Chronic constipation happens when one experiences infrequent bowel movements accompanied by the difficult passage of stool. The condition might persist for several weeks or months. Generally, someone having less than three bowels movements in a week is described as having constipation.
Mild constipation is often considered normal. However, some people suffer from chronic constipation that interferes with their everyday routines such as work. It also causes strain during bowel movements. In the United States, 16 in every 100 adults suffer from constipation.
How to identify if you are constipating
People experience different bowel movement habits. While others go three times a day, some go once every three days. However, the following are the general signs and symptoms of constipation:
- Less than three bowel movements in a week
- Straining accompanied by pain when passing stool
- Passing hard or lumpy stools
- Constantly feeling full even after having a bowel movement
But chronic constipation comes along with other severe symptoms such as:
- Bleeding from the rectum
- Constant abdominal pain
- Pains on the lower part of the back
- Vomiting
- A feeling of trapped gas inside the stomach
- Fever
- Passing out stool with blood
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid weight loss
It is essential to visit a qualified healthcare professional when you experience these signs or symptoms.
What are the major causes of constipation?
The colon’s main job is to absorb water from the residual food as it goes through the digestive tract and results in the stool. The colon muscles eliminate the waste through the rectum.
Constipation happens when waste or stool moves slowly inside the colon, and the body fails to eliminate it quickly through the rectum. This condition makes the stool dry and hard. Some of the leading causes of constipation that you may experience include:
- Poor diet – eating foods that contain less fibre
- Stress caused by routine changes
- Dehydration
- Certain types of medications such as pain relievers and antacids
- Resisting the urge to go for a bowel movement for extended periods
- Age
- Pregnancy
- Lack of exercise
- Underlying health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and intestinal obstruction
- Stroke
- Hormonal imbalance
What to do to prevent or cure constipation
The easiest and fastest way to treat or reduce the risk of constipation is by eating taking a diet with high fibre content.
But you can try the following techniques to prevent or treat constipation:
- Drink enough water to keep your body hydrated
- Reduce consumption of alcohol or caffeine
- Adding fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, and beans
- Reduce intake of low fiber foods such as milk, cheese, and meat
- Do not resist the urge to go for a bowel movement and take your time while doing it
All the above remedies can help cure chronic constipation. However, it is essential to seek medical attention if the condition persists after trying out these procedures. Doctors may prescribe laxatives to help the bowel movement become easier. You can get all these laxatives for the constipation from www.internationalpharmacy.com.
Alicia Saville did her degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
