Ive been tired an achy a bit but the most important thing is there is blood in my stool im 18 and i called my doctor he said hemorrhoid and to call him if it goes on for more then three days and it has so what is wrong every time I crap I see blood now i dont have any other real symptoms other then i feel tired an achy I will call the doctor but is it more than hemorrhoids or do I need to get it treated or even possibly cancer but be in mind im only 18.
I never said I had Cancer im just throwing it out there and I was never constipated is there more look my doctor said this would an should stop after day 3 BUT its been goin on for 4 days an now im on day 5 an its not bleeding while I poop its after when I try to squeeze those last nugs out it bleeds then could it be anything serious

I understand that no one on this site is the person i need to be speaking to, but i am just concerned and would like some opinions. recently i did some online research and diagnosed myself with having hemorrhoids, yet i am only 19 years old. Bowel movements became very painful but i read on many different sites that they often clear up themselves and i should just use over the counter remedies. i purchased suppositories that are said to "shrink the hemorrhoid". so far i have not seen a difference, but i have now been faced with new symptoms: and orange oily substance on toilet paper and in the bowel after i urinate or have a bowel movement. i also have tiny red dots on my chest and back that are in clusters that highly resemble a hickey. it looks as though it is blood under the skin. im hoping that it goes away soon but i have been taking the suppositories for a few days now and i dont want to be doing more damage to my body. anything is helpful. thanks in advance

This is a serious question that has been worrying me for over a month now. I’ve had symptoms such discomfort in the lower center part of my abdomen around my belly button. The pain seems to get better and worsen at random times within the day; I can’t tell if it is associated with eating, bowel movements, or stress. Another symptom that is scaring and worrying me horribly is seeing specs of blood in my stool. I’ve been on the computer looking everyday and no one has told me how I can tell if this is blood in my stool or if it is undigested food… There was one instance where there was a bright red streak of blood on my stool a few weeks ago and I went to see a doctor. He performed a DRE and told me my stools felt hard and did a test right there which told me I had no blood in that stool. Also, I took a blood test that same day which came back completely normal. He told me I had hemorrhoids but I don’t feel I was inspected thoroughly enough and it seems like his diagnosis was just a guess. More recently I have been passing stool in balls or pebble shapes and sometimes when I look there are specs of red on top or in them. There is no blood in the water, on my toilet paper, or on my underwear. The specs appear bright red, are small, and there are usually three of them or so. Along with the lower center abdominal discomfort, sometimes I feel a pain in my anus. I’m scared to death this is something serious and I’m not sure I should trust this doctor. I should mention that I’m twenty one years old and spend most of the day sitting down at the computer, however, I do not want this problem to be passed off just because I’m "too young". I’m very concerned and I don’t trust the doctor I saw. I also was diagnosed with panic disorder a few years ago and I often over analyze everything to do with my body. I feel this is a real and legitimate concern and that my parents keep passing it off as nothing because I’m young and I feel that the doctor did not give me a thorough exam because I am young. I need help, advice, or at least comfort on this matter because I’m afraid I’m going to die. I have a constant fear of death from disease and I can’t tell if it’s legitimate or from my mental disorder. I beg and cry for help; I often feel like a life like this isn’t worth living. What are these symptoms from? Should I see another doctor? Do I have cancer? Somebody help me.

