Remedy for Constipation

There is more than one constipation remedy that you can try when you suffer from infrequent bowel movements. You may choose from pharmaceutical formulas which are generally known as laxatives and natural remedies that you have around the house.

Over-the-counter laxatives

When you feel bloated, your abdomen hurts and you haven’t had a bowel movement in two days, you suffer from constipation. If the abdominal discomfort is difficult to put up with and you feel like taking measures, the easiest thing to do is to take a laxative. There are pills, suppositories, drops and syrups that you can use to clean the bowel.

However, a pharmaceutical constipation remedy has several major disadvantages:

• the ingredients may not be well tolerated by the body;
• in some cases, it could take up to 48 hours before the laxative works;
• frequent use of laxatives weakens the bowel muscles which leads to constipation all over again;
• it’s costly;
• patients with hemorrhoids should not use suppositories due to the risk of anal injuries.

Try a natural constipation remedy, instead!

Mother Nature has a very wide range of constipation remedies, you just need a bit of knowledge to recognize them.

Plants and herbs that normalize bowel movement

Chamomile tea and chamomile essential oil have a soothing effect on the entire digestive system, reducing bloating, normalizing bowel movement and alleviating colon irritation.

Aloe vera has a mild detoxification action, purging the chemical residues from the body and efficiently treating constipation. Purified aloe vera gel drunk on the empty stomach is one of the most efficient constipation remedies available.

Senna and green tea can be mixed together to make an infusion that treats constipation.

Castor oil is incredibly efficient for constipation, as it induces stool elimination within just a few hours from administration.

Precautions

While chamomile and aloe vera have a mild action at the colon level, senna, green tea and castor oil are more powerful remedies. The latter can trigger some side effects such as intestinal cramps. The discomfort is temporary and it goes away with the bowel movement.

Pregnant women should not use strong laxatives even if they are natural, due to the risk of triggering premature labor. If you are pregnant, you should talk to the doctor to have a special laxative prescribed that would not cause any harm to the baby.

Dietary anti-constipation solutions

With a few exceptions most fruits and vegetables have bowel cleansing properties. Example of fruits that can cause constipation are bananas and blueberries. Yet, there are plenty more that actually increase the frequency of bowel movements:

• peaches;
• apples;
• cantaloupe and watermelon;
• oranges;
• prunes;
• nuts and raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds etc.

Among vegetables, carrots and cabbage have a very high content of fibers that contribute to the health and balance of the digestive system.

Other natural remedies against constipation include honey and extra virgin olive oil, flax seeds oil or pumpkin oil.

Feel free to combine all these and not stick with just one constipation remedy only.