Sudden Constipation: America's New Epidemic?

A new Epidemic

It may seem silly to call the rise in gastrointestinal diseases caused by our affluent society an epidemic. Still, it can’t be denied that the human suffering, the work days missed and the health care expenses have many in our modern society yearning for the good old days.

Medical costs for digestive problems are estimated at 50 billion dollars a year. About 200,000 workers stay home from work every day because they are suffering from sudden constipation or diarrhea or some other digestive disturbance.

Are we Poisoning Ourselves?

A lot of adults will concur that they suffer from sluggish bowels. Many wholistic practitioners believe this toxic build-up in our colon is a form of autointoxication. This waste material that sits in our colons for far too long can, over time, cause many chronic degenerative diseases.

Then, there is a re-absorption into the bloodstream of all that waste that gets carried throughout the body.

Some of the results of this are chronic fatigue and body weakness, depression, nervousness, skin problems, ulcers, headaches, arthritic joints, swelling in the feet and hands- the list goes on.

You would think that any country that spends a cool billion dollars a year on antacids has a health concern going on.

Common Digestive Complaints

Let’s take a look at some of the ways that our bowels are complaining to us about our lifestyle.

• Diarrhea - Although it’s a common symptom, it can develop for hundreds of reasons. Over use of laxatives, an adverse reaction to a medication, complications of diabetes and thyroid trouble and infection from contaminated foods or drink are some of the things that cause diarrhea.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Doctors attribute this disorder to stress. It shows as bloating, abdominal discomfort, gas, diarrhea and sometimes-sudden constipation. This illness can stop making someone’s life miserable as fast as it began, with no real noticeable reason for this happening.
• Diverticular Disease - Little pouches that develop in the walls of the large bowel cause this. It can affect about ½ of the population of people over 50, but it doesn’t always have symptoms. When the little pouches get inflamed, there is pain, diarrhea or sudden constipation and fever. Surgery is a last resort, but might be necessary if diet changes and medications fail.
• Colitis - Nobody has found the cause of this inflammation of the colon. It usually shows up when people are in their 20’s and 30’s. Severe diarrhea, with blood and mucus in the stool and abdominal pain are symptoms. Medications can help, but most of the time surgery is needed.
• Crohn’s disease - This disease seems to affect young people, too. Stomachache, diarrhea and weight loss are signals of the disease. Some people can manage with medication, but most will need surgical intervention.
• Cancer - Any sudden change in bowel habit, such as sudden constipation should be looked into. There may also be persistent abdominal pain, weight loss and bleeding from the bowel. Colon cancer is on the rise, but is often cured if caught early.