Constipation is known as a condition of the digestive system whereby an individual faces difficulty trying to pass out feaces. This mostly occurs because the colon absorbed too much water from the food present in the colon.
In the digestive tract, the slower the food moves, the more water the colonel will absorb from it causing the faeces become very dry and hard.
The individual undergoes difficulty and pains trying to empty the bowels.
In the cause of this article, I’ll be discussing about the main causes of constipation, the symptoms, the diagnosis, how to cure constipation in children and adult and how to prevent constipation.
Key Facts On Constipation
Before I proceed, below are some important key points to note about constipation. More detailed explanation of these key points will be found in the cause of reading these article till the end.
• The main causes of constipation in individuals is as a result of too much water consumed from food.• Certain medications, physical inactivity and aging are the main causes of constipation.
• Laxatives should strictly and only be used as a last resort.
• Most cases of constipation can be relieved by changing of lifestyle.
The Symptoms Of Constipation
Increased straining and difficulty in passing stools is the main symptoms of constipation.
The most recognized signs of constipation is the passing of fewer stools than usual.
Other Symptoms include the following:
• Stomach cramps• Severe stomach ache
• Losing or lose of appetite
• Feeling bloated and nauseous
What Are The Causes Of Constipation
Like I pointed out earlier, constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water from the food. This can also occur if the muscles in the colon contracts slow or poorly thereby causing the faeces move too slowly and lose more water.
Below are the most common causes of constipation.
1. Lack of fiber in diets
Those individuals whose most of their daily diet contains a good quality of fiber are less likely to suffer from constipation. Its very necessary to eat foods that are rich in fiber. Such diets are fruits, vegetables and a whole grain.
Fiber helps in bowel movements and stops or prevent constipation. Diets that are low in fiber means that such foods include high-fat foods such as eggs, meats and cheese.
2. Physical Inactivity
Most Physically inactive individuals tends tend to suffer from constipation. This occurs especially in the cases of older adults.
For people who have been sick and bedridden for a long period of time are at a higher risk of having constipation. Experts are not sure why this happens but they believe that physical activities keeps the metabolism high causing the processes in the body to act mor rapidly.
Older adults have a more sedentary life compared to younger individuals which is the more reason why they are at a higher risk of having constipation. Physically active individuals are less prone to being constipated compared to the inactive ones.
3. Medications
The most common medications that causes constipation are:
• Antidepressants including amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil)• calcium channel blocking drugs including diltiazem (Cardizem) and nifedipine (Procardia)• Narcotic (opioid) pain drugs including codeine (Tylenol), oxycodone (Percocet), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
• Anticonvulsants including phenytoin (Dilantin) and carbamazepine (Tegretol) iron supplements
• Diuretics including chlorothiazide (Diuril)
• Aluminum-containing antacids including Amphojel and Basaljel
4. Pregnancy
Pregnancies leads to hormonal changes in the body which makes women more prone to constipation. Secondly, the uterus may compress the intestine which leads to the slow passage of food.
5. Milk
Some people become constipated when they consume milk and dairy products.
6. Aging
The metabolism slows down as I people grow older which results in less intestinal activity. The muscles in the digestive tract don’t work as well as they use to.
7. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Individuals who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) get constipation much more frequently compared to the rest of the population.
8. Overuse of Laxatives
Most people believe that someone is suppose to visit the toilet at least onece everyday – its not true. However, to make sure this happens, most people medicate themselves with laxatives.
Though laxatives helps in bowel movements, using it regularly is not advisable because it let’s your body get used to the the action of the drugs and you gradually need to be increasing the dose to get the same effect.
Laxatives can be habit-forming. When a person becomes dependent on them, there is a significant risk of constipation when they are stopped.
9. Changes In Routine
When someone travels, their normal routines gets to change and this can sometimes result to constipation because the digestive system reacts differently. They eat at different times, go to bed, wake up and go to toilet at different times. All these changes can raise the risks of having constipation.
10. Not Drinking Enough Water
Regular drinking of plenty water reduces the risk of having constipation. However, if constipation is already present, drinking plenty water won’t stop constipation. So drinking plenty water is advisable.
Many Soft drinks have caffeine contents in them which causes dehydration and worsens constipation. Alcoholic drinks also dehydrates the body and should be avoided by those people who are already constipated or less prone to having constipation.
11. Not Going To The When Needed
If individuals wave aside the urge to visit the toilet, in most cases, the urges can gradually go away until they no longer feel the need to go. The longer its delayed, the harder and drier the faeces will become.
12. Some diseases and conditions
Diseases that tend to slow down the movement of feces through the colon, rectum, or anus can cause constipation.
These include the following:
• Endocrine and metabolic conditions: Uremia, diabetes, hypercalcemia, poor glycemic control, and hypothyroidism.
• Neurological disorders: Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries, and chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction can lead to constipation.• Cancer: Constipation occurs in people with cancer, mainly due to pain medications and chemotherapy. Also, if a tumor blocks or squeezes the digestive system.
• Systemic diseases: These are diseases that affect a number of organs and tissues, or affect the body as a whole, they include lupus, scleroderma, amyloidosis.
Treatment Of Constipation In Children and Adults
In most cases, constipation resolves itself without any form of treatment or risk to health.
The best ways to cure and prevent constipation can include drinking enough water daily, lifestyle changes, eating foods rich in fiber and doing more exercise.
The use of laxatives cures constipation in most cases. Using laxatives with care and only when its necessary. To avoid too much dosage of laxatives, you’ll need a doctor’s prescription.
It’s very important to understand and note what causes constipation – it coult either be an underlying illness or condition. Some people who frequently suffer from constipation do use a daily diary where they record their bowel movements, school characteristics and other factors that likely helps both the person and doctor devise a means to cure it.
Some gastroenterologists comment that there are people who do not have enough time for their defecation. Set aside enough time to allow your toilet visit to be unstressed and uninterrupted, and don’t ignore an urge to have a bowel movement.
How To Cure Constipation In Children and Adults
The way to treat constipation in children is different from that of adults. Read the tips below.
OTC Laxatives
Use this as a last resort and strictly under a medical doctor’s medication.
Lubricants
These help the faeces move down the colon easily. These include mineral oil and Fleet.•
Stimulants
These make the muscles in the intestines contract rhythmically. These include Correctol, Dulcolax, and Senokot.
Fiber supplements
These are the safest laxatives. It’s also called bulk laxatives. They include FiberCon, Metamucil, Konsyl, Serutan, and Citrucel and should be taken with plenty of water.
Stool Softeners
These moisten the stool. Stool softeners include Colace and Surfak.
5-HT-4 agonists
They increase the secretion of fluid in the intestines and speed up the rate at which food passes through the colon. They include Prucalopride.
Osmotics
These facilitate the movement of fluids through the colon. These include Cephulac, Sorbitol, and Miralax.
Chloride channel activators
These require a prescription and include lubiprostone (Amitiza).
Saline laxatives
These draw water into the colon and include milk of magnesia.
They say prevention is better than cure however, there are illnesses we cannot prevent as the body temprature and body system changes alongside the environment. What you can do is best monitor your body and as soon as you notice changes, consult your doctor.
