Healthy people typically have blood levels of potassium that range between 3.6 and 4.8 milliequivalents per liter, or mEq/L, MayoClinic.com reports. If your potassium levels fall below this range, your doctor may diagnose you with potassium...
Many people suffer from constipation and difficulty passing stools. Although constipation occurs only occasionally in most people, some have chronic difficulties with hard stools and irregular bowel movements. In some cases, the use of psyllium...
Irregular bowel movements or constipation is a common digestive problem that affects many. Fortunately, you can promote regular bowel movements without the use of any laxatives or drugs. Introducing fiber into your diet can support a healthy...
When your child comes to you complaining of a tummy ache and inability to use the bathroom, you may think it's simply part of growing up. Irregular bowel movements do occur frequently in children and are rarely cause for alarm. These bouts of...
Constipation and irregular bowel movements are common in children due to potty training issues and dietary changes, according to Valley Health Systems. Your child may feel pain or pressure in his abdomen, nausea and bloating. It may be difficult...
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder that affects the digestive system. People with the disorder experience pain, muscle spasms and irregular bowel movements that are related to stress, diet and movement through the digestive tract. The...
Diverticular diseases affect the colon, which is the part of the large intestine that removes waste from the body. Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are the two specific forms of diverticular disease. Diverticulosis results from the formation of...
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a disorder of the digestive tract that results in muscle spasms, pain, gas, bloating and irregular bowel movements. Its cause is largely unknown, but it is suspected that muscle sensitivity and brain...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a common cause of frequent indigestion. However, many other more serious diseases are often misdiagnosed as IBS, so don't immediately accept IBS as an explanation. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is characterized by...
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, identify fiber as one of the nutrients that most Americans should increase in their diets. Not only do...
The New York Times Health Guide reports that multiple sclerosis is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the covering that protects nerve cells. This causes nerve impulses to slow down or stop, resulting in central nervous system symptoms. This...
Irritable bowel syndrome affects as many as one in every five Americans, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The disorder causes significant abdominal pain and cramps as well as irregularities in bowel...
Certain foods can trigger irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, such as chocolate, dairy or wheat, according to MayoClinic.com. If you're doctor has confirmed that wheat products cause a flare-up of your IBS symptoms, she will recommend that you avoid...
Chasteberry, referred to as monk's pepper or vitex agnus-castus, is an herb that comes from the chaste tree native to Asia and the Mediterranean. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, chasteberry was named as...
Individuals generally associate the aroma of lemongrass with Malaysian and Thai cooking. The herb and oil have been used for hundreds of years to aide in digestion and soothe the mind. Lemongrass oil is produced through steam distillation and...
Glucose intolerance is a type of digestive disorder. It occurs when the body fails to digest sugars found in foods such as carbohydrates and sweets. Over time, this can develop into insulin resistance, which occurs when the body's normal response...
Diverticulosis is a condition in which bulging pouches known as diverticula form on the wall of the colon. Diverticulosis is more common in the sigmoid colon, which is the carved part of the colon that is closest to the rectum, according to the...
Dietary fiber refers to the carbohydrates in plant foods that your body cannot digest or absorb. Dietary fiber passes through your digestive system intact, yet it is essential to your health. People should get 25 g to 35 g of dietary fiber daily,...
Bulimia is an eating disorder involving a cycle of binging and purging. Bulimics have an overwhelming obsession with food, weight and body image. Periods of overeating are followed by attempts to rid the body of the excess calories by self-induced...
If you want to keep your colon clean, you need to follow a healthy and well-balanced diet. Foods high in fiber can help you produce more bowel movements for regularity. Regular bowel movements have several health benefits, including decreased risk...
When starting up a weight loss program, some try to do so naturally, but others need supplements such as fat burners. Fat burners may help, but could cause a scary situation. Hydroxycut, one brand of fat burner, has been found to cause serious...
Including milk in your diet provides essential calcium and nutrients for strong bones, hormone production and other functions. While dairy can be beneficial, it might be harmful for certain people. Having bowel problems or an intolerance to milk...
Colon cancer is a cancer that appears in the large intestine, which is in the lower part of the digestive system, before the tract ends. Patients typically have a genetic disposition to colon cancer; those with a family history of the disease are...
Many people use over-the-counter laxatives to treat occasional constipation. Some of the most popular laxatives used include products that contain magnesium salts. Although the use of laxatives can acutely relieve symptoms of constipation, overuse...
Constipation is best described as infrequent or irregular bowel movements. Most people produce at least three stools a week. Any less than this amount and you're considered constipated. While a number of different factors are known to contribute...
Out of the roughly 50 million people who diet each year, only 5 percent maintain their weight-loss achievements, according to Colorado State University. The problem is too many people focus on rapid weight loss without overhauling their unhealthy...
Yoga asanas, or postures, can help prevent and relieve a number of ailments, and stomach problems are no exception. You can use yoga to help irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, menstrual cramps and digestive disorders. You should consult your...
Abdominal swelling after eating is a common symptom of many digestive conditions. The swelling, or bloating, is caused by excessive gas that forms as a result of an adverse reaction to a certain food or an ingredient in a food. If your swelling is...
Psyllium is a supplement used to manage constipation and bowel irregularity problems. It can also lower your cholesterol levels and treat diarrhea. According to Drugs.com, psyllium is a bulk-forming laxative made of the outer coating of the...
