Constipation: How Does Ayurvedic Treatment For Constipation Work?

Constipation refers to the general difficulty in emptying the bowels. It is often accompanied by the passage of hard and dry stools, causing painful defecation, hemorrhoids, or tearing in the lining of the lower rectum or anus. If prolonged for a longer period of time, it can even become a cause of cancer, headache, plies, and serious digestion-related disorders.

Ayurvedic View Of Constipation

The ayurvedic treatment for Constipation helps complete healing without making an individual relying entirely on the chemically made drugs that eventually depletes the body from the essential vitamins and minerals with their continuous use.

The condition of Constipation in Ayurveda is known as Malsangha or Vibandha. It is a signal of Vata imbalance in the body. The start of Constipation gets initiated with low digestive fire or ‘Mand-Agni’ as per Ayurveda. Most of the gut issues happen because of this ‘Mand-Agni’ in the body.

The excessive consumption of greasy meals and not following a workout schedule that can ease the condition slows down the digestive fire. This low digestive fire slows the metabolism further, and ‘Apana Vayu’, which is responsible for the expulsion of the stool, gets affected, the result of which is Constipation. 

The ayurvedic treatment focuses on improving ‘Mand-Agni’ and helping the gut relieve the faeces from the body naturally rather than relying on a forced evacuation. The herbs as Senna, formulations as ‘Triphala’ help a lot in this condition from time immortal.

Still, Constipation tends to come back again and again if not treated from the root cause for which diet and lifestyle play an important role.

The three pillars of Ayurvedic treatment are diet, lifestyle and medicines; once the condition gets recovered, the patient can live a medicine-free while keeping themselves healthy only with the help of diet and lifestyle. 

Signs & Symptoms

• Passing stools with great difficulty
• Spending more time commode seat to relieve
• Painful defecation
• Hard stools
• Needs external help to empty the rectum
• Straining to have bowel movements
• Feeling of blockage in the rectum that prevents bowel movements

Future Risks Involved due to Constipation?

Constipation that looks just a regular uncomfortable gut issue can pave the way to the many severe medical conditions in the future, including colon cancer, if not addressed timely. The prolonged condition of Constipation may lead to-

• Rectal bleeding
• Haemorrhoids (Dry or Bleeding Piles)
• Fissures
• Rectal Prolapse

Many studies and case histories of the patients have revealed a direct linkage between the condition of Constipation and conditions of bloating, headache, liver disorders, and intestinal diseases. 

Some of the conditions may require surgery in the future if the issue of Constipation is not addressed immediately. The ayurvedic treatment for Constipation is one safe path one can choose to follow for total holistic healing.

Causes and Risk Factors

• Low fibrous diet

Consumption of diets low in fibre and rich in junk or trans fats which clog the gut to slow down the digestive fire leads to Constipation. This can be illustrated with a small example of a person living in New Delhi eating white flour bread and other processed grains, not whole grains. Partying out, late-night heavy meals harm the digestion process. People who consume less fibre than 25 to 35 grams a day are more prone to be affected with Constipation. The ayurvedic treatment involves a dietary guide that helps people to combat the condition naturally. 

• Low liquid intake

The digestion of meals requires an adequate quantity of water for the proper digestion of meals, breaking the food, and enzymes to act and assimilate the nutrition in the blood. Liquids add fluid to the intestine and make up a part of the stools. If there are not enough liquids, the stools may dry out faster. The daily liquid intake should match the body’s needs. Too much liquid or too little liquid is equally harmful to the digestive process. 

• Sedentary lifestyle

This is one of the prime reasons that is resulting in the Constipation in the current times. Lack of physical workout, sitting idle impairs the process of digestion. Not doing any workout slows the digestive process and metabolism, which ends in Constipation, low appetite, or mand-agni, which is the cause for most of the troubles of the gut. 

• Ignoring natural urge

By regularly ignoring the urge to have bowel movements, one may eventually stop feeling the need to defecate or confuse the gut about visiting the loo. This makes the stools harder in the intestine, painful or difficult defecation, and challenging to evacuate the bowel.

• Medicines

Certain medicines also cause Constipation. This is very common with opioid pain relievers, antispasmodic like dicyclomine, antidepressants like amitriptyline, iron supplements, diuretics, anti-allergic etc. Using laxatives and relying on them for evacuation for a longer time further aggravates and worsens the condition instead of curing it. The ayurveda works towards curing the condition without relying on the medicines for eternity.

• Changes in daily routine/Lifestyle

Frequent long trips, travel, constantly changing locations or weather conditions disrupt the bowel movement, and it takes days to set the routine for the proper bowel movement. Life events such as pregnancy, ageing when the aggravation of ‘Vata’ happens in the body also cause Constipation. That is why most elderly now a day suffer from Constipation. 

• Intestinal disorders/Medical Conditions

Health issues as intestinal obstruction, tumours, irritable bowel syndrome, or pelvic floor dysfunction also cause constipation. Certain diseases such as multiple sclerosis, stroke, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and lupus make it challenging to clear the bowel. Hence, the patients experience Constipation. Some of these conditions can be easily treated with ayurvedic treatment.

Self Care Tips

• Regular body workout, which helps in digestion and body metabolism.
• Drink an adequate amount of water, sip by sip; warm water is highly advocated to relax the intestine.
• Eat a fibre-rich diet and maintain roughage in diets. High-fibre foods help in moving wastes through the body.
• Add foods with fibre to diet slowly because eating more fibre can cause bloating and gas.
• Avoid processed, junk and fast food items, such as white bread, pastries, doughnuts, sausage, burgers, pizza, potato chips, etc. They are difficult to get digested in conditions like Constipation.
• Berries, peaches, apricots, plums, papaya, raisins, rhubarb, and prunes are just some fruits that help Constipation. Do not peel fruits with edible skins.
• Use brown rice or wild rice in place of white rice.
• Vegetables can also add fibre to the diet. Some high-fibre vegetables are asparagus, broccoli, corn, squash, and potatoes (with the skin still on).
• Salads made with lettuce, spinach, and cabbage help in getting rid of Constipation by stimulating bowels.
• Only take a laxative as often as your doctor recommends. Do not remain dependent on laxatives, as they are habit-forming in nature and can harm in the longer run.

Why You Should Choose Ayurvedic Treatment For Constipation Cure?

Ayurvedic treatment aims to correct the root cause of Constipation, which leads to the condition. The treatment process includes ‘Shodhan karma that takes the help of Panchkarma, thereby detoxing the entire body with the help of medicated clarified butter followed by purgation, which increases the strength and mobility of the intestine.

In some cases, the treatment needs only ‘Shaman’ chikitsa, which alone is sufficient in correcting the Agni and helps in relieving the patients from the condition of Constipation.

This ayurvedic treatment for constipation not only corrects the ApanaVayu but also improves digestion and appetite while treating the root cause of disrupted Agni. It is safe, result oriented and devoid of any adverse side effects, unlike the chemical-based laxatives that deplete the body from nutrition and leach out the vitamins from the body.