Does drinking water help constipation?

Question

Hi I am a contipated person and the doctor said its normal, however it can't be and yes im considering going for a second opinion but my question is,.....does water help bowel movements to occur? will i go more often or easier if i drink plenty of water, i hardly drink any liquids through out the day????

Answer 1

drinking fluids does help with your bowel movements.try suppositories they will get you moving,

Answer 2

Yes - over a period of 24-48 hours

Answer 3

You are right in that constipation is not normal. If the reason for your constipation is dehydration (of which many people chronically suffer without even knowing it), then water can help. If you're otherwise eat well and live a moderate lifestyle, there is often an emotional counterpart to constipation (tension, holding in).

Answer 4

Yeah, my little bro was constepated, and I told him to drink lots of water, and it was gone in like 1 day.

Answer 5

It can.  If I drink a 16oz glass of water real fast it loosens me up.  It works for my little girl too.  She get plugged up pretty easy and drinking a 4 oz glass helps her (she's only 5).

Don't make yourself sick though.  Too much water can be harmful.  Don't go nuts with it.

Answer 6

Good guess. Low liquid intake CAN be the cause of chronic constipation. Try drinking 8 cups daily of anything that *isn't* a diuretic. (Coffee, tea, and cola are common diuretics.) Water's the ideal beverage for health, but if you're one of those who don't drink good ol' tasteless H20, other fluids such as flavored waters and juice are better than nothing.

A person may live chronically in a mildly dehydrated state and still feel fine as long as they're not expending water on sweat and their surroundings are cool. In the heat, a person short on water is asking for heat stroke or other nasty consequences. So the body quietly searches out a replacement for the missing water, and it will take moisture from stool to resupply itself.

Body logic: After all, thinks the colon, that waste isn't part of the body, so drawing water from it isn't bad. It gives the body a source of fluids. What your colon doesn't know, as it's absorbing  moisture (aaah!), is that supplying the body with water from stool results in a painful malfunction later, when the waste hardens.

Answer 7

Hey Sweetie,

You need more fiber.  That's a fact.  You need water to live.  That is also a fact.  You can go both with a fiber that can dissolve in water and you get both.  I think if you eat a lot of fiber, cut down on salt and sugar and increase your water intake, you'll have better 'bm's". Each person, eating 3 meals a day, should have 3 movements.  Don't drink a lot of ice-water.  It's okay to be cool or cold, but not too much ice.  Still wouldn't hurt to get your 2nd opinion from another doctor as well. She or he will give you some great diet tips.  Good luck!

Answer 8

It would be good to eat more brand too

Answer 9

I don't think it does however it does help get rid of wastes in your body and does get you healthier that way, but for constipation eat alot of fiber!!!

Answer 10

Drinking uncontaminated water is good for you.  Consider the animals.  Most of the water they get comes from the food they eat.  If humans consumed more fruits and vegetables, we would not need so much water.  But, for a person who is already constipated, drinking water won't really help.  Relaxing the muscles that control the elimination will and your system goes through a process called peristalsis that has to happen because of gravity to push the food up into the colon.  If peristalsis is weak, the stomach and lower intestines get bigger causing more problems because the food does not go out.  And no constipation is normal.  Find out out why you are constipated which could be anything from the food you're eating, the type of water you are drinking, or it could be self-inflicted; 'continuous holding.'

Answer 11

drinking 8 8oz glasses of water a day will absolutely help.

Try also increasing the bran in your diet- I find a bowl of frosted mini wheats for breakfast helpful.

But don't increase the bran without more fluids or you'll make it worse.

Also consider a stool softner.

Answer 12

Yeah, I have the same problem, and my doctor said the same thing.

I would try drinking more water, adding fiber into your diet, and maybe a few herbal supplements.

Here's what I do:

- Drink at least 2 litres of water a day (67 oz.?  Sorry, I'm Canadian and used Google to convert it for me :))

- Eat A LOT of fiber (I need at least 35 g per day).  Take a fiber supplement (psyllium, etc), eat complex carbs, veggies, etc.

- Cut down on sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. (Although I find drinking a cup of black coffee sometimes helps the situation)

- Avoid any constipating foods and supplements (bananas, iron supplements, etc)

- Take a herbal laxative (I've been looking into taking Triphala, which is a non-habit forming natural supplement used for IBS, chronic constipation)

Answer 13

yes it does help tremendously!!! You should sip on something preferably water ALL day and you will notice a difference.

Answer 14

Yes it does. You should drink several glasses of water a day to stay healthy.

Answer 15

first your Dr should take a course in heath I find it hard to believe that any  Dr  would say such a thing......change your Dr.... and some of those ansews are stupid...    change your  diet and you will be fine put some whole grains in your diet take a colon cleanser stay on this for a while  after the colon cleanser you will need to drink plenty of water  you dont need a Dr for this, all you need is to educate your self on good eating habits