Difficulty in passing stool or passes once in 2 / 3 days, stools can be hard or soft is termed as constipation. Even ineffectual urge or a sensation of incomplete stools can be termed as constipation.

CAUSES:

• Modern life style – not eating enough and drinking little water, lack of exercise.
• Emotional or psychological problems.
• Sedentary life.
• Eating too much of meat and dairy products.
• Chronic abuse of laxatives.
• Bottle fed babies.
• Pregnancy.
• Certain drugs like antacids, iron, calcium, blood pressure medications.
• Certain digestive tract diseases.
• School going children are shy to tell teacher, and later develops a habit to ignore the urge.
• Cooking in aluminum, iron vessels.

SIGN AND SYMPTOMS:

• Stools every 2nd or 3rd day.
• Difficulty in expelling feces from rectum.
• Painful evacuation of feces.
• Pain sometimes remains for hours after passing stool.
• Hard stools.
• Occasional blood in stool due to fissure, fistula or piles.

DIETARY MANAGEMENT:

• Drink at least 2-3 liters of water a day.
• Eat high fiber diet – whole grains, bran, oat, green leafy vegetables, peas, beans, potatoes, raw vegetables, salads, dried fruits and fresh fruits.
• Eat fruits and vegetables with the skin.
• Avoid food that can cause constipation like pomegranate etc.
• You can take one spoon fiber, Psyllium (isabgul) in water before retiring to bed.
• Walk after every meals.
• Drink 2- 4 glasses of warm water every morning.
• Limit intake of laxatives.

NOTE

• Do not suppress the urge to pass stools.
• Get a regular time fixed to the toilet.