Constipation Symptoms

Constipation Symptoms

Constipation is having more than one explanation. It is a condition where the colon is filled with hard stool and mostly very dry in nature which causes passing of the stool becomes very difficult and unnatural.

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It causes infrequent evacuation, a dull feeling to pass the stool, irregular habit forming in defecation and unsatisfied, incomplete bowel emptying.

It is very serious that constipation causes straining in some persons and eventually resulting in the bleeding of the rectum. Rectal defects appear in severe cases. In a medical condition called irritable bowel syndrome, constipation alternates with diarrhea. Age is normally connected with this habit of constipation and as the age grows bowel movements is slowing down and constipation begins to appear.

The normal bowel movement in aged begins with 3 and ends with 20 per week. They are felt normal in all persons. Where as in young people one bowel movement is felt as normal per day and this is not applicable in all persons. Several studies so far show that many of the people are not having their regular and daily fecal evacuation. It is said to be healthy, if a person is having 3 movements per week and it is enough to maintain the bowel without constipation. If it is below 3 this can be called as constipation. If it goes below 2 and it is a stage called chronic.

Constipation also can be defined as a disorder of the digestive system. The available digested content of the colon is having water within it and the colon does not able to retain the water and it is absorbed quickly which makes the stool hard and dry. Another explanation is there and when the food content is passing through the intestine slowly than normal speed, the colon is happened to absorb maximum water from the content.

Constipation may be organic or functional in nature. Organic causes include obstructive diseases and tumor of the bowel. Functional causes include nervous involvement, irritable bowel syndrome and pregnancy. The anatomical conditions, dietary patterns, poisons by metals, side effects of many drugs used for other disease and abnormal hormone levels may cause constipation. There are two types of constipation and they are acute form and chronic form. The acute form always needs immediate medical examination and treatment when it is worse with additional symptoms like vomiting, nausea, abdominal colic and rectal bleeding. The chronic form is usually habit forming by various reasons and it does not harm the normal life and it requires no immediate help from medicines.

Several medicines causes constipation and this medical induced constipation includes pain killers, anticonvulsants, calcium channel blockers, iron preparations, antidepressants, tranquilizers, antacids and heart related drugs. To come over this medical induced constipation necessary quantity of fiber should be added to regular food. Lack of exercise is also a major cause for constipation.

In constipation, the individuals are having their own different symptoms which include:

The inability to pass the stool for many days, passing hard as routine habit, and passing the stool in a dry condition always. Abdominal flatulence, pain in the stomach, mostly with decreased appetite and lethargy.

Clinical examination for the constipation is done by taking the history of the patient, performing physical examination of the rectum, by doing regular blood, urine and stool test.

Colonoscopy is used for clinical diagnosis and this procedure is done by 10 to 15 minutes. The colonoscopy is a flexible tube having a video camera at one end. This tube is inserted slowly in to the colon and during its insertion every possible disorder like polyps are diagnosed. During this procedure a slight discomfort of the abdomen is felt due the pressure variation inside the stomach. After the test is over, the colonoscopy is withdrawn from the colon. Colonoscopy means “seeing the colon through the tube”. This procedure is done by gastroenterologists.

Constipation is treated after finding the cause and considering the duration, and severity. Normally, dietary regulation and changes in the lifestyle is advised to treat the condition. Vegetable, fruits, whole grains are recommended for more fiber intake. The habit of water in take is altered and advised to take more water regularly. Exercise is advised to restore the bowel activity. No medicines like laxatives are prescribed in mild form. But it is used only in severe cases since laxatives itself may cause constipation in longer use.