One more day that I have trouble going to the bathroom … I feel a good while, I make a great effort and nothing; sometimes, I squeeze my abdomen with my hands to see if helping … but there is no way. Finally, it seems that the time has come, uff! What is costing me,… already? All this effort for two balls? What a strange and uncomfortable feeling to feel that you are still full, that you have not completely evacuated and, to top it all, I have seen that I have stained the toilet paper with blood, I am not surprised, after so much effort, in fact I have noticed a lump. What was missing … hemorrhoids !!! One of the most common predisposing causes for hemorrhoids is constipation.
Is constipation a disease?
Constipation appears when the number of feces decreases and / or when the feces are hard or difficult to expel. However, it can also be accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, such as discomfort when you go to the bathroom, bloating and pain due to the feces being hard, dry and difficult to pass. Constipation is considered when fewer than three bowel movements are made a week or when, regardless of the frequency, the feces has become hard and it is difficult to pass it. It can be acute or chronic. Around 15% of the population suffers from chronic constipation, more frequent in women (more during pregnancy) and in people over 65 years of age.
It is not a disease, it is a symptom and as such can be the consequence of multiple causes. The most common is that it is the result of a change in daily habits, such as a reduction in fluid intake, a change in diet, especially due to a reduction in fiber consumption, lack of exercise or sedentary lifestyle. All this can lead to constipation or accentuate a previous constipation.
Hemorrhoids, a consequence of constipation
The consequences of chronic constipation are often the appearance and development of anal problems, especially hemorroids and fissures.
Hemorroids are dilations of the veins that supply the mucosa of the anus and rectum, causing itching or even pain. The presence of blood in feces can also be a consequence. They can be internal, when they occur inside the anus, or external, when they are located on the outside of the anus or the anal opening.
The appearance of hemorrhoids is very common, especially during pregnancy and after childbirth. Among the main causes that can lead us to suffer from them are constipation and chronic diarrhea, heart failure, but also others that depend on our lifestyle, such as diet (abuse of hot spices, spices, alcohol or low fiber intake) or the fact of leading a sedentary life.
So how can I avoid these two related problems
As can be seen, there is a relationship between constipation and hemorrhoids, this relationship is a consequence, fundamentally, of bad daily habits. Therefore, a good option to relieve constipation and hemorrhoids is to acquire healthy habits:
– Increase your water intake (at least 1.5 or 2 liters per day), increasing the amount of water implies that the stool acquires an adequate consistency that favors peristaltic movements and, therefore, evacuation.
– Exercise: walk, dance, climb stairs, … that is, you don’t need to be a fitness expert, the important thing is to get into the habit of exercising regularly, putting aside your sedentary lifestyle. Our body will appreciate it.
– Anxiety: stressful situations can cause us to alter our habit of going to the bathroom. Even, many times, a fear of going to the bathroom can be generated due to the inconvenience that this entails in these circumstances. Relax and enjoy.
– Increase fiber in the diet: we must increase our daily fiber intake, incorporating it into our diet. Fruit, legumes, vegetables provide a quantity of fiber, both insoluble and soluble, necessary for the proper functioning of our digestive system.
– Regularity when going to the bathroom: choose a time of day to go to the bathroom. This routine will help regulate intestinal transit, but beware! Take care of the «call» of your body, when you feel like it, don’t leave it for later.
– Take food supplements: if you need help, you can include food supplements in your day-to-day life. There are food supplements on the market that provide probiotic strains that have shown an improvement in intestinal transit along with a sufficient amount of fiber that helps increase the volume of stool and promote intestinal peristalsis.
– Try natural gels for topical application, in case you have a hemorrhoid. These gels do not contain corticosteroids and will help you natural healing, reducing inflammation, pain and itching of the affected area.
That constipation does not make you «feel» bad
