The word constipation comes from a similar Latin word “constipare” with the same meaning. History of modern medicine has described constipation as an enemy to human health almost always in the timeline. Throughout the human history, irregular bowel habits had been connected to a threat to health. In 19th century, doctors and scientists even put forward a theory known as “intestinal auto-intoxication”. It proposes that a person gets a kind of poisoning from self-waste by retaining one’s own body wastes. Speaking of history, the oldest known complete book, an Egyptian pharmaceutical papyrus of the 16th century BC 1 gives an explanation that disease is a notion of poisoning of the body by things released from the decomposition of waste products in the intestines. Though we don’t know much about the daily habits of our very early ancestors, we can be sure from the documents in an American health manual2 from the 19th century that the medical community believed that, daily evacuation of the bowels is of the utmost importance to the maintenance of health; without the daily movement of wastes, the entire system will become deranged and corrupted.
Ayurveda considers Agni or digestion as the prime part of health, and as a part of cleaning up the system to ensure proper digestion , bowel movements are considered very important. The daily bowel movements has been explained as an important point in the chapter of Dinacarya(Daily routine).The chapter starts with the verse that the person who is healthy should wake up in the Braahma muhurta, but only after making sure that he had digested the previous night’s meal. This mention emphasises the Acarya wanted to ensure a healthy person who woke up at Brahma muhurta has a normal bowel movements everyday. Once the person makes sure that he has digested the first thing Ayurveda advises a person to do in the morning is to clear the bowels!!! See, Ayurveda doesn’t advise you to take any medicines or herbal infusion or even water as a habit but to ensure that you have a healthy digestion that ensures the bowel movements first in the morning.
As we have seen the daily routine part, let us discuss how Ayurveda can help to people to understand constipation. Ayurveda manuscripts explain people as of three types, based on their body constitution(Prakriti). To add on, this Prakriti has a role on the person’s emotional self also, as the body and mind function together in a being. So, the Pitta prakriti people tend to get a sensitive bowels almost all the time, rarely prone to constipation. Meanwhile the other two, the Vaata and the Kapha people might be getting constipation due to various reasons. It is important to consider the type of constipation whether it is due to excessive Vaata dosha or Kapha dosha first. On an elevated Vaata condition, the Koshtha or the alimentary canal may get extremely dry, causing the problem of too much dry and hard stools, difficult to expel out. In Kapha dominance, the slow and sluggish movements of the intestines make it difficult to pass the stools effectively, despite they are formed massively. You need to consider taking Snigdha (oily) substances like Erandrataila(castor oil) in the first situation where the latter needs ruksha(dry) like Triphala powder. But be sure about the condition and dosage before administering it. Doctors also suggest to co sidereal any organic conditions including hemorrhoids before taking medicines.
Ayurveda, as a way of daily living in a healthy way, has a lot of advices to help with problem of constipation. Understanding and changing the lifestyle habits can help a person with constipation. The most common and practised way of lifestyle changes to combat constipation as follows:
- Sleep well from early night and get up early in the morning. A sound sleep is very important for the metabolism.
- Do not push the urges, and don’t hold it ever. Such habits keep a healthy sets of anal sphincters at position and in good elasticity.
- Drink only hot or warm water, as it helps Agni. Don’t drink cold water as it reduces the digestive power. Replace your iced juices with warm soups with ginger, cumin, curry leaves and other spices that helps digestion.
- Eat only when you are hungry. Do not follow food schedule, but follow an appetite schedule. It might be different for each person.
- Limit the intake of junk food especially baked foods as they are dry and fermented. It is also advised to reduce carbonated drinks, chocolates and alcohol.
- Encourage your habit of eating vegetables and fruits. If you don’t have any such habits, start one and reward yourself with another fruit when you eat one !
- Limit your time sitting sedentary. Though it seems funny, the Vaata in charge of excretory function(Apaana Vaata) gets blocked due to continued sitting on a plain surface for a long time, according to Ayurveda. You can find yourself standing or walking for two minutes every one hour. Or you can use a net chair with proper air circulation downward.
- Ayurveda advises the regular intake of fruits like Draksha(dried black grapes with seeds) and Amalaki(Indian gooseberry) in a limited quantity, especially in pregnancy and old age.
- Yoga practices like Malasana and Pavanamuktasana help relieve constipation.
- Anuloma DS Tablets, is an effective ayurvedic remedy for Constipation. It contains natural Senna leaves.
Reference
- Root HK. The people’s medical lighthouse. New York: Ranney; 1856. p. 114. [Google Scholar]
