Constipation is when one has difficult bowel movements & happens less often than normal. It usually refers to persistent, difficult, infrequent or seemingly incomplete defecation. It is a symptom & not a disease. It can be seen as a symptom associated with some other diseases. Even though it is a symptom, if neglected can cause health discomfort & can lead to other complications gradually such as gaseous distention of abdomen, fissure-in-Ano, hemorrhoids etc.

CAUSES

Low fluid intake
Excessive intake of dry, pungent, astringent, salty & spicy food
Lack of fiber rich food
Lack of exercise
Changes in daily routine
Resisting the urge
Stress, anxiety etc.
Some medications
Associated with health conditions such as pregnancy
Associated with certain neurological disorders, GIT disorders, colon cancer, hypothyroidism etc.

Signs and Symptoms

Difficulty in passing stool
Infrequent bowel
Having hard stool
Straining to pass stool
Feeling of incomplete defecation

Ayurveda Treatment

The treatment aims at anulomana (downward movement) of apana vata, clearing the pureesha vaha srotho dushti, treating pakwasaya gata vata & loosening the hard bowel. Udavarta (bdominal distention) chikitsa can be done for constipation. Intake of food, drinks & medications which improve digestion & helps bowel evacuation need to be given.Sneha, sweda(oleation & fomentation), guda varthi(suppositories), virechana(purgation) & vasti(medicated enema) can help in eliminating the stool.

Our Approach

Vibandha, vishtabdha, badha varcha, malavasthambha are the terms used in Ayurveda Classics to describe constipation. While defining a swastha (healthy)person in Ayurveda classics sama mala kriya term ie normal bowel evacuation is also used ( sama dosha sama agnishcha sama dhathu malakriya/prasanna athmendriya mana: swastha ithyabhidheeyathe//).

Ayurveda gives great importance to ingestion, digestion & excretion for a healthy living. The trimalas in our body are sweda (perspiration), moothra(urine) & pureesha (stool). The function of pureesha is avashtambha (bearing of the body). Vibandha occurs when there is vata vikrithi (de-ranged vata dosha), pureesha vaha srotho dushti (obstructions in the channels of excretion) & prathiloma gathi of apana vata (upward movement). Ayurveda while giving description on prakruthi (body constituition) says that people with vata constituition will have krura koshta(constipated bowel).

Constipation is the main symptom of pakwasaya gatha vata (vata obstructed in pakwasaya). Apart from considering vibandha as a lakshana, it is also considered as the cause for many other diseases.

Apollo AyurVAID has pioneered evidence based, award winning Precision Ayurveda based protocols for treatment of GIT issues. Following the fundamental principles of Ayurveda, our physicians perform an in-depth assessment of the key symptoms and health factors of each patient to diagnose the root causes around your diet, individual constitution, lifestyle and work pattern.

Based on the assessment, we arrive at the optimal ayurveda treatment protocol for Samprapti Vikhatan or breaking the etiopathogenesis, considering the severity of disease progression and your individual constitution). Ayur VAID also advices healthy ahara vihara (diet & regimens) to correct the condition & avoid recurrence in the future.

Patient centricity is at the core of Apollo AyurVAID approach, and we have been widely recognized for our breakthrough approach. Some of them include:

The first NABH accredited hospital in India, Quality Council of India.
Winner of prestigious National award for Best Ayurveda Centre of the year 2017 from Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
Industry best customer satisfaction score of 92%, rated by our patients

Key Outcomes

Ayurveda can give wonderful results in treating constipation. Treatments are planned according to the prakruti (constitution), koshta(bowel), desa(place), bala(strength) & kala (season/time). The internal medications that are carminative, bowel softeners can bring immediate relief along with gut friendly diet & regimens.In case of chronic constipation guda varthi(suppositories), virechana(purgation) & vasthi (enema) can bring very good outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What should be done to avoid constipation?

Fiber rich diet, healthy eating habits, enough fluid intake, proper exercise & regular toilet habits can help in preventing constipation.

2. What are the complications of constipation?

Hemorrhoids, anal fissure, rectal bleeding, rectal prolapse, fecal impaction etc. are the most common complications of constipation.

Constipation