When you’re constipated, the last thing you want to do is do something without realizing that it could clog your pipes even more. Here are the six behaviors that can block the intestine and make your day to day worse.
How to make constipation worse?
You eat processed foods
From frozen dinners to fast food to go, processed foods can offer convenience, but can also cause constipation by slowing down the digestive system.
On the one hand, processed foods often lacks r fiber, which could disrupt digestion and aggravate existing gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition, they contain high levels of trans fats, which increase intestinal inflammation, and additives such as preservatives, sweeteners or colors, which can alter the balance of the intestinal microbiome.
Instead, keep processed foods to a minimum and fill your plate with fiber-rich whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. But watch out for gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelled Kamut, and triticale, which can cause constipation.
Drink alcohol
If you are constipated, alcohol can block your intestines even worse.
That’s because if you drink alcohol in large quantities, you can increase the amount of fluids that are lost through urine, leading to dehydration. And poor hydration, whether from not drinking enough water or losing too much through urine, is often linked to an increased risk of constipation.
That said, there is no research to support a direct link between alcohol use and constipation, and these effects may vary from person to person (for example, some people report diarrhea rather than constipation.
To calm this down, limit your alcohol intake and increase your H2O intake.
Those who want to counteract the potentially dehydrating and constipating effects of alcohol should try to offset each serving of alcohol with a glass of water or other non-alcoholic beverage.
You consume caffeine
Believe it or not, your morning coffee can clog your intestines. While it is true that caffeine can stimulate the muscles of the digestive system to contract, causing a bowel movement, caffeine can also cause constipation.
At the same alcohol, the caffeine (especially a lot) dehydrate, which can prevent pipes from running smoothly.
If you’re constipated, choose decaffeinated beverages (but be aware that decaffeinated coffee may not be 100 percent caffeine-free) and avoid caffeinated foods like chocolate.
You avoid physical activity
Although your belly may feel uncomfortable, constipation is unlikely to decrease if you just sit on the couch.
Not moving enough slows the passage of food through the large intestine. This can be particularly problematic for people who have to stay in bed for a long time or who cannot move much due to a health problem.
If you are physically able, get up off the couch and move. The colon reacts to physical activity, so regular exercise promotes defecation. Even light walking can be beneficial.
Additionally, your abdominal muscles play an integral role in your ability to defecate. Therefore, any exercise that stimulates the core will help counteract constipation.
You take iron and calcium supplements
Your daily supplement can exacerbate (or even be the source of) your stomach problems. A February 2015 meta-analysis published in PLOS One found that iron supplements appear to alter the gut microbiota and cause inflammation in the lining of the mucosa, which can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation.
Similarly, calcium supplements can also have a binding effect, sometimes resulting in gas, constipation, and bloating.
If you have a specific health condition or deficiency that requires you to take iron or calcium, talk to a doctor before stopping taking a vitamin or mineral supplement. Your doctor may suggest alternatives (such as eating more foods rich in iron or calcium) when constipation is a concern.
You go overboard with laxatives
Laxatives are used to treat constipation, but when abused, laxatives can make constipation worse.
Laxatives work by artificially stimulating or irritating the nerves in the large intestine, causing the intestinal muscles to contract and pull stool out of the body.
But long-term use of laxatives could damage the nerves in the colon, preventing the intestines’ ability to contract on their own. So this is less likely to happen thanks to newer versions of laxatives.
Try to drink hot liquids, especially in the morning; drink two to four extra glasses of water a day (unless your doctor tells you otherwise); and nibbling on prunes and bran cereals.
If these things don’t give you relief, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist for guidance in choosing a laxative (each works in a different way to relieve constipation) and for advice on how long to take it.