ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Top Remedies for Constipation

Updated on December 10, 2015

Remedies for Constipation

Constipation makes it very difficult passing solid waste from the body. It can really be an annoying and frustrating problem – especially when it becomes persistent. If you are reading this article, then there is a high likelihood that you are suffering from constipation and are looking for fast and effective ways to solve your problem of constipation.

I am therefore not going to waste your time by beating about the bush. So without further ado, let us delve right into some of the best remedies for constipation.

Treatment for constipation

Below are some of the best ways to treat constipation. And the best thing about these methods of treating constipation is the fact that they can all be done from the comfort of your home. In other words, they are home treatments.

Use exercise to treat constipation

Never take the power of exercise (especially regular exercise) for granted. Personally I think that there is no medicine as powerful as exercise, which is why I don’t joke with my daily exercises. We all know exercise keeps us healthy but what some of us might not know is that exercise is also an effective remedy for constipation. Yes you heard me right! Exercise can give you relief from that annoying constipation plaguing your life. According to health experts, engaging in simple exercises such as jogging and walking for 20 minutes or more on a daily basis plays a significant role in treating your constipation problem. This is totally true because I have experienced it myself. I have been exercising almost every single day since the beginning of this year, and have stopped experiencing problems with constipation. Prior to making exercise part of my life, I used to experience constipation problems from time to time, but now I don’t experience that problem anymore. I am able to have my bowel movements at least once every day without encountering any problem.

If you are reading this and you happen to be suffering from constipation, my advice to you is to make exercise a habit. Not only will regular exercise treat your constipation but it will also keep you strong and healthy.

Constipation
Constipation

Drink lots of water

Doctors say that one of the biggest causes of constipation is as a result of not taking in sufficient water. You can read more about the causes of constipation here. If insufficient intake of water is a major cause of constipation, then it goes without saying that drinking lots of water can prevent constipation. I remember a doctor once said these words to a patient suffering from constipation: “How can you not expect to be constipated when you don’t drink enough water?” I will never forget those words. It is totally true – water plays an important role in treating constipation in the sense that when you take enough water it helps in softening your stool, thereby making bowel movements less difficult for you. Health experts advise us to try and take at least 8 glasses of water every day. If you can take more than that, then that is even better. I wonder how many glasses of water you take every day! I must confess that sometimes it isn’t easy drinking that amount of water every day, but whether you like it or not, it is imperative that you drink at least 8 glasses of water on a daily basis. This is for the sake of your health.

NOTE: If you have a serious condition such as a heart problem or a kidney problem, then you need to speak with your doctor first with regard to how much water you should be taking every day. This is very important.

One of the best home remedies for constipation is to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
One of the best home remedies for constipation is to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

Stay away from foods that dehydrate you if you want to treat constipation

You have just been told that drinking water is great for fighting constipation. This means that in order to effectively treat constipation, the body must be thoroughly hydrated. And to achieve that, you need to not only drink lots of water but also stay away from foods that cause you to be dehydrated. And since alcoholic beverages cause dehydration, it is imperative that you avoid drinking these beverages. Another common food that causes dehydration is caffeine or caffeineated beverages. Stay away from these beverages too.

Fight constipation with a healthy diet.
Fight constipation with a healthy diet.

Prevent constipation with a healthy diet

I cannot talk about the home remedies for constipation without mentioning how important regularly eating a healthy diet is in order to achieve that goal. A healthy diet is good for the overall health of the body. It is common knowledge that people who regularly eat healthy diets are healthier than people who do not. What really is a healthy diet? A healthy diet is one that consists mainly of natural foods. When we talk of a healthy diet, we are talking about eating more fruits, vegetables, and grains and less of processed foods.

Besides being utterly good for your health, natural foods such as fruits, grains, vegetables, etc have lots of fiber in them. Fiber works wonders in giving you relief from constipation because it helps the digestive system to work very well. This is the reason why when you are suffering from constipation and you see a doctor, one of the things that he or she tells you to do is to add more fiber in your diet. Examples of foods that are loaded with fiber include: berries, prunes, beans, apples, nuts, broccoli, etc.

Use prune juice to treat constipation

Another great home remedy for constipation is to drink prune juice. Prune juice is said to be a natural laxative because the prune fruit not only contains a huge amount of fiber but it also has a compound called sorbitol which is a very effective stool softener.

According to health experts, all you need to do to get some relief from that bothersome constipation is to take two glasses of prune juice every day. The first glass should be taken in the morning and the second glass should be taken at night.

While you can eat the prune fruit itself to achieve the same goal, taking the prune juice is better since you’d be taking in liquid as well, which we all know plays an instrumental role in battling constipation.

NOTE: Taking too much prune juice can end up making your stool too soft to the point where you might end up suffering from diarrhea. Just take it easy with the prune juice.

Recommended methods

Of all the methods used in treating constipation mentioned above, I personally think that the most effective of them all are the following ones:

  • Regularly engaging in exercise: At least 30 minutes of exercises such as jogging and walking most days of the week is okay. Doing this will keep you healthy and at the same time protect you from suffering from constipation.
  • Eating a healthy diet every day: Don’t spend your money and time eating fast foods and all manners of processed foods. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and treat your constipation problem.
  • Drink plenty of water: You should endeavor to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. The more water you drink, the more your risks of suffering from constipation are reduced. And on top of that you are going to be healthy.

The reason I recommend the above methods to you is simply because in addition to being very effective in treating constipation, they are also extremely good for your health.

If you are still constipated

If you are still experiencing constipation after doing the things mentioned above, then it is now time to do the following:

  • Use very good and safe laxatives such as Milk of Magnesia. I strongly recommend Phillips' Fresh Mint Milk of Magnesia.
  • Use a good stool softener to soften your stool and make it easier to pass. One of the most effective stool softeners out there recommended by health experts is Colace.
  • You can also add synthetic fiber to your diet. One of the best synthetic fibers that health experts recommend is Citrucel.

NOTE: It is imperative that you visit your doctor’s office if after doing all the things mentioned in this article, your constipation still exists or comes with other problems such as rectal pain and blood in the stool.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)