Constipation is medically defined as having less than three bowel movements per week, but everyone is different so it is sometimes hard to determine. Most individuals have one bowel movement a day, and consider themselves to be suffering from constipation if they go two or three without one. When you are afflicted with constipation, you will have infrequent movements, strain during them, or pass hard stools. Women and elderly adults are the most frequent complainers of constipation, a condition that causes over seven hundred million dollars to be spent by Americans each year on over-the-counter products to relieve it. Constipation can be brought about by a number of conditions, and can cause physical problems and emotional distress for those who have it.
As you grow older, the number of bowel movements you have lessens. The average person has between three and twenty per week, but there is no “standard” number to be held to. Constipation is a result of your colon absorbing too much water from the food passing through it, or from these food products making their way through the colon too slowly. When you eat, the food eventually makes its way into your large intestine, or colon, where it passes through. Water is absorbed by the colon, leaving a solid waste by-product, or stool, that goes all the way through and passes out the rectum. Too much water absorption, or too slow a trip through the colon due to sluggish muscle contractions, can make the stool dry, and eliminating it becomes a problem.
There are several things that can cause the intestinal slowdown that leads to constipation. Inadequate intake of liquids is one, and a low-fiber diet is another. Fiber helps the body maintain a soft, bulky stool, and when it is absent from someone’s diet, constipation can be the consequence. Not paying attention to having to go to the bathroom is another, as many people do not like to use any bathroom but their own and “hold it”, which can cause the stool to dry out. Also, not heeding nature’s call too often can lead to the urgings lessening or disappearing altogether, which can be bad news. Some medications can have constipation as a side effect, and this is often overlooked as a cause of constipation. Narcotics such as codeine, oxycodone, and hydromorphone can make the user have constipation, as do some antidepressants, anticonvulsants, iron supplements, and antacids.
The excessive use of stimulant laxatives, which inspire the muscles in the colon to cause bowel movements, is suspected to ironically bring about constipation, as they have been linked in some studies to damaging the muscles of the colon. Hormonal disorders can also work against bowel movements, and there are several diseases that can plague the digestive tract and gum up the work, including Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and colonic inertia. Another form of constipation is brought about by a condition called anismus, where the muscles in the bowel do not work together, and stool does not empty properly. The symptoms of constipation are straining during bowel movements in addition to the infrequency of such events. You may feel bloated and uncomfortable, and constipation can result in hemorrhoids, and cracks and tears in your anus because of the texture of the stools and the difficulty in eliminating them. One of the worst things that can happen to a constipation sufferer is known as a fecal impaction, where everything comes to a standstill, as you simply cannot eliminate a mass of hardened stool, which then has to be done manually. In addition, the dread of straining and not being able to go can put a lot of emotional stress on people with constipation, some to the point where they obsess over it. Those with lung disease that have trouble breathing are especially vulnerable to this.
When you are having infrequent bowel movements, or they have become a chore, your doctor will want to run some tests to eliminate possibilities other than constipation first. Your medications, if you are on any, will be suspected, and you may have to undergo procedures such as stool analysis, a barium enema which can shed some light on the digestive tract with the help of X-rays, a colonoscopy that can provide your physician with a look inside your whole colon, and an anorectal manometry, which measures muscle coordination of your bowel. Once you have been diagnosed as having constipation, the treatment can vary. It could be as simple as dietary changes, where you consume more high fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables. A fiber supplement can be taken, products like oat bran, Citrucel, or Metamucil, which will make your stool softer and easier to pass. You need to consume lots of water when on a fiber supplement, as they can make matters worse if you do not.
Stool softeners are another option, but they are not a long term solution. People undergoing extensive surgeries are given stool softeners, as the pain medications they need to take can cause constipation. Milk of Magnesia is a saline laxative that acts to draw more water into the colon, softening the stool. Epsom salt is a much stronger saline laxative that does the same thing. Mineral oil has been used to relieve the effects of constipation, but it has many disadvantages and although very effective, should only be used over the short term; it has been proven to cause a type of pneumonia in the very young and elderly when it is accidentally aspirated into the lungs. Medications that work to make your intestinal muscles more efficient are available for people under sixty-five years old with constipation, and enemas are useful when there is an impaction, but follow the directions closely. Surgery is a last resort for those with severe and constant constipation.
To help in preventing constipation, you can gradually introduce high fiber foods into your everyday diet. Beans, vegetables, fruits, breads, and whole-grain cereals can all aid in keeping constipation to a minimum. Avoid foods that have elevated levels of fat and sugar, and low fiber foods such as cheese and ice cream that can “bind you up. Drink enough liquids and increase your physical activity. Go to the bathroom as soon as possible after you feel the need, try fiber supplements if you need to, and stay away from abusing laxatives. There are better things to do with your time than sitting on a toilet all day!
