Constipation – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Medications

What is constipation?

In constipation If a person has bowel movements thrice in a week, then it is consider a condition of constipation. This condition is characterize by a rare bowel movement. The person faces hard stools and has difficulty in passing stools from the rectum. It occurs when a person’s colon is absorbing too much water from food.

This is due to the slow movement of food in the digestive tract. As a result, the process of removing feces becomes a difficult and painful situation. It is cause by a change in the lifestyle of a person and can be correct if the lifestyle is restore.

Chronic constipation is a condition in which a person has to face difficulty in performing even his daily activities. The reason behind its occurrence is difficult to find and it can vary from person to person.

Constipation Bowel moment

Symptoms of Constipation

It is a condition in which a person faces difficulty in expelling stool from the body and the signs and symptoms of constipation are given below:

  • Bowel movements that are fewer than 3 times a week or fewer bowel movements than regular week-long activities
  • Conditions such as straining during the process of bowel movements
  • Loss of appetite and cramping in the lower abdomen
  • Lumpy, hard and small stools
  • Swollen abdomen or abdominal pain
  • Nausea and feeling bloated
  • Blockage in the rectum

Such a situation arises when it is necessary to press the abdominal area or use the fingers to remove the stool from the rectum.

Causes of Constipation

There can be many possible reasons behind constipation in any person. Some of them are:

  • Blockage in the colon or rectum due to an anal fissure
  • Bowel obstruction
  • Colon or rectal cancer
  • Colon contraction
  • Conditions such as rectum bulges
  • Certain neurological conditions that cause problems with the nerves around the colon and rectum
  • In activism
  • Not getting enough fiber in the diet.
  • The stress
  • The prevalence of laxatives
  • Administration of antacids containing calcium and aluminum
  • Problems with the muscles involved in elimination, such as weak pelvic muscles.
  • Disease conditions such as diabetes.
  • Pregnancy
  • Hyperparathyroidism affects the body’s hormones.

Other systemic diseases affecting organs and tissues or the body as a whole are the reasons that can be considered behind the development of chronic constipation:

  • To grow up for age
  • Dehydration
  • Female gender
  • Not drinking enough water daily.
  • Ignoring going to the toilet
  • High consumption of milk or other dairy products are also some of the factors that increase its chances.

Can constipation go away naturally?

Constipation usually refers to irregular bowel movements. In most cases, it resolves spontaneously without any treatment or medical consultation. There are mild cases of irregular bowel movements that may get better with the use of laxatives or over the counter medications. In such a situation, home remedies are also effective.

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Prevention of Constipation

Those persons who suffering from constipation should follow these steps:

  • High fiber foods like beans, vegetables, fruits, whole grains should be included in daily diet plans.
  • Start your day with warm liquids like warm water.
  • Drink more water and other types of fluids.
  • Limit the intake of foods that are low in fiber such as meat, milk, etc.
  • Improve physical activity and exercise regularly as these increases the strength of the intestinal muscles.
  • Reduce stress-causing factors.
  • Stop ignoring the urge to defecate or defecate.
  • After each meal, make a schedule for bowel movements.
  • Laxatives can be taken for a day or two to ease constipation.

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Diagnosis of Constipation

Diagnosis of the disease can mainly be done by performing a physical examination, and by understanding the medical history, the doctor identifies the type and cause of constipation. The health care professional will observe and inform the patient about maintaining a daily diet diary through which they can advise about the intake of high fiber foods.

Through blood tests for thyroid hormones and calcium, abdominal X-rays, liquid barium studies to understand bowel and rectal anatomy, colonic motility and anorectal studies, defecation and magnetic resonance imaging of defecation, the medical professional can assess the severity of constipation. can diagnose. For those who does not responding to this treatment.

Treatment of Constipation

The treatment of any disease depends on its underlying cause and in that case, it is important to identify whether it is acute or chronic constipation. Other factors that need to be consider before any treatment is suggested for patients with constipation are recording of their bowel movements, stool characteristics, etc. For recurrent constipation, doctors recommend lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise, drinking more water, and eating more fiber.

Implementation of many treatment plans include dietary fiber sources such as:

  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Wheat  
  • Oat bran,
  • Polycarbophil
  • Psyllium seed
  • Synthetic methyl cellulose
  • Lubricating laxatives such as mineral oil,
  • Emollient laxatives (stool softeners) such as docusate
  • Hyperosmolar laxatives such as lactulose

Is include Sorbitol, polyethylene glycol, over-the-counter such as saline laxatives, stimulant laxatives, enemas, suppositories, combination products.

