Really Good At Yoga Or Is It Your Genetics?

Are you more flexible than the rest of your friends and family even though you're not doing yoga every day? Well, you may have a hyper-mobility condition which is determined by your genetics and it's called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This condition can cause all sorts of problems such as wear and tear on your joints, dislocations, pain, rashes and lots of other nasty symptoms. 

If you want to find out some more information then take a look at this article called What Is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It's going to give you a lot of useful information on getting the right diagnosis and treatment for your condition.

At Home Treatments For Constipation

If you're suffering from constipation then you're going to be suffering from a lot of discomfort and maybe some embarrassment too. There are plenty of products available over the counter but determining which one is the best for you can be fairly difficult, especially if you don't know much about constipation. 

Don't fret though, it's best to get help sooner rather than later otherwise you'll end up having to go to the doctor with a very embarrassing problem and may need a procedure to manually have a bowel movement. If you're a little embarrassed about going to the pharmacy to talk about the different types of products you can check them out at this website: What Are The Best Stool Softeners For Constipation? You'll be able to find out all the different types of stools softeners to ease constipation and also how they work to your advantage too. 

Just remember that you'll need to read the manufacturers guidelines and if you are taking any other medications you'll also need to make sure that the stool softeners don't react badly to those you're already taking. 

Best Over The Counter Medications For Constipation

Constipation is a topic that we just don't talk about enough. If you've ever suffered the unpleasantness of constipation then you'll know what I mean. The bloated tummy, loss of appetite, nausea, cramping, and fatigue are awful and that's only a few. If you leave it for too long then it'll just get even worse until it's so bad you need to get to the doctors.

Thankfully there are things that you can do at home and also medications that you can pick up from your local pharmacist to assist you in this difficult time. There are a couple of medications that you can try but it's best to check with your pharmacist as to which one will be best for you:

1. Stool softeners: these make the stool a lot easier to pass naturally by getting water reabsorbed into the stool. When it's soft enough to body will do a normal bowel movement to get rid of it.
2. Laxative based: these activate the nerves and muscle fibers in your gut to get things moving again. You need to be really careful with this type because your bowel and become dependent and lazy if you take too much for too long.

For more information on at home remedies for constipation and to also take a poll regarding this condition please follow the link below. 

Best Over The Counter Medications For Constipation

Warfarin For Deep Vein Thrombosis

Well, it's certainly been a while since my last post but that's mainly because I've been doing a lot more things due to my improved health. For a while I was on my Clexane injections which was improving my condition along with my own rehab program that I've been doing and that improved my health to some extent. However, for the last month or so I've been moved across to Warfarin as my clot has now stabilized and it has been the best decision me and my doctors have made in the last 18 months.

Warfarin comes in tablet form so I no longer have to do twice daily injections which means that my overall pain has reduced (it's now only in my leg) and my haematoma have disappeared. Although there are some side effects and complications with Warfarin they definitely out weigh the side effects of Clexane.

With Warfarin I have to be careful with the types of food that I eat and even avoid certain foods as vitamin K can really effect how it's absorbed and used by the body. Things like sweet potato, dark green leafy vegetables, egg yolks and cranberry juice are a nightmare for your INR which is the value the doctors use to monitor how thick your blood is. 

As a women you'll also find out that Warfarin will make your periods a lot heavier than they used to be. Fortunately there are certain contraceptive options that can help to control your periods by introducing more progesterone to your body which will decrease the amount of active estrogen, therefore making your periods lighter. 

Two Years Later

It's now been some time since I have made the shift from Clexane to Warfarin and it has been a rocky road trying to get a stable INR where I'm not visiting the hospital every two weeks to have a blood test. I have to say that my anticoagulant nurses have been absolutely amazing at what they do and I couldn't have done it without them as they actually take the time to know you and to make an investment in your health. I trust these ladies so much that although I have moved out of the area I still make the 30 mile trip every time just to have them look after me.

One of the things that I have learned over the last two years is that you really have to pay attention to what you are eating every single time you eat. Going about your day and not concentrating on your diet can make your life a nightmare when you have to take Warfarin. Not only will your blood tests be more frequent but you'll also be putting yourself at risk by either having too thick blood and at risk for a blood clot, or you'll be suffering from random bleeds and risk a hemorrhage; I have experience 'bleeding skin' before where you have dots of blood simply make their way through you pores because you are bleeding internally somewhere (a bunch of capillaries in my case but it could be much worse).

I also discovered that not being truthful (or even simply forgetting) with your nurses can lead to problems as well. Having an altered INR score (higher or lower than your target) is one of the most frustrating things you can go through because you will be taking up your valuable time - as well as the nurses and other patients - trying to figure out what you have done differently that week (bearing in mind Warfarin works on a 3 day schedule with your body) and then debate whether or not to adjust your medication and when to see you next to check your INR. To avoid this you need to take note of what you are eating and drinking so that you can plan this with your nurses; it's ok to change your diet (eg. going on holiday) or go out drinking as long as they know about and can help you manage your medication and keep your next test as far in the future as possible.

I have (touch wood) now been on a happy schedule of every 6 - 8 weeks where I am now in control of my diet, I'm losing weight again, and I get it eat a wide variety of food doing so. This has been about 18 months in the making but had I listened to my nurses to start with and took the time to document my food and alcohol (on the rare occasion) I would have reached this point much much sooner.

