What I Need to Know About Constipation

Constipation means that a person has three bowel movements or fewer in a week. The stool is hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. You may feel "draggy" and full.

Some people think they should have a bowel movement every day. That is not really true. There is no "right" number of bowel movements. Each person's body finds its own normal number of bowel movements. It depends on the food you eat, how much you exercise, and other things.

At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts for a short time and is not serious. When you understand what causes constipation, you can take steps to prevent it.

Signs and symptoms

In common constipation, the stool is hard, difficult, and painful to pass. Usually, there is an infrequent urge to void. Straining to pass stool may cause hemorrhoids. In later stages of constipation, the abdomen may become distended and diffusely tender and crampy, occasionally with enhanced bowel sounds.

The definition of constipation includes the following:

Infrequent bowel movements

Difficulty during defecation (straining during more than 25% of bowel movements or a subjective sensation of hard stools)
The sensation of incomplete bowel evacuation.

Severe cases ("fecal impaction") may feature symptoms of bowel obstruction (vomiting, very tender abdomen) and "paradoxical diarrhea", where soft stool from the small intestine bypasses the impacted matter in the colon.

Causes

To understand constipation, it helps to know how the colon, or large intestine, works. As food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water from the food while it forms waste products, or stool. Muscle contractions in the colon then push the stool toward the rectum. By the time stool reaches the rectum it is solid, because most of the water has been absorbed.

Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon’s muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly. As a result, stools can become hard and dry. Common causes of constipation are

•    Changes in life or routine such as pregnancy, aging, and travel
•    Abuse of laxatives
•    Not enough fiber in the diet
•    Lack of physical activity (especially in the elderly)
•    Medications
•    Milk
•    Irritable bowel syndrome
•    Ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement
•    Dehydration
•    Specific diseases or conditions, such as stroke (most common)
•    Problems with the colon and rectum
•    Problems with intestinal function (chronic idiopathic constipation)

Treatment

Treatment for constipation depends on the cause, severity and duration. However, in most cases, dietary and lifestyle changes will help relieve symptoms and prevent the condition altogether. A well-balanced diet that includes fiber-rich foods, such as unprocessed bran, whole-grain bread and fresh fruits and vegetables, is recommended. Ideally, you should consume 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. In addition, drinking plenty of fluids and exercising regularly helps stimulate intestinal activity.

Although most people who are mildly constipated do not need laxatives and an overuse of laxatives can actually cause constipation, they may be recommended for those who are still suffering from the condition even after making diet and lifestyle changes. Your doctor is best qualified to determine when a laxative is needed and which type.

Article Tags: Bowel Movements

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