What is chronic constipation?
Chronic constipation is characterized as difficulty passing stools or irregular bowel movement that continues for some weeks or even longer. Moreover, constipation is defined as having less than three bowel movements per week.
Occasional constipation is far more common than chronic constipation. Few individuals have chronic constipation which, unlike the occasional constipation can greatly interfere with your ability to perform daily tasks. It can also cause severe damage to have regular bowel movement plus other symptoms. Its treatment merely depends on its underlying cause.
What are the symptoms of chronic constipation?
Symptoms of chronic constipation are:
• Having hard or lumpy stools.
• Passing less than 3 stools per week.
• Straining having the bowel movements.
• Trouble having bowel movements.
• Swollen abdomen.
• Pain.
• Abdominal pain.
• Vomiting.
What are the causes of chronic constipation?
Mostly, constipation is triggered by a bowel function disorder. Few common causes include:
• Too little water intake.
• Consuming a diet inadequate in fiber.
• Stress.
• Disturbance of regular routine or diet; traveling.
• Consuming dairy products excessively.
• Inadequate exercise or activity or immobility.
• Laxative overuse which tends to weaken your bowel muscles eventually.
• Hypothyroidism.
• Pregnancy.
• Neurological conditions for example multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease.
• Antacid medicines that contain aluminum or calcium.
• Eating disorders.
• Colon cancer.
• Irritable bowel syndrome.
• Medicines particularly for strong pain such as iron pills, antidepressants or narcotics.
In few cases, lack of muscle function and good nerve in your bowel can also trigger constipation.
What are the risk factors of chronic constipation?
Certain factors that tend to increase the risk include:
• If you are a woman.
• An older adult.
• Being dehydrated.
• Consuming a low fiber diet.
• Getting no or little physical activity.
• Taking particular medications such as narcotics or sedatives etc.
What are the complications of chronic constipation?
Few possible complications include:
• Hemorrhoids.
• Anal fissure.
• Fecal impaction.
• Rectal prolapsed.
How is chronic constipation diagnosed?
Few procedures and test that are used for diagnosing include:
• Sigmoidoscopy.
• Colonoscopy.
• Anorectal manometry.
• Colonic transit study.
• Defecography.
How is chronic constipation treated?
The treatment normally starts with lifestyle and diet changes. In case such changes do not tend to help, then the doctor can suggest medications, or even surgery!
• Lifestyle and diet changes:
The doctor can suggest you few changes in your lifestyle or diet in order to relieve constipation:
1. Consume a diet enriched with fiber.
2. Regularly exercise.
3. Never ignore the bowel movement urge.
• Laxatives:
Numerous types of laxatives can help make the bowel movement easier, somewhat differently. Such as:
1. Fiber supplements.
2. Stimulants.
3. Osmotic.
4. Lubricants.
5. Stool softeners.
• Other medications:
Your doctor can prescribe you the following medications in order to draw water in the intestines:
1. Linaclotide and
2. Amitiza.
Furthermore, training the pelvic muscles and surgery can be advised by your doctor in case other treatments have failed to treat your chronic constipation.
By : Natural Health News
