What causes constipation can really vary depending on why the person has it and so here are a few things that can cause constipation: not drinking enough water, not having enough fiber, having lots of products that have dairy in it, some kind of disuption in a diet and routine such as traveling, stress, using to many laxatives, trying to fight having the bowel movement and that is sometimes caused by hemorrhoids, medicines that are antacid and have both aluminum, and calcium in it, hypothyroidism, depression, medications, narcotics, iron pills, antidepressants, pregnancy, eating disorders, and the list goes on. This is actually a very small list compared to all of what causes constipation.

Usually there is not testing needed in order to know that it is constipation. There are actually just a small amount of people that have a medical problem that is serious when they have constipation. You can tell if it is something that you should be worried about if you have it for over two weeks or around that. Sometimes colon cancer might cause constipation and seeing the doctor could help with early detection.

If a doctor must do some tests here are a few of the tests that the doctor might do: if there is an imbalance that is hormonal then blood tests might be done, the colon might sometimes have obstruction so barium studies would be done and a colonoscopy. Between these tests the doctors should be able to know what causes constipation and can help with being able to bring relief to you. It might take a few days before the patient is able to really experience relief depending on the type of treatment the doctor gives. The patient might have to go back a few times until the doctors have everything sorted out. Once the doctors have determined what causes constipation then the patient is usually able to recover fast but if a patient delays seeing the doctor it could make the actual recovery time longer or could cause the situation to get really bad.

One of the best things to do is have foods that can relieve it. Here are a few of the food items that you can take: legumes, rye, oats, rice, nuts, seeds, almost any kind of vegetable, and almost all of the fruits. All of these should be of course done in moderation. When taking to many it could cause other problems in the system. Mostly just taking a small handful each day could help, like a small handful of nuts or seeds. You can mix some of these up with other food items to add some extra flavor or give them a really nice taste.

While there are some food items that might help when you are trying to figure out how to relieve constipation, there are other simple things that can be done such as exercise and movement. Learning how to relax can also bring that added relief and fast. When you exercise it can relieve tension and stress, which helps the bowels to loosen up. Having a daily exercise routine can really benefit people that have problems with constipation. People who have jobs sitting a lot, or might not get out might suffer with this so moving around does them good.

There are plenty of herbal remedies that can help when it comes time on how to relieve constipation such as aloe juice, dandelion, senna, and the medicinal one rhubarb. People should be very cautious when using these herbs because some might be harmful, and more so if you are using medications or have a health problem. Talk with the doctor if you want to use them for relief with constipation and see what the doctor says because if the doctor disapproves they will give you another alternative to use and do for relief. When it is ongoing some tests might need to be done or either medication given. In some cases massage therapy can often help to bring relief if the constipation does not go away in a couple of weeks.

One thing that is very common with foods that cause constipation is having a low fiber diet or either one that the fat is high. Fiber is both insoluble plus soluble. The body has a hard time with digestion with a few things such as grains, vegetables, and fruit. The fiber which is soluble and that can easily dissolve is usually within water, when it goes through the intestines it becomes like a texture which is gel-like and very soft. The fiber that is insoluble often times can not be changed when it goes through the intestines. The soft plus bulk texture with the fiber helps with making it hard, and stools that are dry which make it very difficult when it comes to passing them.

Older adults usually have a diet that is low in fiber. They might experience losing some interest when it comes to eating and pick foods only for conveniences and those food items are often times low in fiber. They also have problems with swallowing or chewing and older people might have to eat soft food because of that reason which they are also low in fiber. People 50 years of age, and older should be careful and talk with their doctor about foods that cause constipation and see what they can take.

A few of the foods that cause constipation and that is low in fiber include: meat, cheese, ice cream, pizza, chips, instant mashed potatoes, foods that are processed, and frozen dinners. A lot of teenagers eat frozen dinners out of conveniences, plus children. If they are having constipation then that should be avoided.

Having a lot of refined or processed food could also cause constipation. Right now you will find many prepackaged meals, and snacks that have this. Sometimes it might be impossible to avoid them so using moderation and cutting back on these kind of foods can help and might stop the constipation from happening.

Fennel seeds comes from the plant species, and has many useful benefits. What many might not know is that fennel seeds can help with constipation, and possibly even heal it. All that is required is a glass of water that is warm, and having a small handful of the seeds every night right before bed. Another thing that fennel helps with is digestive problems. Taking fennel seeds daily can help with trying to normalize the digestive system and balance it so that in time the constipation is healed.

There are some home remedies for constipation that might not work straight away, but one that gives relief almost immediate is when you take a vessel that is copper, keep water in it overnight, and then drink it the next morning. This usually provides almost instant relief and you can find copper vessels at almost any kind of store and sometimes possibly the supermarket

One thing that might be hard to cure is chronic constipation and not all home remedies for constipation might work for that but one thing that has been known to work in these kind of situations are figs. First get some water, dip the figs in water, and try doing it in the morning. This usually works fast when it is chronic and often times really effective. If you do not like figs, the other thing that you might want to take instead would be dates. You can have dates with a nice glass of milk for relief.

Other things that are fast and quick for home remedies for constipation include: having castor oil but all that is needed is around 2-4 teaspoonfuls, mix at least 1/2 cup of orange juice with 1/2 cup of olive oil and then drink it, mix 1/2 glasses of water with 1/4 teaspoon with Epsom salt in it and drink. If a child has constipation these drinks might not be best for them so it is always a good thing to ask the doctor first before giving home remedies for constipation to children.

As you get older how many bowel movements you could have usually starts to decrease. What is considered a very normal week is having three to around 21 bowel movements during a weeks time. Most people usually have at least one during the day, but only around 50% of the people actually experience that. A lot of people have irregular movements and might not always have the exact same each week or per day. During the week a person can have constipation that is severe at least once.

The constipation symptoms include but not limited to: vomiting, pain, the abdominal having pain, the abdomen swelling up, bowel movements that is infrequent, and problems with bowel movements being very difficult and sometimes painful. Usually these constipation symptoms go away within that day, but after a couple of weeks if they stay then the doctor should be notified because there might be a serious health condition that might be going on. The pain that is included with the constipation usually decreases but that is another reason to contact the doctor if it does not decrease, but continues. When vomiting and any blood shows up that is a sign of a possibly serious health condition, and the doctor plus possibly calling 911 might be needed depending on how much blood you could vomit.

If you are having constipation and having these type of constipation symptoms daily, or often you should notify the doctor. Write down all of the symptoms you are having and what kind of pain is related to it. This will help the doctor find out if they need to give you any kind of medications, or if possibly tests might need to be done. Never be afraid to talk with the doctor about constipation and the problems you might be having because it might be something serious and talking with the doctor could help with possible early intervention.