Her Check-Up: Constipated? These Could Be The Reasons You’re Not Flushing Out Your System

Constipation can be uncomfortable, painful and not to mention embarrassing. Whether you’re changing your diets, or drinking a tonic, sometimes your best efforts leave you feeling bloated and in discomfort. It may not be the easiest conversation to have with a doctor so here are some of the main factors that could be stopping you from using the toilet: Jet-Set Lifestyle Everyone loves a good holiday, but the trip away can mean a break in your regular bowel movements. Trips to foreign countries can interrupt your diet, meaning your tummy finds it more difficult to digest the new food. Be sure to eat enough fibre rich foods (25g a day for adult women), or pack a fibre rich cereal bar for a boost to your bowel health. Chilling On The Couch If you’ve fallen off the treadmill bandwagon, it might be the time to get back out for a run. Exercise can help your intestines process food more regularly and keep your bowel movements in check. As if you needed one more reason why exercise is good for you! Dehydrated Drinking enough water is crucial to maintaining a healthy tummy. As with any tip to keep up your fibre intake, water bulks with the water to help the food group pass through your system. If you don’t take in enough water, the fibre can easily story in your gut leading to constipation. Pregnant Pause Although pregnancy is an incredible journey, the effects can take some wear and tear on the body. Constipation is a common side-effect of pregnancy. If you’re pregnant and feeling blocked up, keep a diary of foods that affect your condition the most and avoid these in your diet. Feeling Stressed Stress or lack of sleep (or both, since they are so often linked), can wreak havoc on your nervous system, and that interplay may make it much harder to go to the bathroom. Try taking a hot bath with essential oils lavender and ylang ylang to relax your muscles and set you up for a proper night’s sleep. Suffering from IBS Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of colon where the bowel overreacts to a mild stimulus. Triggers can include eating, or the presence of gas, and can cause the bowel to go into spasm. The condition is also reffered to as spastic colon. IBS is characterised by abdominal pain, bloating and irregular bowel habits – including alternating diarrhoea and constipation. A doctor will assess treatment based on the degree of your symptoms. To help in your treatment, try keep a diary of any tummy upsets so you can base a treatment on triggers. There are a number of steps you can take to help your condition, such as dietary changes, stress management or medication. For more information on IBS, check out our breakdown here. As with all health conditions, if you are concerned about your health or have persistent symptoms, be sure to book an appointment with your local doctor.