How to treat constipation
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By Lee Sung-hun
It is said that everyone experiences being constipated at some point in life.
While the old adage of “You are what you eat” represents how important the food we consume is for our health, how well our body disposes of the consumed food is also important for the general well-being.
Stool is the discharging of the undigested food usually eaten 24 to 48 hours beforehand, and typically consists of 70 percent water and 30 percent solid waste.
Most adults have bowel movements once a day, but some have them more often and others may have one every two or three days.
As long as the bowel movement is not discomforting, and there are no feelings of incomplete evacuation, the frequency can be deemed normal for that person.
In contrast, even with regular bowel movements, if the person complains of difficulty in discharging and stomachache along with harder stool, the symptoms are indicative of constipation.
Generally, a patient is diagnosed with constipation if two or more of the following symptoms are experienced by the patient.
You have to strain severely to squeeze out a bowel movement at least once out of four times, or the stools come out hard, or your gut feels incompletely evacuated, or you feel unable to initiate a bowel movement, or you have less than three bowel movements per week.
Oriental medicine divides constipation into two categories.
The treatment differs according to the patient’s physical status of whether their stamina is in excess or in deficiency.
Constipation occurring in patients with deficient qi and stamina are more likely to occur when the yin-qi is lacking rather than the yang.
Yin-qi is needed to keep the internal organs moist and wet, and when it is deficient, the stool becomes dry and hard.
Chronic constipation is more common among senior patients as they tend to consume less and drink an insufficient amount of water while not exercising enough.
Constipation in senior patients tends to fall in the deficient-stamina category, and it has to do with the qi in the kidneys.
Kidneys are where our body stores its energy and they are said to be in charge of all our bodily fluids.
The kidneys’ qi naturally weakens as we age, and especially if their yin-qi withers, the whole body becomes thinner, skin drier, and stools harder.
Constipation occurring in patients with sufficient stamina is generally caused by excessive heat in the body that causes the intestines to become dry and the stools to become hard.
The heat can be caused by what the patient ingests such as alcoholic beverages, fatty, spicy or hot foods, or it can also be caused by stress and tension in the body that act as heat sources in the patient resulting in constipation.
In order to treat constipation in the deficient category, Hanyak medicine is prescribed to boost the deficient yin-qi, warm up the body and supplement the kidneys’ qi, especially for the senior patients so that our body can recover moisture and shine.
For constipation in the excess category, the prescription depends on the source of the heat.
If the heat is caused by the consumed food, prescribed Hanyak brings down the heat in the stomach and intestines, and if the heat is caused by psychological issues, the heat accumulates in the chest and accordingly medicine is used to cool down the heat in the chest area.
In order to prevent constipation, consuming foods with high fiber and drinking sufficient amounts of water are recommended.
Eating at regular intervals along with a bit of exercise can go a long way in keeping you healthy.
Nuts are known to have a lubricating effect on the stomach and are recommended for seniors and children.
Aloe plants which are naturally cool in their characteristics and rich in fiber, are effective for the patients with high body heat.
The writer practices Oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul.