What Can I Do About Constipation and Gas?

 

Q.This is really embarrassing, but I suffer from constipation and gas a lot. Is that a sign of something serious or should I just try to live with it?

A. The body is designed to work correctly; any malfunction signals a problem worth investigating.

In the greatest number of cases, patients find complete relief with a modification of eating habits. Nonetheless, constipation and gas can signify digestive conditions such as ulcers, lactose intolerance and acid reflux. The concurrent presence of the two could imply an obstruction in the lower GI tract, which is sometimes caused by diseases of the colon. Or you could be pregnant. Oops.

Over-the-counter and home remedies can bring relief—active charcoal tablets, or antacids for gas; plenty of fiber and water for constipation—but prolonged self-medication can mask real problems or even create new ones. A gastroenterologist can help you treat the cause rather than the symptoms. And if you’re over 50, the doctor will want to rule out colon cancer.

Make an appointment with a gastrointestinal specialist. Bring with you a log of your diet and the symptoms that arose in the previous two weeks. The impact of digestive complications on lifestyle can be substantial. There’s no reason to “just live with it.”

Related Posts

Tags: , , , , June 19th, 2008 Posted in Womens Health

2 Responses to “What Can I Do About Constipation and Gas?”

  1. Saniya Says:

    Excellent Post, thanx for sharing the same.. Will keep on reading the post :D

    Stumbled your post .. cheers



  2. John Says:

    This is a informative post about colon cleansing and there side effect.
    Thanks for sharing such an informative post.
    Thanks



Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Powered by WordPress | Blue Weed by Blog Oh! Blog | Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).