to 4 litres in summer and 1 to 2 litres in winter. A glass of water taken after getting up in morning helps to void the stool easily in constipation.
*Atony of intestine can be cured by exercise. A walk in morning or evening helps.
*Another way to help the intestine to void the stool is to cool it. Take a rough towel and soak in cold water and place it on your lower abdomen. Let the coolness percolate to the abdomen for about 15 minutes.
*Mud packs can also be used. Take about one Kg of clay and knead it into a dough-like consistency and spread it evenly on your lower abdomen from navel to pubes.It should be done before going for a walk.
*Make a habit of visiting the toilet in the morning as soon as you get up. The best course would be to drink about half a litre of water and take a walk for10 to 15 minutes before you visit the toilet immediately after dinner, it may surprise you to hear of the intake of food followed by efforts to void your bowels, but remember it takes 14 to 18 hrs for waste material left after absorption of food into the system to leave the body. The churning of the stomach and the resultant activity of the intestines when you are ingesting food helps relieve constipation. YOGA
There are some asanas which are beneficial in constipation:
Pawan Muktasana:
Lie down the mat. Exhale and stop breathing. Lift left leg, bend it and bring it up to the stomach. Let the knee touch the chin, with rest of the leg touching the chest, press down on the leg, so that stomach and chest receive pressure.Lift your neck and place your chin on the knee. Take long breath in this position initially and then hold the breath and remain as long as you can. Slowly put your head back on the floor. Repeat with right leg.
Effect-as the stomach is pressed it gets well exercised.
Yog mudra:
Sit in padmasana take both your both hands behind the back, hold left wrist with right hand. Bend and touch the floor exhaling slowing slowly. Remain in position for ten seconds; come back to original position inhaling.
