Defining Severe Constipation in Children

Severe constipation in children may cause significant distress in young children. As a matter of fact, statistics show that the prevalence rate of severe constipation in children is about 30 percent. Experts will tell you that constipation in children may not necessarily be a symptom of an underlying serious medical condition. Here is a scenario of what could possibly cause constipation in children. Normally a child may experience some pain while passing out stool. To avoid such pain, a child may withhold the stool making it to pile up in the rectum. Constipation will then gradually develop. Severe constipation will then start when the piled up stool becomes harder and often too big resulting to pain when passing it out eventually. You can see that all the conditional definition of constipation is triggered intentionally or rather deliberately. Therefore, there is no cause of alarm if severe constipation occurs in children. The situation can be effectively addressed.

Why Severe Constipation in Children May Persist

Basically, severe constipation in children is very common across all the pediatric age groups- right from infants all the way to teenagers. Normally, childhood constipation occurs in three noticeable stages of childhood. In the first stage, constipation may occur to infants especially during the weaning stage. For toddlers, constipation may occur during the “toilet training” stage while it is common to school aged children.

Severe constipation in children may be, sometimes, inevitable among infants who are less than one year old. The situation may be relieved when the infants grow to become toddlers. However, these toddlers may continue to psychologically associate passing out of stool with pain, even when this is not the situation. This will make the toddlers to continue withholding their stool hence leading to constipation. For this reason, caregivers as well as parents are advised to continue administering laxatives while being cautious not to make the toddler depended on the same. Laxatives have been known to have an adverse side effect if their use is prolonged. Am sure no single parent would be interested in treating one problem on one end while creating a major one on the other end.

As a matter of fact, laxatives may cause colon laziness syndrome. Some physicians also have it that its prolonged usage may result in colon cancer. You are highly recommended to withdraw laxatives and/or any other form of over the counter medication. Severe constipation in children can be completely eliminated only if, as early as during the weaning process, high fiber rich foods are consistently introduced to the toddler. Give your toddler as much water with consultation of a pediatrician.

Home Treatment for Severe Constipation in Children

Home remedies should work to relieve severe constipation in children pretty soon. If you don’t see results basically in a day, you have all the reasons to be worried. Call your hospital for further advice.

For any infant who is basically four months or less, severe pain while defecating rectal bleeding are enough signs and symptoms to tell you that your toddler has severe constipation condition.

As a parent, dark corn syrup should always be available. To most of us, dark corn syrup was common during our childhood. For quite long, this syrup has been trusted as a major cure for severe constipation in children. Complex sugars in the dark corn syrup often helps to keep the stool of your toddler moist therefore making it a painless task to pass out bowels. Don’t you think that passing out stools in young children should be thing they should enjoy?

Try pure fruit juices in children. Giving up to eight ounces in a day to your toddler and young children can make a significant difference. Change your kid’s diet if you suspect what you are feeding him currently could have cause constipation problems. Severe constipation in children may be eased if you make it clear that toilet trainings are not meant to punish your kid.

Natural Severe Constipation Remedies

While over the counter constipation medication is good, repeated dosage of pharmaceutical drugs and other substances can significantly reduce their effectiveness in your body. Your system may become resistant to these drugs. For instance, over usage of laxatives may lead to colon laziness syndrome. In this case, very few or no activities takes place in the colon resulting to optipation. Besides, you might enslave yourself to artificial stimulants each time you have a problem in defecation. To avoid all this, severe constipation remedies can be sort.

Often, lack of fibre in your diet can cause chronic constipation. Therefore inclusion of foods that are rich in fibre can help treat constipation. Ensure that fresh fruits like kiwis and plums; cereals such as whole wheat bread and vegetables (excluding cabbage) constitute to either of your daily meals. Also, drink plenty of water- about half a gallon each day. Avoid stimulant drinks such as alcohol and coffee.

Psyllium seed and linseed is also among the natural severe constipation remedies that can ease your agony. If your normal fibre sources fail to give you relief, give these seeds a try. They could be your long awaited answer! Please note that while taking linseeds or psyllium seeds, you need to take a lot of water, close to ten glasses. This is because the fibres in these seeds soak up water in your intestines. To a glass of warm water, add about 5-6 grams of psyllium seed and take it at once, before the solution thickens to drink comfortably.

Kitchen Based Severe Constipation Remedies

Perhaps you have been wondering what severe constipation remedies to seek after your over the counter medication has failed. You could not figure that your constipation troubles could be cured right from your kitchen. Well, give the following tips a trial.

Before you retire to bed, drink a mixture of milk and castor oil. To a glass of milk, add and properly stir about two teaspoons of castor oil. You will notice some difference in your bowel movement. The idea is to soften and lubricate your stool. In the morning when you get up, on an empty stomach, take close to a litre of luke warm water and jog slightly for some time. This will help in cleansing your digestive system. Emphasize on fruits with edible seeds such as guavas. This is regarded one of the effective severe effective remedies since you may add roughages to supplement what your meal offers.

In addition, eating smaller quantities of foods at numerous intervals instead of (often after four hours) instead of eating up a bulky quantity at once can be, among the numerous severe constipation remedies, perfect. This is so especially if your constipation worsens after you’ve had your meals.

To your cooking, add spices such as cumin, coriander seed powder, turmeric powder and fennel. These will not only give you that pleasant taste, but also relief your constipation.

Treatment beyond Severe Constipation Remedies

Severe constipation remedies may prove to be fruitless especially when your constipation has reached a level that can no longer be controlled. If you do not take note of earlier constipation symptoms, the situation can gradually aggravate leading to such horrible discomforts as haemorrhoids.

If you get to this stage, no severe constipation remedies may work for you. You have only one choice left: to seek specialized treatment!

Advanced constipation treatment may involve one or a combination of various treatment methods. Among these treatment methods are colonoscopies, x-rays and lab tests just to mention a few.

If you are just ignorant of the early signs and symptoms of constipation, you have no idea on how to maintain a healthy digestive and excretory system; you may find yourself treating what could have been prevented. Among the severe constipation remedies are avoiding hard to-digest and dehydrating foods.