After food is processed in the digestive system it becomes feces. Feces is passed through the intestines by peristalsis, or muscle contractions, into the rectum to await excretion.
Constipation occurs when certain circumstances prevent the body from removing feces.
What is Constipation?
Constipation is a condition where the intestines peristalsis is slow or not occurring at all, temporarily trapping the feces. Constipation is one of the common digestive problems of children and the elderly. Constipation affects more women than men. Sufferers of constipation may find it painful and difficult to have a bowel movement. This is because the stools are often hard. Frequent or long lasting constipation can lead to fecal impaction in the rectum.
What Causes Constipation?
There are three main causes of constipation. Each symptom has its own possible causes. We will discuss the most common cause for each symptom.
Hardening of the feces may be caused by:
Improper chewing of food. Chewing is the first step in digestion where food is broken down to small bits making it easier to process in the stomach, and necessary nutrients absorbed quicker by the body. Bigger chunks of food are more difficult to process and do not move as easily through the intestine.
Lacking adequate fiber. Fibers are whole or partially indigestible parts of plant products that absorb water while passing through the colon. These fibers make feces softer and stimulate peristalsis. When a lack of fiber is present in the body, the colon absorbs the water in the digested food creating hard stools that may be difficult to pass during defecation.
Insufficient clear liquid intake or Dehydration. A human body consists of 70% water. That percent decreases as less liquids are taken in. When a deficient amount of water exists in the body the colon will absorb water from stools, creating extremely hard feces, in order to compensate. This may lead to fecal impaction.
Medications. Diuretics make the body expel water, or urine, faster than normal. This elevated loss of water in the body prevents feces from absorbing water as it travels through the intestines. Similar to dehydration, stools will be dry, hard, and painful to pass.
Slow or stopped peristalsis can be caused by: Medical conditions. Certain medical conditions may cause slow movement of the colon.
Injured anal sphincter. When the anal sphincter is injured, this causes an abnormal loss of tone in the muscles surrounding the anus and all contracting actions may be weak or non-existent. Childbirth or anal surgery are the two most commons ways the anal sphincter muscles can become injured. Once an injury is sustained to the anal sphincter, fecal incontinence is experienced.
Medications. Medications such as pain relievers and certain anti-depressants may cause paralysis or slow peristaltic movement as well.
Dyschezia can be caused by:
Suppressing or ignoring the urge to defecate.
Complications
Complications may arise if you continue to ignore constipation. These complications include:
Hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins located in the lower area of the rectum. They are caused by too much strain while trying to force a bowel movement.
Anal fissures. These are tears in the anal canal. These tears can be caused by childbirth,over-stretching while trying to pass hard stools, surgery inside the rectum, or certain medical conditions like rectal cancer. Anal fissures may also cause rectal bleeding.
Rectal prolapse. This is when a small amount of intestinal lining is pushed out of the anal opening while straining for bowel movement.
Fecal impaction. This occurs when hard stools are compacted tightly in the intestines and rectum. Muscle contractions may be insufficient at expelling the stools. Stool softeners may be used to try to pass the impaction. Rarely, surgery may be required.
Bowel perforation. This is when the hardened fecal matter punctures through the intestinal wall and spills into the abdominal area. This causes severe infection as waste products of the body comes into direct contact to other organs housed by the abdominal cavity. The severe infection caused by this overflow of fecal matter may even prove fatal when not treated immediately.
Constipation Treatment
A slight change in lifestyle such as a well-balanced, high fiber diet with plenty of water and exercise can help treat and prevent constipation from re-occurring. Set aside time to regularly visit the bathroom but try not to sit for longer than 10 minutes at a time. The longer you sit waiting for a bowel movement the greater strain you put on the veins in and around the anus. Do not ignore the urge to move your bowels. Ignoring the urge to use the bathroom may lead to Dyschezia, fecal impaction, Anal fissures, Bowel perforation, and many other rectal problems. Resisting the urge to defecate over a long period of time may stop peristalsis in the intestines all together. When your body needs to go, go!
If lifestyle changes offer little help with your constipation problem, enemas and colonic irrigation may help trigger peristaltic movement in the bowel. If constipation persists, laxatives may be used to stimulate bowel movements.
If the measures mentioned fail, manual dis-impaction is performed. This requires manually removing impacted feces from the rectum. This procedure may be done with or without sedatives or anesthetics. In cases that the constipation reaches intestinal perforation, immediate surgery is required to remove spilled fecal matter from the abdominal cavity.
Sometimes it is easy to ignore what our bodies are telling us. We may think we have more important things to do and therefore put off for later the need to expel bodily wastes – be it urine, gas or feces. In the end it will just cause more inconvenience and more serious health risks. A few minutes time now beats years of incontinence later.
