| The role of diet and lifestyle changes in the management of constipation
More than three million people in the UK suffer from constipation once a month or more (DFIB, 2004), and as many as one in five people experience the symptoms of constipation at some time in their lives (MeReC, 1999).
The new-born baby, the young child, the teenager, mothers and fathers, the elderly, the business executive, the civil servant, the postman, the farm labourer, the poor, the affluent. No-one is exempt from the risk of constipation and the stigma with which it is associated.
Constipation mostly affects children and older people, with more women than men presenting with symptoms. One in 200 women have severe, continuous constipation and it is most common before a period and in pregnancy (NHS Direct, 2006).
Many people accept the consequences of constipation, refusing to believe there is anything that can be done about it.
Lifestyle changes may stifle acid reflux
Digestion is the process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed and used by the body. This process is accomplished by the digestive system's breakdown of foods into chemical compounds. Digestion begins as soon as food is put into the mouth and chewing begins. The esophagus carries food from the mouth to the stomach with muscular contractions. At the end of the esophagus, there is a muscle that acts as a valve by opening and allowing food to pass into the stomach, then contracting to keep stomach contents from flowing back, or refluxing, after swallowing. As part of the digestive process, the stomach secretes hydrochloric acid. In conjunction with other gastrointestinal secretions, stomach acids aid in the process of breaking food down for absorption.
PREGNANCY DOESN'T USUALLY WORSEN SCOLIOSIS
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am the mother of an only child. She is 31 and has been married for one year. My daughter is afraid to become pregnant because she believes she'll have difficulty carrying a child due to her spinal curvature. She's also afraid that carrying a baby will make her scoliosis worse. An orthopedic doctor followed her in her teens and didn't suggest treatment since her scoliosis was ''borderline.'' I know she wants to be a mom, and I want to be a grandmom. What do you say? -- A.A. ANSWER: Scoliosis is a curving of the spine to one side. The curve can be in the upper back, the lower back or in both upper and lower back. The degree of curvature correlates with the severity of symptoms and with the limits of physical activity. The degree is assessed through X-rays. Your daughter had mild scoliosis as a teenager.
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