Constipation can be divided into three categories, by the time it takes to treat the problem. The short-term ones are caused by travel, diet, medication, surgery and other known causes. They mostly correct themselves. The medium-term ones are caused by low-fiber diet, low liquid consumption, lack of exercise, old age, pregnancy, abuse of laxatives and consumption of dehydrating things like caffeine and alcohol. These can be treated with changed in diet, life-style changes and laxatives.

The long-term Constipation, or Chronic Constipation, is caused by serious disorders of the GI tract or other chronic diseases. The GI tract problems include irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal obstruction, colonic inertia, anorectal dysfunction and structural problems like tumors, fissures, hemorrhoids, fistulae and other problems. To diagnose the above problems many tests are used, including barium x-rays, sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, colorectal transit study, anorectal function test and defecography.

If no structural obstruction is found in the GI tract, the Chronic Constipation is treated like other less serious ones. Educating the patients about bowel movements, maintaining a high-fiber diet and a lot of liquid intake, avoiding dehydrating substances, exercising and bowel training are the starting treatments, along with bulk-forming laxatives like psyllium and methylcellulose. If the problem persists, more harsh laxatives, such as hyperosmatics or saline, can be tried. Stronger laxatives like anthraquinones, emollients or stimulants are tried next. Biofeedback is a good treatment if the Constipation is caused by outlet inertia.

Surgery should be considered a last resort if no improvements is seen in three to four months of treatment. Abdominal colectomy, ileorectomy and ileoanal pouch are the surgical procedures with a very good chance of relief. Other underlying causes are neurological disorders, metabolic and endocrine problems, diabetes, stroke, Parkinson�s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, uremia, hypercalemia, amyloidosis and scleroderma.

Candida albicans is a normal inhabitant of your digestive tract and sinuses. Candida glabrata is a normal inhabitant on your skin. New research is showing that Candida glabrata is turning increasingly more hostile, can rapidly change its genome to become drug resistant, and is increasingly more of a problem to individuals with compromised immunity.

The overuse of antibiotics by the medical profession has not only created super strains of bacteria but an epidemic of Candida overgrowth - an imbalanced situation at the root of many digestive problems, chronic sinus problems, skin problems, poor quality of health, and poor mood.

Once a Candida albicans problem sets up shop and is treated with drugs, it sets the stage for Candida glabrata to move in. Thus we have a situation wherein incompetent medicine has bred increasingly infectious versions of formerly friendly organisms. The medical strategy is justified in the minds of doctors as it brings temporary relief to the situation. This short-sighted approach to health has created a bubble, just like the housing bubble, wherein one day soon there will be few drug options to treat hostile bacteria or Candida - leaving millions of elderly, babies and infants, and others with compromised immunity in the lurch.

The moral of the story is don�t let yourself get run down and in a weakened state. Don�t consume excess amounts of sugar, junk fats (especially chips), or alcohol, which feed Candida problems. Candida only thrives in weak body tissue. Yes, you can help yourself by using natural Candida balancing compounds that help promote healthier digestive terrain - but you must also repair body tissues so they are stronger - which is the long term key to staying out of harms way.

Symptoms in your digestive tract and sinuses are the first areas to get under control. Working on rejuvenation-oriented nutrition is invariably the long-term solution - along with a program of aerobic and strength conditioning. There is no short cut to being healthy and being resistant to the nasty bugs that have been given a major boost by the misguided and inappropriate use of Western medicine.