Causes Of Constipation And What To Do
Constipation is a rather common and annoying condition for those who suffer from it. The causes of constipation are as varied as the treatments. In this article we deepen this condition.
Although constipation has an exact medical definition, there are particular variables that make it possible to determine whether a person is constipated or not.
In purely scientific terms, we speak of constipation when the frequency of bowel movements decreases, or when intestinal activity is less than what is considered normal.
Constipation can be defined as a person who defecates less than three times a week, but some people defecate less without suffering from gastrointestinal disorders. If, on the other hand, the reduction is drastic, the quality of life suffers.
It is estimated that more than 15% of the adult population suffers from constipation. A significant amount that increases over the years. One third of adults over the age of sixty suffer from this condition. Depending on the duration, constipation can be classified into:
- Acute: when the rhythm of defecation is reduced due to an isolated and usually resolvable cause. It can be caused by adopting new eating habits or by stress. Once the cause has been resolved, in a short time the person recovers his usual rhythm of evacuation.
- Chronic: when it lasts for long periods, sometimes a lifetime. It can be an almost innate condition that forces the person to take a series of measures to improve their quality of life.
Symptoms of constipation
Although difficulty defecating at a normal pace is the main symptom, constipation sufferers can have a number of other symptoms:
- Great efforts: with difficulty in evacuating, the muscles strain too much and feel great tiredness.
- Sensation of obstruction: Constipated people have the sensation of having something blocking their bowels and not letting the stool move forward.
- Hard stools: when defecation is infrequent, fecal matter remains accumulated in the intestine for long periods, hardening due to dehydration. This adds difficulty to the act of defecation, increasing the sense of discomfort.
- Incomplete emptying: once defecation has taken place, the constipated person feels the sensation of not having expelled everything. It usually reflects a real fact, as there is a lot of accumulated fecal matter and it is not excreted in one go.
The causes of constipation
The causes of constipation can be many. Here are some of them:
- Diet: This is perhaps the main cause in cases of acute and chronic constipation. A low-fiber diet slows down intestinal transit, causing constipation. This is easily due to a low consumption of fruits and vegetables.
- Medicines: Some medications can cause constipation as a side effect. This problem is commonly caused by some antidepressants. When prescribing them, the doctor should always advise the patient to vary the diet to counteract the effect of the antidepressant.
- Hypomotility : Some people have a sluggish, slower bowel. It is an innate condition that slows down the digestion process, delaying defecation.
- General and systemic diseases : diseases such as diabetes or hypothyroidism are associated with constipation. They do not cause it directly, nor do they generate chronic constipation, but they can in any case favor it.
- Gestation : pregnant women can suffer from constipation. The enlargement of the uterus puts pressure on the intestine making it more difficult for the stool to pass through.
- Intestinal tumors: The most serious cause of constipation is an oncological process in the intestinal tract. Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent and can present constipation as the first symptom.
- Neurological diseases: diseases that affect nerve conduction cause constipation, such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.
Possible complications
In addition to the general discomfort, the persistence of the symptom can cause other unpleasant situations. The most frequent complications are:
- Hemorrhoids: Due to the strain, the veins of the rectum and anus increase the pressure. This causes them to dilate and turn into hemorrhoids, which can bleed and be painful.
- Anal fissure : By expelling hard stools, their passage through the anus can cause injury, including rupture of the anal sphincter.
- Rectal prolapse: always due to the great effort, part of the rectum can come out looking outwards. This phenomenon is called prolapse and promotes infections in the anal area due to mucosal exposure.