This is a serious question that has been worrying me for over a month now. I’ve had symptoms such discomfort in the lower center part of my abdomen around my belly button. The pain seems to get better and worsen at random times within the day; I can’t tell if it is associated with eating, bowel movements, or stress. Another symptom that is scaring and worrying me horribly is seeing specs of blood in my stool. I’ve been on the computer looking everyday and no one has told me how I can tell if this is blood in my stool or if it is undigested food… There was one instance where there was a bright red streak of blood on my stool a few weeks ago and I went to see a doctor. He performed a DRE and told me my stools felt hard and did a test right there which told me I had no blood in that stool. Also, I took a blood test that same day which came back completely normal. He told me I had hemorrhoids but I don’t feel I was inspected thoroughly enough and it seems like his diagnosis was just a guess. More recently I have been passing stool in balls or pebble shapes and sometimes when I look there are specs of red on top or in them. There is no blood in the water, on my toilet paper, or on my underwear. The specs appear bright red, are small, and there are usually three of them or so. Along with the lower center abdominal discomfort, sometimes I feel a pain in my anus. I’m scared to death this is something serious and I’m not sure I should trust this doctor. I should mention that I’m twenty one years old and spend most of the day sitting down at the computer, however, I do not want this problem to be passed off just because I’m "too young". I’m very concerned and I don’t trust the doctor I saw. I also was diagnosed with panic disorder a few years ago and I often over analyze everything to do with my body. I feel this is a real and legitimate concern and that my parents keep passing it off as nothing because I’m young and I feel that the doctor did not give me a thorough exam because I am young. I need help, advice, or at least comfort on this matter because I’m afraid I’m going to die. I have a constant fear of death from disease and I can’t tell if it’s legitimate or from my mental disorder. I beg and cry for help; I often feel like a life like this isn’t worth living. What are these symptoms from? Should I see another doctor? Do I have cancer? Somebody help me.

Hi, I had bloody stools yesterday (and it’s not the first time) so I decided to take the colonoscopy next Tuesday, and I was really freaking out. I’ve already had hemorrhoid for quite a long time so the rectal bleeding might be caused by it, but I also read that bleeding may also be a symptom of colon cancer (because although I had symptoms for hemorrhoid quite a long time ago, this is the first time I had blood with my stool). The point is, I can touch the ‘piles’ thing in my anus, will it cause any difficulties to the procedure? And more important, does it HURT? I’ve heard comments from many people, some says it was a piece of cake, some says it hurt even more than giving birth. Somebody with any experience can help me?

Also, anybody got an idea where in Sydney is the best place to do colonoscopy? (I’m very concerned about the place I booked the test, don’t think they’re trained enough)

So. I asked my friend how bad Postpartum was for her and she says oh I didn’t have postpartum.
=l
And so I said, postpartum symptoms are bleeding caused by the detachment of the uterus from your stomach wall, stitches if you tore or had an episiotomy[sp], sometimes depression, lactating a little bit after giving birth due to the fact that your body is getting ready to feed your baby even if you have already decided not to breastfeed cause that is natural, constipation, and maybe some trouble with hemorrhoids if you happened to get them while your pregnant or when you gave birth.
I am pretty sure I have the basic idea of postpartum symptoms and that every woman who gives birth deals with at least SOME postpartum symptoms like bleeding an soreness an all. Could someone please tell me if I have the wrong dea of postpartum?
Ive never had a baby, but ive been reading a lot about pregnancy and postpartum because Im now 8 weeks pregnant. So I need to know if I have completely misunderstood the info I read.

has anyone had these symptoms? i have a sharp stinging pain in my back like near the shoulder blade, it goes though to my chest, on the same side, in my armpit i have swollen lymph nodes, i have been feeling really depressed about this all, and ive had these symptoms for about 3 months now, it is only on my right side though. I had a cough a while back before this started but that just went away i never coughed up blood i have been to the doctors numerous amounts of times, had xrays of my chest and back, had the blood tests done, and blood tests for all std’s coz of the lymph nodes, i even saw the Specialist for a biopsy but he said it wasn’t anything to worry about and did not perform it! my 3rd opinion doc is sending me for a ct, even though 2 of my xrays were clear! im scared something will come up! i was a heavy smoker but have cut down allot, recently i found that i have blood in my bowel movements my doc thought it was hemorrhoids we passed it off but i found that i was not constipated a few times can a health Professional answer this for me please! if you need more details i will give please this pain just will not go away!

so I used to get hemorrhoids every now and then and so when I would have them and go to the bathroom there would be a tiny amount of blood when I wiped. Then a few weeks ago out of nowhere I got extremely sick my fever was around 102 for two days and I was completely out of it. I had severe pains in my lower left side. They thought it was a kidney infection from a bladder infection but when they sent it to the lab it came back negative and the symptoms had gone away. Now I’ve been having abdominal pain again after I get heavyish bleeding in my stool. Like, I feel like I’m getting a period out of my butt when I go to the bathroom, heavy. What is this and what should I do about it? I currently don’t have any hemorrhoids unless theyre on the inside but it doesn’t hurt when sitting so I don’t know…
i called a doctor and I have to wait over a month for an appt

I recently saw an ad on T.V. saying that diet pills can aid in hypertension, high blood pressure yada yada and I became worried.