How to get rid of constipation?

  • Drink hot drinks, even more so in the morning.
  • Include vegetables and fruits in your diet.
  • Drink up to four more glasses of water a day, unless your doctor has limited fluid intake for some other reason.
  • Take fibrous cereals.
  • If you feel the need, take a mild stool softener or laxative such as magnesium hydroxide. Do not use a laxative for more than two weeks without consulting your doctor. If laxatives are consume in excess, symptoms may worsen.
  • Take a nutritious diet rich in fiber. Good sources of fiber are vegetables, legumes, fruits and multi-grain breads like bran.
  • Eat a balanced diet rich in fiber. Good sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grain breads and cereals (especially bran).
  • Drink 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of water and other fluids a day (unless your doctor has prescribed you a liquid-restricted diet). Fiber and water both are work together very nicely to keep you regular bowel moment.
  • Avoid caffeine It could be dehydration.
  • Do not take milk some people may have to avoid it because dairy products can be constipating for them.
  • Exercise regularly. On most days of the week, do something active for at least 30 minutes a day.
  • When you feel the urge, then rapidly run and go to the bathroom.

What are the guidelines after treatment?

The post-treatment guidelines in case of constipation usually depend on the method of treatment. If treatment methods include lifestyle changes and dietary changes, incorporating physical activity and exercise such as yoga as part of a daily routine, from a sedentary lifestyle to following post-treatment guidelines Avoid, include fiber-rich foods in the diet, avoid processed and junk foods and drink plenty of fluids.

On the other hand, the surgical treatment of constipation requires following precautionary measures like proper rest and care, intake of prescribed medicines and regular follow-up with the doctor.

Medicines

This occurs when the stool does not pass easily and there is over-the-counter medicine and other medicines bought on the prescription to solve such issues. Without a doctor’s advice, it is not recommend to use any medicine for constipation.

Fiber supplements such as calcium polycarbophil, methylcellulose, fiber, psyllium, wheat dextrin may be prescribe to loosen stools and increase bowel movements. Magnesium citrate and hydroxide, and polyethylene glycol are examples of osmotic drugs that help the stool retain more fluid.

Stimulants such as bisacodyl are use to squeeze the bowel and suppositories insert into the rectum provide ease in passing stool.

Home Remedies for Constipation

For the treatment of constipation, there are some other ways through which a person can treat without using medicines as mentioned below:

  1. Increasing fiber intake – A person experiencing constipation can cure it by adding 18 grams to 30 grams of fresh fruits, fortified cereals and vegetables to the daily food intake.
  2. Keep hydrated – Drinking plenty of water can also get rid of it.
  3. Adding bulking agents-such as wheat bran can help soften the stool and make it easier to pass.
  4. Getting regular exercise can help regulate body processes, including bowel movements.
  5. Avoid Ignoring Stool – If a person lets the body’s natural urge to have a bowel movement then it is prevent or treat.
  6. Many doctors use homeopathic remedies like Calcarea Carbonica, Nux Vomica, Silica Bryonia and Lycopodium for its treatment.

What to eat?

There is an important relationship of food to irregular bowel movements as it is responsible for the normal or abnormal digestion process. A number of foods may play a role in relieving symptoms that are based on the concepts of softening of stools, reduction of intestinal transit time, and increased frequency of stools. High fiber foods are important in such situations.

Some of them include fresh fruits such as:

  • Prunes
  • Apples
  • Pineapple
  • Kiwi
  • Citrus fruits and
  • Pears
  • Dried fruits such as figs
  • Green and leafy vegetables
  • Spinach
  • Artichokes
  • Chicory
  • Rhubarb
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Beans
  • Peas and
  • Lentils, seeds
  • Chia Contains seeds,
  • Flaxseeds
  • Whole grains
  • Cereals
  • Oat bran
  • Kefir

What should not be eaten?

Constipation is a condition that usually occurs due to lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle. Food, being associate with the digestive process, also affects the condition and may be responsible for its improvement or worsening of the condition. Such foods are basically low in fiber or high in salt or may contain things like tannins, which help in such uncomfortable situations. These include the following:

  • Liquor
  • Gluten-rich foods including wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, and triticale
  • Try to strictly avoid this food during constipation such processed foods including processed grains and products such as white bread, white rice and white pasta
  • Milk and dairy products including milk
  • Red meat
  • Fried as well as fast food