Did you know that nearly half of the population of the developed countries like USA and Canada suffer from the disorders caused by spastic colon? It is a chronic health problem that affects a number of people which is far greater than the number of population suffering from diabetes, asthma or depression. At this point you are wondering what spastic colon actually is. Let us put it like this: It is a kind of dysfunction of colon in which the passage of wastes through the intestine is obstructed due to the changes in the normal pattern of muscular contractions of colon that mobilize wastes. Spastic colon is typically a functional disorder and not a disease, which implies that bowel movement is not occurring in a manner it should have been. The result is either constipation or diarrhea or in many cases a bout of both in alternate succession. The other symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, painful bowel movement and stool full of mucus. In women, there is a close relation between menstruation and attack of spastic colon. It has led the medical practitioners establish a correlation between hormonal changes and irritable bowel syndrome. Dealing with spastic colon is rather easy; you have to incorporate little changes in your lifestyle. To begin with, bring in little changes in your food habit to get rewarded by a problem free bowel movement. First of all try to understand which foods trigger off the symptoms and religiously avoid them. Generally cut down on the fat content in your diet and go for baked or micro waved foods instead of those fried or roasted. If you have a fetish for milk products, then consumes only skimmed or semi skimmed milk. More importantly, take the foods that are rich in fiber and increase the proportion of fresh vegetables and whole grain cereals in your diet. Another simple rule is: divide your entire meal of the day in small portions and eat more often but small amount at a time. Yoghurt provides a natural solution to those suffering from static colon, as yoghurt containing helpful bacteria aids in the digestive process. Second important point in dealing with static colon is to managing stress. Under the circumstances of twenty first century living, stress management may sound rather an impossible task. But if you want to get a problem free bowel habit, you have to learn to cope up with stress factors through such practices as meditation, aerobics exercise with music, relaxing over the weekends completely cutting off from the work related anxieties and availing other relaxation therapies. If things go really bad, go and see the doctor at earliest. The faster you address the problem with proper medication, earlier you get relief from irregular bowel syndrome. But above all you should stick to a healthy lifestyle; that is the best guarantee for having a problem free colon and overall health.