Every now and then my heart feels like it’s speeding but when I check my BPM, they are around 70-80; it doesn’t feel like it’s pumping hard either. (I suppose it almost feels like a caffeine rush except I’ve been avoiding caffeine for a while now.)

Call me a hypochondriac but I’ve also been experiencing bad constipation for months now (about once ever 5 days) which lead to hemorrhoids.

I’m curious as to if there is any relation between these symptoms?

My main question is if it is hypertension… is this permanent?

Me and my bf had unprotected sex while I was on my period on new years eve. We had unprotected sex again 1/22/09 i started my period a few hours later. We’ve had unprotected sex 4 or 5 times since then. my period is due 2/22/09. All the times we had sex, he came inside me. Im not on any type of birth control.

Symptoms:

nausea
very very very tired
constipated and due to that ive developed hemorrhoids.
cramping here and there nothing major.
spotting and an increase of discharge
my period that i had 1/22/09 lasted 3 days and it was light.
bad headaches
gas!! Im gassy all the time!!!
legs hurt throughout the day
bloated (i feel fat)
weight gain
more hair (everywhere)
boobs feel heavier and bigger
nipples are very very very very sore
aereolas are bigger and darker
i have dark spots on my cheeks, corners of my mouth, forehead and inner thighs.
i crave certain foods
I smell EVERYTHING!! lol
a runny and stuffy nose
im sneezing more
sensitive teeth and gums (my gums bleed when i brush my teeth)

the biggest one of all is…getting a yeast infection for the VERY 1st time in my life!! AND it wont go away. I went to the doctor 1/22/09 and found out that i had one. she gave me diflucanzol (oops). The first one didn’tclear it up so she prescribed some more. That didnt work either. I’m taking Monistat7 hoping it will go away.
4 days ago I noticed some blood when I went to the bathroom. It was bright pink and light. i put a pad on just in case.
I went to go use the bathroom a little bit after that(TMI) and the blood was still bright and light. (not quite like a period) but i had tiny clots!! I stopped bleeding yesterday. So that would be the SECOND time i bled light for 3 days!!
should I be worried?
bleeding has almost stopped completely. now i am spotting…not enough for a pad or liner. is this normal?

After every crap I take, I end up bleeding so hard that the toilet is filled with blood.
Only sometimes it hurts a lot when I take a dump, and no matter the level of pain, I still bleed profusely.
This has been happening for over 4 years and I asked my doctor and still haven’t had a solution.
Some people say I eat too many chocolate bars, or that it might be hemorrhoids but it’s not.
Does anyone else have the same symptoms as me?

Here is a link of after I wipe my anus.

http://s164.photobucket.com/albums/u35/ph3nxist/?action=view&current=photo2.jpg

I turn 20 next month and I’m a male. I eat a lot of fast food daily and not a lot of vegetables. But I’ve always had a good metabolism – I’m skinny and strong; I’m active (I box and run). But I’ve had what I believed to be multiple hemorrhoids for a couple of years that just haven’t go away. But now I’m not sure if that’s what they actually are, (they don’t hurt anymore). I never had a Dr. look at them. I think I might have colon cancer. What are the odds?
My symptoms include:
-blood in stool (for the last 4 days)
-weak stomach (been like that for years, I have social anxiety and anxiety attacks have always been hard on my stomach)
-constipation (I’ve had a non-severe case of this for years)
-diarrhea (I’ve gotten this a lot over the last couple of years)
-I usually have to go #2 at least 3 times a day, or 5 minutes after I eat.
-Chronic fatigue, I get a lot of symptoms from iron deficiency anemia, and I think I might be anemic. So I’ve been taking woman’s vitamins (high in iron) but I’m still tired all day (not as much though)

