Problems with stool can occur at any age. But more often than not, children and elderly people suffer from this ailment. In this article we will explain why this problem occurs, what you can’t eat with constipation, what dangers are the absence of feces. In addition, we will give recommendations that will help correct the situation.
What is constipation?
In a healthy person, bowel movement usually occurs daily and almost at the same time. Although there are people in whom this happens every two days. At the same time, they feel normal. It all depends on the work of the intestines.
Therefore, if the absence of feces does not cause side effects, then stool every two days can be considered the norm. If the absence is delayed and there is discomfort, then you need to contact the therapist and begin treatment.
Why does constipation occur?
Before starting treatment, you should find out the possible cause of constipation. Sometimes you can do it yourself and eliminate it. But if the problem lies in the malfunction of the digestive tract, then the treatment can only be medication.
As a result of which constipation develops:
- Digestive tract problems. Possible stomach, liver, or rectal malfunctions.
- An intestinal spasm, due to which it narrowed, and this in turn prevents the exit of feces. In this case, sharp pains, gas formation, nausea are observed. If the problem is not resolved in time, then part of the feces can get back into the stomach, and the body will leave with vomit. Such a pathology is quite rare and mainly in people aged.
- Wrong diet. Fresh fruits, vegetables, soups and cereal products must be present in the daily diet (even bread is mandatory if made from wholemeal flour). Snacks spoil the absorption of food and, thus, also serve as the beginning of the development of constipation. It is important to know what you can not eat with constipation, which products provoke it.
- Lack of fluid in the body. This may be due to overeating salty foods or simply because of the low consumption of water (for example, a person suffers from puffiness and limits himself in drinking). The body, in turn, begins to draw moisture from everything, and even from feces, thereby it condenses and it is difficult for him to move through the intestines.
- This may be a consequence of inactivity, that is, a person has sedentary work, and upon arrival home he spends his free time on the couch. At this time, the intestinal muscles cease to function normally.
- If often a person suffers the urge to empty. This may again be related to work, the opportunity to visit the toilet is not always given.
- Wrong diet. A small amount of food arrives. The food is unbalanced with a small amount of liquid.
- A sharp change in the environment: moving, put in a hospital and so on.
- Stress state. Because of this, a malfunction in the intestines occurs.
- Pregnant women have problems with bowel movements due to the fact that the fetus presses on the intestines.
- The consequence of the disease. For example, there was severe dehydration or antibiotics were used in the treatment. All this negatively affects the work of the rectum.
- Age also plays a significant role. In children, the body is still learning how to function normally. And the intestines are not yet completely populated with the necessary microorganisms. Any failure in nutrition (even the introduction of complementary foods) can provoke both stool fastening and diarrhea. In older people, this problem is associated with age-related changes. They often lead a sedentary lifestyle. The work of the digestive tract is changing. The body is not working with the same strength as in youth. First of all, you need to change the diet for constipation in the elderly. You may need to take medications that stimulate intestinal motility.
What is constipation dangerous?
Before starting treatment (even if the reason is clarified, for example, a sedentary lifestyle), you need to visit a doctor. In order for the body to work normally again, it must be correctly "restarted", that is, completely eliminated from old feces.
If there is no treatment on time, then the body will begin to poison. Liver-derived toxins will begin to absorb. There will be abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, vomiting, headaches, as well as general weakness with a loss of strength. Or the colon may simply burst due to overflow of feces.
Symptoms accompanying constipation
It’s easy to identify constipation. It is believed that you need to start to worry if there is no stool for three days, and additional symptoms are present:
- there is heaviness in the lower abdomen;
- bloated abdomen and gas from the intestines;
- there is a desire to go to the toilet, but there is no feces or there is, but in small quantities, very hard, possibly with drops of blood; after such an empty bowel there is no feeling of a feeling of relief, the desire for bowel movement has persisted;
- nausea accompanied by belching with an unpleasant odor.
In the presence of such symptoms, treatment should be started until the body is clogged with toxins and the colon is damaged. Before contacting a doctor, you should immediately abandon products that can provoke and increase constipation. The therapist will tell you what kind of bread there is for constipation (usually from wholemeal flour), what other foods to leave in the diet. The doctor will also tell you which ones to exclude, given whether or not there are problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Prohibited Products
What can not be eaten with constipation? Due to an improper diet, most diseases develop, including constipation. If there are preconditions for constipation (it has become more difficult to go to the toilet, you need to make efforts, or failures in the appearance of feces), then you need to reconsider what is eaten.
Let's look at foods that cause constipation in adults, which should be excluded from the menu:
- chocolate products, cakes, bread from premium flour, any pastries from yeast and puff pastry are excluded;
- Do not eat foods containing tannins (quince, pear, blueberries, strong tea and coffee);
- dishes that do not move well along the walls of the intestine due to their viscosity are: mashed potatoes, jelly, cereals, the grits of which were rubbed for additional grinding, and so on;
- fatty food; it takes a lot of time and energy to digest it; it contributes to the consolidation of feces;
- spices are excluded, as they irritate the digestive tract, disrupt the intestines, and cause overeating;
- use legumes and pea crops, white rice and flour products (noodles, horns, and so on) in limited quantities;
- canned meat products, including fish;
- boiled egg; many doubt whether it is possible to eat eggs for constipation (it, like fatty meat, should be excluded from the menu);
- too greasy broths.
From the list of banned products, rice stands out. Its broth has a fixing property. Therefore, it is prescribed for diarrhea. But with constipation, you also need to eat rice dishes. Only brown and red should be used. These varieties help to eliminate toxins that can poison the body.
