Are You Concerned About Constipation During Covid-19?

Are You Concerned About Constipation During Covid-19?

The Covid-19 has changed everyone’s lives completely. Everyone is forced to practice new normal living by putting on masks, working from home, sanitizing now and then, staying indoors, keeping distance while going out, and many more norms to keep oneself clean and away from coronavirus. These changes may also affect the toilet habits for some or many. 

You might never have the issue of constipation before, but the pandemic now might have changed it for you. It can be caused due to a lack of physical activity, poor sleep, change in eating habits, stress, etc., which is caused due to lockdown. 

Increase in Constipation During Covid-19 Times, Is It True?

Yes, there seems to be a rapid increase in patients consulting for constipation during Covid-19 times.

Exercises like walking, running, and swimming lead to increased feel-good hormones, leading to increased bowel motility and a good bowel motion. In the last year or so with the advent of Covid-19, these activities have gone out of many people’s lives. 

Staying at home during this pandemic can cause not moving enough, not drinking enough water, eating junk foods, eating too much, and not following those regular routines, these all may decrease bowel motility. This lack of activity has led to an increased incidence of constipation. Elderly people are naturally prone to constipation and have suffered the most as they are afraid to go out leading to increased inactivity. 

Post-menopausal women have to decrease Oestrogen levels so lead to a slowing of bowels naturally. This problem is compounded with increased inactivity.

During Covid-19, also there has been increased anxiety and depression. This has a direct effect on slowing bowel motility attributed to the brain bowel axis.

What Can You Do To Avoid Constipation?

Become Active Again

Firstly, you must become active again. Restart your workout at home. Do simple things like walking in your corridor or terrace will help. Yoga poses like forward bend, dog pose, and child pose may help in improving bowel motility. Do some brisk walk in your balcony, terrace, lawn, or even bedroom. Play your favorite songs and dance to their beats.

Watch-over What You Eat

Secondly, observe whatever you eat in a day. Do work from home make you take snacks too much? Is it that your shelves are full of packets of chips and other ready-made snacks? If you say yes, then you need to stop.

Instead, take more fiber-rich foods in your diet to relieve constipation. The fiber-rich food helps your stool by keeping water and makes it softer and better.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

Finally, keep yourself hydrated. Self Hydration is more important. Hydrate yourself even when you are staying indoors. Drink more water, juices, coconut water, detox water (put lemon and cucumber slices in water). 

Never rely on soda or alcohol to hydrate yourself. These sodas or alcohol can contribute to dehydration.

Try Traditional Remedies To Avoid Constipation

If you think that you are constipated, then consult with your doctor, and if nothing serious or blockages then try out these traditional remedies to regulate bowel motility:

• Amla syrup or fresh amla in warm water in the morning daily
• Ghee or honey with warm milk at night
• Take fiber-rich foods to your diet.
• Certain fruits like prunes, cranberry and mangoes stimulate the bowel so make it part of the diet
• Get more fluids, without it, constipation can get worse.

Note Of Caution On Constipation

• Ayurvedic medicines like ‘faki and churna’ are stimulant laxatives and best used on an SOS basis
• Long term use can be habit-forming and harmful to your bowel
• Husk based medicines like isapghol are the safest
• A combination of exercise and diet modification will give the best results
• Most important is the MIND!!
• Learn to relax and be positive in difficult times. This is the key to a healthy life

Stay Healthy! Stay safe!!

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