What is Constipation or what does it mean to be constipated?
Constipation is when you are not having regular bowel movements. There is a misunderstanding as to what regular bowel movements are.
Dr. JJ has some patients who say that they are regular who have only 1 bowel movement per week. He even has some patients that have a BM once every 2 weeks- that's not regular! It's pretty scary to think how much waste is accumulating in your body during that 1- 2 week period.
1-3 bowel movements per day is generally what is considered regular.
What are some of the causes of constipation?
A constipation cause can include:
* Something organic, some people can have some sort of pathology that could be causing the constipation.
* Dehydration
* Certain Drugs like morphine, Tylenol 3 with codeine
* Imbalanced Diet
* Stress
What are some good constipation remedies?
There are a number of approaches for treating constipation:
* Drinking water is a simple and effective constipation remedy
* Having a well balanced "constipation diet" that is high in fibre, will help keep things moving through your digestive system. This diet should include lots of fruits and vegetables. You should try to have a fibre source in every meal. You can also consider taking a fibre supplement like ground flax seed to help relieve constipation. Jennifer takes 2 tablespoons of ground flax every day and that helps to keep her regular.& ;nbsp; Ground hemp is another option to consider. Be careful if you are taking a fibre supplement, particularly one with minerals. If you are taking other medication, the supplement may interfere with the absorption of and medications. If you are going to use a fibre supplement, take it 1-2 hours away from your medication.
* Probiotics are another excellent constipation treatment.
* Magnesium is Dr. JJ's final suggestion for a treatment to get constipation relief.
* Essential Fatty Acids, like fish oil or flax oil, are very important. If you are deficient, you can develop constipation and bowel problems.
Dr. JJ will tailor the treatment plan to the individual.
Dr. JJ does not typically give his patients laxatives. There are a number of herbal laxatives available, because normally he's able to address the issue with the above treatments.
It's very important to work with a health care practitioner when addressing a health issue. They can design a program that takes into consideration your current health, how regular you are and any other medication you may be taking to ensure that the plan is right for you.
What's Dr. JJ taking today:
Magnesium: Dr. JJ takes magnesium for a number of reasons, including helping to relieve muscle spasms. He also gives it to patients to help decrease their blood pressure. Magnesium is also a very good treatment for constipation.
Jennifer once took too much magnesium. She uses a powder form and when she was measuring it out, a little bit extra fell into the water. She drank it anyways, and had very loose bowel movements later that day. It is a very "explosive" treatment. You don't want to take too much magnesium... Jennifer learned that the hard way.