I know I need to get these serious symptoms checked out by a dr., but I need other opinions as well. I am young, and if I died a few years down the road from colon cancer I’d be happy with my life. I have no family history of cancer. The only reason why I still haven’t made an apt. is because I need a new military I.D. for my insurance but my dad’s too lazy to get me one. (He lives in a different state, and we’re not too close my parents divorced when I was like 11, and he doesn’t know about this)
**Edit: By constipation I mean that I go frequently, but it takes me awhile to go sometimes

first i wanna say please dont read this if you have a weak stomach or know nothing about the subject, i need real help and again sorry for the grotesque nature of the question….

well starting roughly a year maybe 2 years ago i started urinated frequently and its progressively gotten worse. i go on average 10-20 times a day minimum and im only 22 years old. I dont have insurance so mentally ive been writing it off as "overactive bladder" and in reality i do drink alot of fluids and i drink them quickly, but its recently crossed the line to where i know i have a problem, even while with friends you can notice me going every 5-15 mins if im having a couple beers (note: i rarely if ever drink maybe once every 2 months and its not more than 6 beers) so there is def. a problem ive always had my worries and am completely lost as to what my problem could be,

now this is where it gets freaky, about 6 months ago i began noticing blood in my stool periodically, and again with out insurance i wrote it off as hemorrhoids i do not have any external signs of them but figured it could be internal or maybe a really small fissure, well again its gotten prgressive more frequent with more blood in the stool, and the last 5 stools have been EXTREMELY bloody, as to where i cannot see the bottom of the toilet the water is so red and it seems to come AFTER the stool, just 15 mins ago i dropped twice both times full of blood AFTER the stool. while wiping with pre-moistened wipes (always have used them that’s why i don’t think it could be hemorrhoids) i noticed that while some blood is typical other blood appears to be "gummy" for lack of a better word, not hard like a clot but gummy, extremely odd to me

well with all these symptoms I am scared really, i plan to go get checked out tomorrow but am having a hard time putting my mind at ease, with the following symptoms what could be wrong with me? i have a hard time believing that the frequent urination and blood is unrelated, and im worried, its in my nature,

apologies for the long, gross post, but i need help and i thank you much in advance

-j
oh and i should mention ive dropped 30 lbs without changing my diet, and i do not strain on the toilet

My boyfriend has been feeling sick. We already know he has high blood pressure but he has been telling me he has all these symptoms like : bad blood stools, blood in urine, he’s been coughn and he says his eyes feel like they are getting blurrier, pain in his chest when he eats and he’s scared to use the restroom. Im worried it might be more serious than just hemorrhoids.

When should i take a pregnancy test? My LMP was suppose to be on the 22nd of February. Instead of having my period I spotted for 3 or 4 days. (It was BRIGHT pink then turned a little brownish later on) I have been having mad crazy symptoms! Should I take a test ASAP?

Symptoms:

nausea
very very very tired
constipated and due to that ive developed hemorrhoids.
cramping here and there nothing major.
spotting and an increase of discharge
cloudy/smelly pee
my period that i had 1/22/09 lasted 3 days and it was light.
bad headaches and lower back ache
gas!! Im gassy all the time!!!
legs hurt throughout the day
bloated (i feel fat)
weight gain
more hair (everywhere)
boobs feel heavier and bigger
nipples are very very very very sore
aereolas are bigger and darker
i have dark spots on my cheeks, corners of my mouth, forehead and inner thighs.
i crave certain foods
I smell EVERYTHING!! lol
a runny and stuffy nose
im sneezing more
sensitive teeth and gums (my gums bleed when i brush my teeth)

the biggest one of all is…getting a yeast infection for the VERY 1st time in my life!! AND it wouldn’t go away. I went to the doctor 1/22/09 and found out that i had one. she gave me diflucanzol (oops). The first one didnt clear it up so she prescribed some more. I did the whole Monistat7 and I still dont know if it went away!

