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We don’t always give the importance of our body’s ability to eliminate waste all the attention it deserves. Constipation affects many people but studies show that only 1.2% of people decide to go to the doctor to treat it.
It’s not just a matter of not going to the bathroom enough, constipation can actually be an underlying issue of other things. So, pay attention!
Effects of not going to the bathroom properly:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Gas
- Headache
- Bad breath
- Bad mood
- Malnutrition
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Acne
- Heartburn
- Tiredness and insomnia
If you’ve been affected by any of the above symptoms and you’ve been having trouble going to the bathroom for more than three months, then perhaps it’s time to give this uncomfortable problem the importance it deserves. Chronic constipation can cause significant changes to our body. Not going to the bathroom means that we are not eliminating our leftover waste resulting in our intestines absorbing all those toxic substances instead. Literally poisoning ourselves!
Do you get sick all the time?
Did you know that 80% of our immune system lies in the intestine? Food passes through the intestine, but also a large amount of toxins, bacteria, and viruses…
“The better our gut health is the better our immune system is.”
Not going to the bathroom causes waste to build up,the immune system to weaken and nutrients are unable to be absorbed, leaving the person more susceptible to viruses, bacteria and diseases.
Chronic constipation leads to other more serious diseases. The wastes accumulated in the walls of the colon become toxins and over time can create everything from colics, hemorrhoids and even diabetes, depression or colon cancer.
Unexpected causes of constipation
It’s always important to look for the root of the problem. Otherwise it’s useless taking laxatives or following an anti-constipation diet, when you don’t know why you are doing that.
Most common causes are:
- Food intolerance: the first thing to do is to take a test and rule out any food intolerances.
- Stress: It’s already been scientifically proven that stress and other negative emotions affect the propery functioning of our digestive system.
- Lack of physical activity: doing any kind of sport or physical avitivity helps regulate and ensure optimal bowel mobility.
- Lack of routine: constipation can be aggravated when we don’t follow a routine. It’s important to schedule rest, meals, and exercise… This is why some of us suffer from this more when we travel then at any other time.
- Some medications: Some medications can increase the chances of constipation. For example:Iron supplements, contraceptives, analgesics, antihistamines, hyperthyroidism, and laxatives.
- Changes in the microbiota: microbiota plays a fundamental role in our digestive tract. The bacteria in the intestine produce substances that stimulate peristalsis, they feed on what we eat and if don’t have a good diet we are feeding our microbiota bad bacteria. This imbalance is the case of many cases of constipation.