Constipation can happen to anybody at any age and cause a lot of discomfort. As your bowels get blocked, it goes from discomfort to painful. Sometimes your bowels are just slow to move and you’re not constipated. You can often just try to eat some foods or supplements that get things moving and it does the trick. The problem is sometimes you think you have a slow bowel which is actually constipation.
The key is to know the signs that you are constipated. When you understand that your bowels are blocked then you can take measures to take care of it before it becomes painful. In this article, we will go over how to know if you are constipated so you can get fast constipation relief.
Your Regular Movements Slow Down
Even before you become constipated there are signs that it is likely to happen if you don’t intervene. These signs are warnings that tell you to do something before you end up with a more uncomfortable problem.
If your movements are not happening every day and when they do you have hard stools that are difficult to pass then this is a sure sign that things are brewing. Then, if you have some stomach pain or discomfort leading up to the bowel movement you are beginning to have problems.
Since you are still passing stools you may think that you’re all set or that you won’t get constipated. The problem is that these signs will eventually give way to the signs that you actually have constipation and not the lead up.
You Haven’t Had A BM In More Than Three Or Four Days
After the infrequent bowel movements there will be a point in which you stop having them altogether if you did nothing at all.
Once you hit the three day mark without a bowel movement and are experiencing pain in your abdomen then you likely now have constipation. At this point you will need to do things to help you pass the stool. Don’t wait for things to improve because you will likely be causing yourself more pain and discomfort for no reason.
What To Do
The first thing to do is to buy a gentle laxative. They will soften the stool and make it easier to pass by encouraging the bowels to get moving. Some people like to start with dried prunes to do this as they have properties that help get the bowels moving.
If you have chronic constipation then you need to be more proactive to keep it from happening. Look to change your diet and eat foods that encourage your stools to stay soft. Things like fresh fruit and vegetables help a lot. Also, stay hydrated and drink several glasses of water per day.
Buy a warm water bidet to be able to get your bowels loosened before you try to pass a hard stool as the warm water and pressure from the jet relaxes the muscles.