Ok so my friend came to my house last night crying and she showed me these little bumps by her I guess I can say anal hole. She says they hurt but they looked like tiny pimples she said that when she urinates it burns them. Well my question is that she has no medical insurance and she asked me if they were herpes… She is very scared and I told her I have never seen herpes like that I have gone online and seen them look ugly. They also kind of look like hemorrhoids Can someone please give me a good description of herpes and symptoms and things like that PLEASE..

For the past two years i have been repeatedly been experiencing problems with severe constipation, churning in my stomach and feeling very bloated and passing gas and a constant feeling of pressure/pain around my rectum. These symptoms get worse whenever i go to the toilet for a "number 2".
I have had 3 colonoscopy and have seen numerous specialists who have told me that i have got small hemorrhoids but not anything that would cause all of these symptoms. Has anybody else experienced these problems, I’m looking for anything that will help.

I have already completely changed my diet to fibre/fruit/veg. I don’t eat very much meat.

Hi, I have what I am 99.9% certain is a hemorrhoid, and I am treating it at home with sitz bath, cold pack, drinking plenty of water, etc. I have felt fatigued today, and luckily I’ve been able to rest at home. Could my fatigue possibly be related to the hemorrhoid? I looked up my symptoms on internet and found articles about adrenal fatigue, whatever that is.

Thanks.
The only thing I’ve diagnosed myself with is the hemorrhoid, and that’s because I had one before. I was just mentioning that I found some odd stuff when I looked up my symptoms. Thanks for the link.

I seem to have had all the symptoms for it including lump in the anus, nausia, loss of appatite, generally feeling unwell, fatigue etc.

There has been fairly mild consistant pain over a couple of days before but it only stays around for a few days and then goes. Also there has been some itching. The lump(s) also seem to shrink after a while. All of the other symptoms seem to come and go aswell.

2 doctors have said that they are hemorrhoids after inspecting them and said they would be much more painful if they were abscesses and 1 doctor said it dosnt sound like hemorrhoids because i would have had bleeding and no pain.

Also i have had a skin abscess appear on the top of my leg recently. Ive heard that abscesses can spread if untreated.

Can someone tell me there experiences with anal abscesses and if it sounds like ive got/had one or not?

Okay, here’s the gross story that so far no doctor has been any help solving. Let me start by saying I’ve always been very regular and eat plenty of fiber–perhaps too much. I started having a clear discharge from my anus that eventually caused irritation and itching. After a few days it felt like there was a huge lump or something about to come out–gross right? I thought hemorrhoids initially. A few days later(two weeks after the first symptoms) I couldn’t go to the bathroom, which was very strange for me because I go two to three times a day. The next day when I couldn’t go I took some saline laxitive that did nothing. On the third day I went to the hospital because it was starting to make me sick. My lack of medical knowledge led me to believe it was still a hemorrhoid that maybe was causing a blockage. An X-Ray was done and they put me on a drip and started pumping me full of laxatives and ordered two enemas. The first enema was administered an hour after I took the magnesium citrate. Two hours after the enema was given there was still no bowel movement, the nurses were freaking out which in turn freaked me out. Almost to the fourth hour finally SUCCESS!!!! The doctor told them to administer the second enema so he could have a clean colonoscopy, the medical proffession being as mickey mouse as it is, the second one was never administered(I’m not arguing) but I did pay for it and it is my health. Anyway the colonoscopy was done and the doctor said there was no hemorrhoid or abstruction, or any other reason for this to have happened. He examined my diet and said that too much fiber could sometimes cause it but that he doubted it. So, it was all strange and I got no answers… just a ten thousand dollar bill. I still have an irritation sometimes, now being 5 months from the initial incident. There is also a lump feeling still most of the time. Is there a doctor out there that actually knows anything about this. My gastrointestinal specialist seemed fairly clueless to all of this.
Could it be a twist in my small intestine, or a hernia? I had some testicular discomfort during a bowel movement a couple of times and it was strange, but I don’t know if it’s directly related or a side-effect of something other than a hernia.
I’ll add again. There were no tests to rule out a twist in the small intestine–x-rays aren’t conclusive in that area when they’re full of fecal matter and a colonoscopy wouldn’t diagnose any problem in the small intestine. The clear discharge was the first symptom and that IS why this is strange. The symptoms are all still there with the exception of constipation, thanks to Activia in part I suppose, or maybe that part of my body is just back to normal anyway after making a small malfunction for a week. All these symptoms came up in a matter of days and weren’t subtle. They’re symptoms that can actually be seen, smelled, and felt… documented if you want to get a camera and strap on a pair of gloves. So, thanks for playing.

