Constipation can be a frustrating and uncomfortable problem. Part of the discomfort associated with constipation can involve discussing your problem with a healthcare professional such as your doctor. This can lead people to seek to try self-care solutions to their constipation problems.
Two of the more common strategies that people employ to address the problem of constipation are changes in their diet or the use of over-the-counter medications.
Adding considerable amounts of dietary fiber to one’s diet can prove to be an effective way to improve the way that one’s digestive system functions.
Using over-the-counter medications such as laxatives and stool softeners can also be an effective way to provide at least temporary relief to the problematic symptoms of constipation. Over-the-counter medications, if used in excess or over longer periods of time, however, can lose their effectiveness and can also hinder the way that the digestive system works to eliminate stools.
One cause of constipation that can be overlooked in all this is dehydration. Here’s why. The food that you eat is initially processed in the small intestine. From there it makes its way to the large intestine, which consists of the colon and the rectum. A lack of water can impede the progress of your food through this tubular system. The lining of the large intestine is designed to soak up water from waste matter that passes through the intestine. If the waste matter doesn’t contain enough water, hard stools are formed that are difficult to pass through the rectum. If that sounds a lot like a description of constipation you are correct, it is. It also serves to suggest that more water can help to solve a constipation problem.
Preventing dehydration
As described above your body needs more water, it doesn’t need to lose water by way of dehydration. An effective way to prevent excessive dehydration is to drink more water. It’s really that simple. It is especially important to drink more water during hot weather or after periods of strenuous exercise. It is also necessary to carefully monitor the amount of fluid that you’re body needs and the amount of fluid you are providing to it.
Simply drinking more water will not provide a complete cure for constipation. However, additional fluids in the digestive system will help to keep stools soft and facilitate digestive processes such as bowel movements.
How much water do I really need?
Rough estimates indicate that women typically consume about 90 ounces of water per day from a variety of sources and men take in about 125 ounces on a daily basis. If you are of an average size you may be able to use those numbers as some kind of bare minimum.
You don’t however get all your water by drinking it. Drinking about four extra glasses of water a day might be a good way to test how adding additional amounts of water to your daily intake effects the symptoms of constipation. There’s something to be said for the old saying “listen to your body”.
People who have been advised by their doctor to limit their consumption of fluids will have to discuss these recommendations with their doctor.
