15 Easy Ways to Relieve Constipation Quickly

Constipation is a hard, dry bowel movement that can be very painful and distressing. It happens when you have fewer bowel movements than normal, or the stool is harder and dryer than normal. The stool becomes large and difficult to pass because your colon absorbs too much water from it. Constipation also can be caused by not eating enough fruits, vegetables, and fiber.

Symptoms of constipation include having fewer than three bowel movements per week; straining during a bowel movement; bloating; passing lumpy or hard stools; feeling tired after a bowel movement; sensation of incomplete emptying or blockage in the rectum or anal canal; small amounts of dark-colored, tarry-looking stools mixed with mucus; and anal itching.

While constipation is sometimes caused by an underlying disease or illness, most often it's the result of lifestyle choices, medication side effects, inadequate fiber intake, or inadequate fluid intake. There are many different treatments that can be used to relieve constipation depending on your symptoms and level of discomfort. Some of them include dietary changes, herbal remedies, over-the-counter medications, prescription medications including laxatives, and stool softener suppositories for relief from bowel movements.

Below are 15 easy ways to relieve constipation quickly:

1. Drink cranberry juice. Cranberries are a natural mild laxative because they add bulk to your stool and help move food along the digestive tract more quickly, making it easier for your body to eliminate waste material from your colon.
2. Eat prunes or drink prune juice. Prunes naturally contain sorbitol, a substance that helps retain water in the stool, which makes it softer and easier to pass during a bowel movement.
3. Eat two Grape-Nuts Flakes bowls of cereal every day until you have a bowel movement. This is not an effective long-term solution for relieving constipation but can be useful when traveling out of town or when stuck at work without easy access to a toilet. 
4. Eat more fiber, such as whole-grain bread and cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, and peas to relieve constipation. Fiber can help keep stool soft so it's easier to pass during a bowel movement. 
5. Drink prune juice or take a laxative before going out on the town to ensure that you will have an easier time when you really need to go and avoid having accidents in public places like movie theaters and restaurants with dirty bathrooms. If you're taking a laxative for short-term relief of constipation, stick with magnesium citrate capsules or tablets; they work by drawing water into your intestines which your bowel movements softer and easier to pass.
6. Chew on some fennel seeds after a meal to help relieve constipation naturally. Fennel is a natural carminative that expels gas from the stomach and intestines, relieving pressure and bloating which can lead to cramps, discomfort, and constipation. 
7. Choose prunes over prune juice because they have a mild laxative effect whereas prune juice contains more sorbitol, which can cause gas or diarrhea in some people who have irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis. Prunes also contain fiber so eating them will help with constipation as well as providing additional nutrients such as potassium for the good health of your heart and muscles. 
8. Drink apple juice to relieve constipation. An 8-ounce glass of unsweetened apple juice contains 5 grams of fiber, which is almost 20 percent of the daily value for women and 15 percent for men.
9. Do some light exercise every day, such as walking or aerobic workouts, to stimulate bowel movements because physical activity can speed food through your digestive system more quickly so you have an easier time having a bowel movement without straining or feeling discomfort during or afterward due to gas buildup in your intestines or bloating caused by trapped air in your colon that could lead to cramps, diarrhea, flatulence, and pain after eating when there's too much pressure on your abdominal muscles.
10. Eat a low-fat diet to relieve constipation because foods with little or no fat, such as white bread, pasta, and rice, have less fiber so it is harder for you to have a bowel movement.
11. Make sure that you're getting enough iron in your diet through whole grains, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, beans and peas, meats, poultry, and fish to help treat constipation naturally because iron helps red blood cells carry more oxygen throughout the body for the proper function of good health. An iron deficiency can lead to anemia which causes fatigue and lack of energy as well as problems with concentration and shortness of breath due to not getting enough oxygen.
12. Eat pasta to relieve constipation because it is a starchy food that helps keep stool soft and easy to pass during bowel movements. Pasta also contains fiber so eating it regularly can help with digestion as well as provide you with energy for your daily activities. 
13. Buy some bulk prunes at the store and eat half a cup every night before going to bed. Prunes contain sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol found in pears that has a mild laxative effect on the bowels without causing diarrhea or abdominal cramps like other over-the-counter laxatives can cause if taken in high doses or if taken too often. 
14. Take an herbal supplement containing aloe vera to help relieve constipation because aloe contains anthraquinone compounds, which are plants that stimulate the intestines to contract and move bowel movements along. Some aloe supplements also contain psyllium husk, which is a natural fiber that helps soften stool so it will pass more easily through your body without causing gas or bloating.
15. Eat a medium-sized banana every day to relieve constipation because bananas are high in fiber which helps prevent constipation as well as provide you with a healthy snack rich in potassium for the good health of your kidneys and blood pressure. They're also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, manganese, and other nutrients important for your overall good health. Bananas can also help with other digestive problems such as diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis because they contain a chemical called bromelain which helps reduce swelling and irritation of the lining of your intestines.

Constipation is a common problem for many people, but it doesn't have to be. The tips in this article should help you relieve constipation quickly and naturally through diet changes or by adding supplements like aloe vera to your daily routine. If that still isn't enough, then try implementing some of the other strategies listed here today! You'll feel better for sure if you follow these simple steps. Let us know which one worked best for you by commenting below with what you tried and how well it worked out. We're always happy to hear success stories from our readers so we can share them with others who are suffering from this often embarrassing condition too!

Christina L. On   /   lose weight over 40, menopause, Uncategorized, weight loss, weightloss   /   Leave a comment

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