IDK whats wrong with me. What would this be classified as? Do I need a doctor who will prescribe medicine or just a counselor? Is this common?

Lately, I have been really afraid of dying or getting cancer or something. I realize if its going to happen its pretty inevitable and I should just live a normal life. I am really afraid that I will die and when I think of the reaction from my family I go into like mini panic attacks. I get real heavy breathing and cant focus on anything my mind is just running and sometimes start crying. I dont want to live my life like this. I am 16. Is this just hormones or is their something wrong with me. I feel so alone like im the only one who ever feels this way. I have been acting normal around family but when I am alone I get real distraught. Please help. Also, I have a hemorrhoid according to people from Y!A however some of the symptoms such as itchiness and blood when wiping have been around for a while. I just found the hemorrhoid yesterday but read that if you have a hemorrhoid for like more than a month to contact a doctor because it may be serious. I have been all worried like this since I found the hemorrhoid. I do a lot of sitting and sit on the toilet for a while which is all causes of hemorrhoids but still I figured I would ask

Please help I am extremely scared
I smoke weed everyday and have been out for 2 days now so I figured this could be somethign to do with it maybe
No thoughts of hurting myself thankfully and I will talk with my mom about anxiety. I never even thought of that as a possibility. Thanks for all the help so far keep the answers omin ill be around for a while so make sure you keep checking back for my replys
thanks you guys have helped a lot so far and I do think it is partly related to the hemorrhoid if not completely
Thanks I think everything will turn out well but life has been hell the last few days
I suppose weed is only temp relief but I love weed haha I have been smoking for 3 years now and dont regret a thing. I am allowed to smoke by my parents so its not like a real secretive thing in the house. I dont do any thing else and am real happy when I smoke I feel a lot calmer and more stable opposed to when I am sober

Hi, can you take this question seriously please? Thank you =)
Okay so, I’m 15. And ever since November 09 i been having trouble..digesting food (You know what i mean right?) so that was 6 months ago. I mean, it hurts really bad when i do. Okay fine. It hurts when i … poop? … pleaseee take this seriously.
Anyway. It sometimes bled after. Not alot, only light colored blood on the tissue after. But some other times it was just a tad darker, with a little more blood… EX of how much) This is the amount i usually got, when it was light. ) II and this is the ammount i got on those othyer days IIII … If you know what i mean.
And it HURTS sooo bad!
the reason i didnt ask anyone to take me to the doctor before, is was because i was too embarrassed to. But after my gran comes back from her vacation (tuesday) im asking her to take me. I cant take the pain anymore, just a little while ago i literally spent at least 30 minutes in the bathroom in BAD BAD PAIN! Now it hurts to even sit down.

what can this be?
I was thinking constipation because you have trouble pooping, and it hurts.
But this almost feels as though…that the poops im having are too big for me.
And i was also thinking hemorrhoids?
I dont really know the symptoms except that you sometimes get light blood on tissue you used to wipe.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEAASSEE take this question seriously.

The illness i may have serious?
Is it cancerous?

HELP

I know this may be an awkward question, but I seem to have at least 2 symptoms of hemorrhoids (although I eat healthy, barely any fat, no fried meat, only boiled etc.. And I don’t sit down all day, I have quite a healthy lifestyle) and I know that this will gross you out but I need to know, if you touch your anus, can you feel the hemorrhoid?

about a month or so ago i began noticing myself itching away at, well you know. It mostly happens at night for some reason, but i can go a few days without noticing. Sometimes i notice it come on before a bowel movement, could it be hemorrhoids? i am also thinking it may be an std however i have only ever had oral sex and it was back in august, so if this was so, would i have symptoms now?

