The content of this podcast is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as,

nor should it be considered a substitute for professional medical advice.

Hello, you are listening to Itchy and Bitchy, a podcast that provides answers to your many health questions.

This is Karen Nicholl, Family Nurse Practitioner, and I am going to speak with you today about

constipation. Are you one of the many people who have trouble pooping? Because there are lots of

them out there, 80 million people in the US that have constipation, and 800 million dollars a year

are spent on prescription medications to treat this problem. Three out of five Americans with

constipation have never discussed their symptoms with a healthcare provider. I find that amazing.

Furthermore, the use of prescription medications for managing constipation symptoms is low,

because individuals mainly rely on over-the-counter medications. Struggling with bowel movements is

more common in women and in older adults, and I have a predominantly female patient population,

and so I see this problem frequently. Conventional medicine defines constipation as three

or fewer bowel movements per week for over three months. Someone who has normal functioning

bowel should have a bowel movement two to three times a day, or at least once a day, but two to

three times a day would be normal. Why is it so important to empty your bowels on a regular basis?

Because toxins that are in the solid waste will be reabsorbed into the body if the stool is

sitting in the colon for long periods of time. In addition to trapping toxins in our colon,

there is direct physical harm from being chronically constipated, including hemorrhoids, anal

fishers, rectal prolapse, and something called mega colon, which is the abnormal dilation of the

colon. Conventional medicine approach is to treat the constipation versus address the underlying

causes. There are over-the-counter options that include meds that increase water in the colon,

bulking agents, and lubricating agents, which just help you get the stool out. It doesn't fix

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