What can I eat?
What foods should I eat with constipation? Excluding prohibited foods, there are dishes and products that can weaken the intestines, and which will have neither a positive nor a negative result.
What will help solve the problem with constipation:
- in the diet should be vegetables both fresh and boiled / stewed; cabbage and peas are possible only after heat treatment;
- salads seasoned with oil (sauces are excluded, for example, mayonnaise);
- seaweed in any form, you can just like that, you can salad or in dried form;
- cook soups on a weak broth, mainly vegetable or pearl barley;
- cereals are useful only in friable version, liquid only strengthen the fixing effect;
- dairy products (kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk);
- fresh fruits, they will replace sweets for this period;
- rye bread, if wheat, from second-grade flour; not fresh to eat;
- weak teas, mineral water, decoctions and fruit drinks; plenty of clean water should be present;
- take a fresh apple in the morning on an empty stomach; if there is a problem with the stomach, then it can be baked.
With constipation, the menu is limited, but not too much. The hardest thing is for people who are accustomed to the daily intake of fatty meat, strong coffee or sweets.
What is forbidden to children?
What should children not have with constipation? When breastfeeding, constipation in a baby can be caused by foods included in the mother’s diet. If a newborn’s stool is less than 6 times a day, he’s capricious, presses his legs to his tummy, then this indicates constipation. Mom then urgently needs to review her menu. If the baby is already more than 4 months old, then you can start to introduce fruit purees into the diet. They will weaken the intestines and help empty the baby.
It is worth paying attention to the consistency of the chair, if it becomes hard too early, then you should already adjust the menu of the mother and baby at this time. If this does not produce results, then perhaps there are problems with the rectum in the child and medical treatment is necessary. Then you should immediately seek help from a pediatrician.
For the prevention and treatment of constipation in a child, the following products should be used (for mother or baby, depending on age):
- You need to immediately determine what fruits you can eat with constipation, since the child’s body is still weak and allergic reactions can occur. Therefore, they must be given with extreme caution. Avoid fruits that are viscous and contain tannins.
- You can give a rosehip broth or honey water to an empty stomach, but only if there is no allergy. If it is, then drink just boiled water at room temperature.
- Children often eat, fruit purees or drinks can be offered as snacks.
- Be sure to monitor the drinking regimen, ask and offer, if possible, water or drinks.
- If the child already eats solid food, you can give salads with the addition of vegetable oil.
- Offer dishes made of fermented milk products.
Do special exercises with the baby so that the abs develops. Then the menu plus physical activity will bring results. You can give your child medicines with the right bacteria. Especially if antibiotic treatment is ongoing. But do not combine them with laxatives.
If you need to loosen the intestines and remove old feces, then enemas are made at the beginning or laxatives are used. And only then the rectum is “populated” with microorganisms. With any change in stool, do not self-medicate, but consult a pediatrician, as the children's body is too fragile and can be damaged without the possibility of complete recovery.
Healthy foods
It’s easier for adults to eliminate constipation than for a baby. He can use all the products (if there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract). No need to force to eat the right food.
What do you need to eat? The following products:
- natural glucose: jam, honey, milk sugar and so on; these products attract water in the rectum and help ease the bowel movement;
- sauerkraut and sour drinks;
- foods rich in dietary fiber and fiber;
- lean meat;
- carbon dioxide drinks;
- fermented milk products are required.
It is also recommended to exclude unhealthy foods and foods that are secured from the diet. This is the only way to achieve the best results.
Fatty foods and constipation
Many people wonder if it is possible to eat fatty with constipation. It is often believed that fatty foods should promote bowel function. Since fat should envelop it, and as a result, this should have a positive effect on the stool. But this is a fallacy. Fatty foods will only worsen the situation.
Nutrition in the elderly
Elderly people are often compared to children, and sometimes this comparison is true. They are just as susceptible to diseases as children. Only if immunity is not developed in babies, in older people it has simply worn out. And sometimes it just may not be enough strength to completely empty the intestines. And the old feces will poison the body, and contribute to the development of constipation.
To establish the intestines for people aged, it is necessary to observe the following nutrition rules for constipation:
- Food, like in children, should be on the clock. Then the body will work more smoothly. And the chair will be at the same time.
- Be sure to have vegetables and fruits in the diet. And it is better to cook cereals with dried fruits that weaken, for example, prunes.
- In the morning you can drink a glass of water on an empty stomach and not eat at least an hour.
- It is recommended to drink sunflower oil (20-30 ml) on an empty stomach. You should not abuse it, although it works 100%. Frequent use of oil can harm the body.
- Sugar should be replaced with natural sweeteners (honey, jam and so on).
- You need to do evening walks, not to instruct children to do household chores, if possible, do everything yourself. At this age, movement is really life.
- Do not forget to use sea kale at least every other day.
Here's an example of this should be the rules of lifestyle and nutritional features for constipation in the elderly. Laxatives should be resorted to in extreme cases. Since at this age, they can cause rapid addiction to the body. If you follow proper nutrition (avoid foods that are fastened, and it is better to eat more often, in smaller portions) and lead an active lifestyle, then constipation will bypass it.
Many do not want to eat rice for constipation, as it fixes. Still, it is not recommended to completely exclude dishes with rice (you can’t only white, the rest can). It will help the body cleanse faster, thereby speeding up the healing process. After restoring the stool, you should gradually switch to a normal diet, and it is better to permanently refuse snacks and junk food.