Having constipation means to have a common digestive problem where it may be hard to have bowel movements, or the bowel movements are infrequent. Also, the stools can be hard which makes it difficult for them to pass through, meaning people have to strain to get them out.

Constipation can be prevented by following some of these tips:

• Don’t resist having a bowel movement when you get the urge
• Trying to set aside a fixed time each day for a bowel movement
• Eating more fiber
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Not taking laxatives too often
• Exercising more frequently
• Limiting the intake of foods high in sugars and fat

To find out the causes of constipation, one must first understand how stools are formed. As food makes its way through the digestive tract, the body extracts water and nutrients from it. This is the process that forms stools, and these are then funneled through the intestines by muscle contractions. This process could be affected by a number of issues (including those listed above) that can cause the stools to pass more slowly through the intestines, causing constipation.

Constipation

Constipation can be treated by following the preventative tips above. If it persists, then a visit to the doctor is essential as it could be the cause of a serious underlying problem.

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder otherwise known as trisomy and it is where an individual has inherited an additional or extra copy of a particular chromosome. In the case of Down’s syndrome, the affected individuals have three copies rather than two of chromosome 21. The consequence of this additional copy is that it changes the balance of the body resulting in characteristic intellectual and physical features.

Down Syndrome

There are three kinds of Down’s syndrome: regular trisomy 21 which is where all the cells in the body have an extra chromosome 21 and is the most common type of the condition with nearly 94% affected with Down’s having it; translocation, which is where extra chromosome 21 material attaches to another chromosome, and four percent have this type; and mosaic, which is where only some of the cells have additional chromosome 21. This usually has milder features than the other two types and only two percent of affected individuals have mosaic.

Down syndrome sufferers look different to normal people and usually have a flat type of facial profile with eyes slanting upwards. Smaller ears, protruding tongue and a flat back of the head are other features. Individuals affected tend to be shorter than normal, have poor muscle tone and have broad, short hands. Half the affected individuals have a heart defect, which can be treated in some, but not others. Some have problems with their gut, making it difficult to eat while increasing the risk of constipation and thyroid problems.

There is no cure for Down syndrome but there are treatments available for the accompanying symptoms as well as support for the learning difficulties.

Autism is a type of brain disorder that affects the way individuals understand and hence, react with the world about them. Because of this, these people tend to act differently to others. On encountering an autistic child, someone would be hard-pressed to distinguish between the child and other “healthy” children around them. As there are no obvious external clues that visually tell us a child or person is autistic, these individuals are often mistakenly identified as naughty (in children) or rude.

Most autistic people have an exceptionally hard time trying to convey what they want to say or require, and others may end up saying the same things over and over again. This difficulty in understanding causes great confusion among the autistic, and although they can hear everything that is said to them, they cannot grasp the gist of what is being said.

Autism In Children

Mood swings are another symptom of autism. A person may be fine one moment but will have a mood change in a flash. This often happens because they can’t explain to people properly what they want. There are simple things that can trigger the mood swings as well. Anything from using the wrong dish for a meal to parking in the wrong spot can cause the person to change.

Autism is classed as a “spectrum disorder” which basically means the symptoms and characteristics of the condition are never the same in any two people. One thing that is common to all autism sufferers though is that they all have a hard time making sense of the world around them.