Dear Rachel,
An old Chinese proverb states “There is no disease but stagnation, no remedy but circulation.” Our large intestine is about 5 feet long and our small intestine about 20 feet, so at one level, it is amazing that anything finds its way through our body! Although constipation in itself is not an illness, it is a symptom that something is wrong. Does your son have a poor diet? Is there stress in his life? Is he exposed to certain toxic substances? Is he on mediation which has side-effects? Is he getting enough exercise? Is he using constipation as a means of grabbing your attention?
Constipation can be extremely uncomfortable, and may lead to a general state of lowered health, with sluggishness both physically and mentally. If not treated, it can lead to bad breath and body odour, haemorrhoids, diverticulitis (infection / inflammation of the large intestine) and other health ailments.
I have seen children with constipation who have perfect diets, so it is important to understand the other potential factors, such as constitution, genetics, lifestyle, emotional upset, geopathic and electromagnetic stress. Whilst diet is the most common reason for constipation, I have seen many patients – especially children - where the maintaining cause was something quite different and not immediately obvious. All things considered, the following advice may be of assistance:
Diet: the best sources of fibre are grains, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables. Introduce slowly as they can cause gas and diarrhoea.
Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.
Add linseeds or flaxseeds to your son’s cereals.
Take one tablespoon of olive oil with the juice of one lemon just before bedtime and upon getting up in the morning. This helps to stimulate liver function, and improves overall digestion and elimination of food.
Certain foods such as milk, cheese, white flour products and iron supplements can cause constipation. Record and scrutinise your son’s diet, as there may be something obvious which is causing the problem.
It is sometimes useful to get your son to sit on the toilet at the same time ever day. This may create a signal to the body to defecate.
I have found homeopathic remedies to be extremely gentle and effective in treating constipation. The most common ones used are Nat Mur (aids assimilation and absorption, and treats emotional upset), Lycopodium (aids liver function, enhances appetite and boosts confidence), Nux Vomica (number 1 remedy for irritable bowel syndrome, helps to ground and balance the energy in the body), and Pulsatilla (aids circulation and self-esteem, and is great for constipation if craving dairy products).
If diet is the underlying cause of your son’s constipation, the above advice may help, but as ever, it is important to play the “health detective.” By this I mean taking a dispassionate look at your son’s life and considering whether there are other factors at play: did the problem start when he changed school, began taking a certain medication or eating a certain food, moved house or lost a loved one? Diet is the common maintaining cause of constipation, but be aware that there are many other potential causes too.
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