Do you know the signifigance of water? Read it if you please:

What kinds of symptoms result from drinking too little water? Most commonly I see constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nose bleeds, repeated urinary tract infections, dry and unproductive coughs, constant sneezing, sinus pressure and headaches.

You might ask how a lack of water intake can cause this wide array of symptoms. Water is required by every cell in the body as nourishment and to remove wastes. When water becomes scarce, the body tries to limit the amount it loses through breathing, mucous production, urination, perspiration and bowel movements.

Several cups of water are lost daily through breathing because the lungs require humid air to do their work. In the winter when drier air prevails outside and heating systems (especially forced hot air and wood stoves) dry out the air inside, even more water is lost. It is estimated that on an average day in the fall, 3-4 cups of water are lost through breathing. On a cold, dry winter day as much as 2-3 more cups of water may be lost in this way. The body has to moisturize the air before it reaches the lungs and does so through the mucous membranes lining the nasal passages and the bronchi. As available fluid decreases, the mucous lining becomes drier. This in turn irritates the lungs, causing them to become more reactive to dust, mold particles, cigarette smoke and other irritants, and less resistant to viruses and bacteria. The result: dry cough and bronchitis.

The mucous membranes of our lungs and gut are an important component of our resistance to disease. They provide an effective barrier to bacteria, viruses and pollutants when intact. But a number of substances (such as aspirin) are known to harm this barrier. What is less well known is that a lack of water in the body makes the all important mucous less viscous and can cause constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and a slowed movement of the bowels contents. These problems in turn increase ones risk of other long term disease including hemorrhoids and colon cancer. The mucous lining in the sinus passages is similarly vital as a defense against disease. When it becomes drier, sinusitis, nose bleeds and allergic symptoms worsen.

Obviously, we all lose some water through urination and urination is required for the removal of various toxins from the body. When fluid volume is diminished, the ability of the body to remove toxins through urination is also diminished. It is a comon misunderstanding that the more water we drink, the harder it is on the kidneys. In fact, except for people with some uncommon kidney problems, the opposite is true. Water soluble toxins cannot be easily removed through the bowels, especially when a lack of water also causes constipation. These toxins then must be eliminated in other ways such as through the skin. The increase in body toxin levels can cause headaches and fatigue. The attempt by the body to remove excess levels of unwanted chemicals through the skin can cause acne and will aggravate eczema.

The easy solution to all these problems is to drink more water. Coffee, tea and soda all contain caffeine which is a known diuretic and will actually accentuate the symptoms of fluid loss. Fruit juices are more concentrated in sugar than your body’s fluids and so the body will attempt to dilute them in the gut thereby causing a loss of water from other areas of the body. In the dry, hot air of winter and very hot days of summer, drink at least 10 glasses of water daily for optimal health. During the spring and fall, 8 glasses will suffice for most people, although those with inhalant allergies do best to drink as much water as possible. Pregnant women need to drink at least 50% more water daily than they would while not pregnant. People who exercise vigorously should add one glass of water for each 30 minutes of exercise. Herbal teas and diluted fruit juices (1/3 fruit juice to 2/3 water) can be substituted for some of the water. Drink one extra glass of water for each cup of coffee or black tea you have. Humidifying the air in the winter will help reduce water loss, but be careful to clean humidifiers daily to discourage bacteria or mold build up.

What type of water is best? Activated carbon or charcoal filtered water is probably the least expensive way to drink ’safe’ water. The carbon filter removes most of the carcinogens and bacteria commonly found in drinking water. These filters are often very inexpensive and can be found in almost any department store. Distilled water has had all the metals (both harmful and helpful) removed. None of the flourinated and chlorinated hydrocarbons (coming from combining fertilizers and pesticides with flouride and chlorine) are removed. It is these hydrocarbons which are linked with the most health problems. Bottled spring waters may be healthy, but they are not yet required to be analyzed for chemical and bacterial levels.

Water can be a miracle cure for many common ailments. Try drinking some now and see if you don’t feel better!