Top Reasons For Constipation
I think I talk about constipation every single day. There is somebody that I know, or I run into, that is struggling with constipation. They tend to ask questions because they aren’t getting a lot of answers from their doctor. GI patients have the toughest road because they are usually shuffled from doctor to doctor and rarely get to the bottom of it (pun not intended).
And this is a good time to remind you that talking about your GI issues is never TMI.
I will always listen because I think it is vital for health, and it’s not talked about enough (in conventional medicine that is). So, over the years from treating constipation for adults and children, I have gathered the top reasons for constipation and daily stomach pain. I hope this can help guide you to your root cause and start to uncover some answers.
TOP REASONS FOR CONSTIPATION (that I see):
#1 Not fully digesting your food. Signs of this are fatigue after meals, pain after meals and/or you avoid meats because it causes stomach pain. It could be related to your thyroid. A slow thyroid leads to slow digestion. It could also be related to your minerals. We need minerals like potassium and sodium for a healthy gut environment. Without minerals you can’t break down your food properly. It could also be both, which creates a poor gut environment and one that is susceptible to infections. This is why I love to test for both and get to the root cause.
#2 You have reflux. To me this is a symptom and a sign that your constipation is from low stomach acid. While many people believe reflux is because of TOO much acid (which can happen), most cases I see are because you don’t have enough stomach acid. In another words, it’s too basic. The pH is too high and that can leak stomach contents into the esophagus. It still creates a burning sensation, which it makes sense that anyone who gets reflux thinks it’s because they have too much acid, but again, it’s often because of stomach acid being too high on the pH scale.
#3 Not enough movement. Even if you exercise you may not be getting enough movement. Sitting in the same position for long periods of time can contribute to constipation. It really is the first time in history (well, the last 50 years or so) that we have been sitting for hours and hours. We used to have to get up and tend to the animals, property or have active jobs. In modern day we have more sedentary jobs. There is no judgment there. It’s just a change that we must adjust to by getting up every few hours, go outside, go for walks, stretch etc. Sometimes having a goal of 10,000 steps a day can help with this.
As a reminder, it is not normal to be constipated regularly. You should be regular each day and your stomach pain shouldn’t be. It’s also worth noting that bowel movements should happen naturally and not with a stimulant (aka those that rely on coffee to go).
While constipation itself can be “livable” and most people don’t seek treatment right away, over time constipation is associated with other symptoms like acne, rashes, weight gain, troubles sleeping, painful cramping during periods, trouble ovulating and even low energy levels. I highly recommend figuring out what is causing your constipation before it leads to more difficult symptoms down the road.
