You have your own regular dowel habit – it depends on your diet, fluid intake and how much and when you exercise. You can have dowel motion three times a day or once a week and still be normal. Breast-fed infants, for example, may pass a motion after each feed, or only once every 4-5 days. Children usually settle down to between 0-3 bowel motions a day at age 3-4 years.

Signs & Symptoms

Constipation happens when dowel motion are harder or drier than usual and become difficult to pass. Other symptoms include:

• Straining to pass a motion.
• Pain during a bowel motion
• Stomach cramps or bloating.

Important

Constipation can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious condition. Check with your doctor if:

• Your normal bowel habit changes or you have alternate episodes of constipation and diarrhea, especially after the age of 40.
• Bowel motions become painful.
• Your motions are blood stained or black and tar-like.
• You need to use laxatives regularly (e.g. every 2-3 days).
• You also feel tired or unwell, are vomiting, have lost weight or have a headache.

Causes

• Don’t eat much fibre (e.g. cereal, bread, fresh fruit or vegetables).
• Have been less active lately ( e.g. after surgery or when traveling).
• Drink less fluid than usual. • Are stressed, or feeling low.
• She is pregnant or have ecently had a baby.
• She using a new medicine. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Prevention

• Include more fibre in your diet so that your bowel motions float.
• Drink at least 6-8 glasses of fluid each day (check with your doctor if you have kidney or heart problems). The best juice or caffeine-free drinks.
• Start a new exercise or one you have enjoyed in the past.
• Go for a walk after your man meal whenever you can.
• Don’t ignore the urge to pass a bowel motion. Control your stress – learn to relax. Taking too many calcium tablets or certain antacids can –cause constipation ask your doctor.
• Putting too much pressure on a child during toilet training can cause constipation.

Treatment

• Uncomfortable constipation can often be relieved by a laxative medicine.
• There are different types of Homoeopathy medicines depending on how bad your constipation is and how long you have had it. Ask your doctor about it.
• Other Homoeopathy medicines increase the activity of the bowel or softer the motions making them easier to pass.
• Proper intake of extra protein diet. Along with medicines help a lot.