If your stool is dry and hard, you will probably have troublesome morning time. You have cramps and pain in the rectum which worsens as you pass the stool. It becomes painful and strenuous to pass stool which often comes in lumps when you have constipation.

Everybody faces this problem at some point of their life time due to many factors like a change in regular diet, lack of taking enough fluids, lack of fiber rich diet and change in bowel movements. Lack of exercise, a habit of using laxatives or IBS can be other reasons. Some medicines also cause constipation. Some people, especially, have the habit of resisting the urge to go to toilet and end up having a constipation the next day. Anatomical causes include problems with the colon and rectum or with intestinal function (chronic idiopathic constipation).

If you are constipated you probably have very less of bowel movements. Constipation is usually accompanied with bloating, abdominal pain with a feeling of incomplete emptying. However, constipation is not a disease. But remember that it can lead to complications like hemorrhoids, chronic prolapse etc.

There are some things you can do at home to prevent constipation.

1. Drink water! Intake of sufficient fluids will aid both your digestion process and also the bowel movements.
2. Take control of your diet than let diet control you. Include a lot of fiber, whole grain foods and fresh vegetables in your meals. Eat 10 grams of bran cereal in one serving. But do not try to have a lot of fiber in one day. Increase the quantity of fiber intake slowly and gradually. Take less of sweets, animal fats and dairy products.
3. Try not to depend on laxatives if the constipation is mild. Take warm milk or eat a banana before going to bed in the night. Orange is yet another fruit you can relish at this time.
4. Now you have a better diet plan! Now it is time to get some physical activity. Get regular exercise and feel the difference. Even a 20 minute walk a day will do.
5. Relax! Give some time off to your bowel movements and never resist the urge to go. Take care of your children if they have constipation and teach them to go when they feel like passing stools. Children mostly ignore their natural urges and get constipated.
6. Try using mild laxatives like Magnesia for a few days. Some people like castor oil, fenugreek, flaxseed, or psyllium as laxative.
7. Products containing bulk-forming agents should not do any harm. But always drink extra water to prevent bloating.
8. Natural remedies like Triphala works well for most of the people. Tripahala is a herbal mix made of Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) and Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) which serves as an internal cleanser. It not only helps you with constipation but also increases your appetite and promotes digestion.
9. It is wise not to give laxatives or enemas to small children without your Doctor’s recommendation.

Consult your doctor without delay if your stool becomes extremely thin or is leaking, if you severe rectal pain while passing stool or if you have rectal bleeding.

-Aparna K V

Tags: herbal, alternative, remedies, obesity, natural, Ayurvedic, blood pressure, herbs, diabetes, homeopathic

Car journeys through the free-ways always upset my stomach. To top it, my stomach started grumbling one day, as I was traveling in a car with my friends. I had heard of this expression without having any first hand experience. It was embarrassing as I thought what if they mistook the noise for something else. During another occasion, as soon as I swallowed some food there came a distant unseen noise "BRRRRRRR" from my esophagus that lasted for a few seconds. I tried gulping in some water to suppress it. It is a nuisance if you are in a meeting or in the theatre. Now, I have self-invented, well-rehearsed techniques to muffle them."

Noises from the stomach can be described as rumbling, gurgling or growling. They are normal and show signs of good digestion . A noisy stomach is asking aloud for food. Nevertheless, it still yells at you madly even while eating as the food passes through the intestines.

The main reason for the rumble inside is hunger. A part of the brain called hypothalamus and the gastrointestines work together to signal hunger. The body prepares to welcome the food by muscular contractions, the release of acids and other digestive fluids. Once we have the appetite and the urge to eat just the thought of food, the sight or the smell can trigger of your system. It starts preparing to eat noisily. The stomach is so expressive when gas, fluids, broken down particles of food and fermenting bacteria move around and interact with each other. Doctors push aside the noisiness unaccompanied by any other discomfort as natural and harmless.

You can find your belly growling also when you have a functional disorder like IBS. As your emotional condition worsens you feel a loss of appetite or hunger and you coneveniently skip a meal ending up with a very troublesome stomach. Gastrointestinal disorders also cause a certain grumbling in the tummy along with bloating, flatulence, cramps or diarrhea .

Sometimes, the monologue of your stomach (or deservedly called ‘the language of the digestive system’) can account to ‘gassy’ food. In such situations, you should monitor your diet and remember what irritated your stomach and try to avoid it or reduce the intake. The stomach churns and cries usually while confronting very hot and spicy food, broccoli, garlic and some sauces. The addition of curd or butter milk in the diet helps with acidity. Some people find relief with warm milk while some dread at the thought of dairy products. The gurgling of your stomach after food is normal and a sign of health in most cases. If it is silent then you probably stand the chance of constipation, say experts. However, if your noisy belly troubles you frequently for more than 2-3 weeks, it is good to consult your doctor.

Some common reasons for a roaring stomach are

• Stress and anxiety
• Skipping a meal especially break fast
• Not taking food at the right time (when you are hungry) and not taking sufficient food.
• Use of alcohol and gas-generating food items
• A diet lower in calories or lacking in nutritional options
• Ingesting food that has high fiber or food products like milk, beans, etc.
• Carbonated drinks and caffeinated beverages like coffee
• Excessive air swallowed due to quick eating, smoking or chewing gum.
• Intake of food stuff that may aggravate intestinal gas. Eg: sugar alcohols sorbitol
• An upset stomach gurgles
• Due to some body positions it can make noise
• Using tight belts, tightly knotted pants etc.

The stomach is religiously emptied and cleared of its food particles by the digestive juices. So it is helpful to take snacks (healthy snacks!) even if you have to skip a meal. Food will quieten up things. Drinks lots of water. Lukewarm water can replace cold drinks. And it is good to consciously stop gulping in unnecessary air.

-Aparna KV

Tags: obesity, Ayurvedic, diabetes, blood pressure, herbal, alternative, medicine, herbs, acupressure, natural

Are you one among those who is habitual to gulping and doesn’t remember what it feels like to chew rigorously? Do you insist on having your breakfast on the way to work rather than having it with your wife on the dining? …Or still worse, do you generally skip your breakfast on an excuse to have an early lunch? Any one or more than one of the above could prove to be disastrous on your digestive system. Or who knows, the disaster may have begun already! Read on to know more.

Acidity or hyperacidity is a common symptom which is observed since ages among human fraternity but is commonly neglected to worsen or cause more severe complications. With symptoms like heart burn, headache and burning sensation in the gastro intestinal tract (maybe you, yourself can add more),