Top Fiber and Constipation Tips Directory

February is National Fiber Focus Month and it has spurred me on to create as many articles about fiber, constipation, bowel problems and anything else related to that topic. 

Fiber Articles

National Fiber Focus Month

Find out what this month is all about and how you can get more fiber into your diet.

What's The Difference Between Soluble and Insoluble Fiber

Dietary fiber is made up of these two types and they are both vital for a healthy digestive system.

Tips To Beat Constipation

Five Tips To Beat Constipation

Chronic constipation can often be cured by following these 5 easy tips

Exercise

By getting regular exercise you will stimulate the deep intestinal muscles which are used during a bowel movement. Keep your body healthy by getting at least 30 minutes a day. You might like to try these programs:

Turbo Fire Review

Hip Hops Abs: Dance Away Those Excess Pounds

Running With A Chronic Illness

Fitness With A Health Condition

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Personal Review Of Hip Hop Abs

Water

Getting enough water everyday will really help to ease your constipation.

Tips On Drinking More Water

Food and Recipes

Since fiber is the plant based material that your body doesn't absorb you'll have to find ways to incorporate it into your diet. Here you'll find the best recipes and types of food to get the best amount of fiber.

Healthy Alternatives To Candy And Sweets

Chic Pea Curry

Chic peas are high in fiber and this yummy recipe will get you that boost you need.

5 Tasty Snack To Beat Constipation

Medicines

How Do Stool Softeners Work?

Feel free to recommend suggestions as this list will be getting bigger and bigger as time goes by.

Top Five Tips To Beat Constipation

Like most people you'll probably find that you get constipation once in a while but after a couple of days it resolves itself and you go back to your normal schedule. But, what do you do if you're still struggling to get a bowel movement after a couple of days? Take a look through these five scenarios to see if you can improve your situation and get back to your regular self - pun totally intended. 

Water

How much water are you drinking? If you're not drinking at least 8 cups a day (sodas do not count but black tea and coffee do) then you can easily bung yourself up. As your food moves through your digestive track the nutrients are absorbed along with some water and the waste is moved along with the fiber in your diet. However, if you're not drinking enough then things dry up and it becomes increasingly difficult to move through the intestines. 

A tip I use to get things moving again is to drink half your weight (lbs) in oz plus 10 more oz. So, if you weigh 150lbs then you need to drink 85 oz of water a day so keep things running smoothly.

Fiber

Like I mentioned before waste is helped through the intestines by fiber and if your diet is lacking in that vital substance then everything will get stuck.A healthy diet should contain at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables and it should come from a variety of different sources. If you've been honest with yourself and you are getting your 5 a day then bump this up to 9 -10 servings a day as your body might just need more to keep you healthy; just think of all the vitamins and minerals you'll be getting.

Exercise

Have you ever been running and then half way through had a really strong urge to use the bathroom? That's because all that moving around helps to get the intestinal muscles moving along too. If you've got a bit of a lazy bowel which is reluctant to squeeze then some gentle exercise like yoga or swimming will be just the thing you need. Just make sure that you have a bathroom close by.

Stool Softener

If you've tried the above and you're still struggling in the bathroom then try and over-the-counter stool softener such as milk of magnesia. It gently works to soften your stools making them easier to pass. 

(These have often been a life saver for me)

 

Bio Yoghurts

The friendly bacteria in these yogurts can help to restore the natural balance in your gut. If you've been eating a lot of junk food or just haven't been eating very well then your tummy can easily get out of wack. Try eating a bio yogurt everyday and you should find that things return to normal in a week or so.

Summary

As long as you're following these five rules then your constipation should relieve itself naturally in a few days. However, if your still worried or in discomfort then have a quick visit with your doctor and they can rule out any other problems or offer you something a little stronger to get you going again.

New Year New Start

First of all I would like to say a huge thanks to all of you who have been stopping by to read my blog and leave comments, I really appreciate it. I haven't been here for quite sometime but that's because I've been writing about a whole bunch of health related topics over on Squidoo and HubPages.

This blog post is really just an update with what's been going on in the last 6 months or so (really nothing too exciting). I'm still on Clexane but my hematologist is thinking about getting my onto Warfarin in the next few months which will be a huge relief because my tummy is so bruised from the injections.

My hair loss is improving and I've started to get some nice growth back. I think I was suffering so much from it due to a combination of Clexane and stress and now that my stress levels are reducing and my body is getting used to the Clexane it's starting to revert to normal.

My weight is still an issue and I'm still overweight by about 50lbs so 2013 is going to be all about the weight loss and getting into a healthy range. In January I managed to lose a few inches and about 2% body fat but I really need to up the intensity a bit and really focus in on my diet. The main motivation being that it will be easier to walk and I will be able to reduce the amount of Clexane I have to take as it is mainly calculated through your weight.

In January I had my IVC Filter removed as my clot has become nice and stable. The procedure meant that I was in hospital for two days and an extra day off work to recovery (that was a nice day off). However, when I went to have the filter out they didn't sedate me this time and it was not a great experience. I was expecting to just feel a tiny tug here and there but it was as if my guts were being pulled up through me and there was a horrible pain in my next but I was strapped down so I couldn't do anything about it. If I have to have that procedure again I'm going to be sedated like the first time.

So, that's pretty much everything that's been going on for the last couple of months really. I'm going to try and get on here more frequently now, at least once a month to give you more updates on what's happening. As normal if you have any questions leave me a comment or e-mail me from the contact us tab.