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Do you have constipation problems?

Do you have constipation problems?

2022-10-20


Having fewer than three bowel movements a week is, technically, the definition of constipation. 

What is constipation? 
Having fewer than three bowel movements a week is, technically, the definition of constipation. However, how often you “go” varies widely from person to person. Some people have bowel movements several times a day while others have them only one to two times a week. Whatever your bowel movement pattern is, it’s unique and normal for you--as long as you don’t stray too far from your pattern.

How common is constipation? 
You are not alone if you have constipation. Constipation is one of the most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the United States. At least 2.5 million people see their doctor each year due to constipation.


People of all ages can have an occasional bout of constipation. There are also certain people and situations that are more likely to lead to becoming more consistently constipated (“chronic constipation”). These include:

Older age. Older people tend to be less active, have a slower metabolism and less muscle contraction strength along their digestive tract than when they were younger.


Being a woman, especially while you are pregnant and after childbirth. Changes in a woman’s hormones make them more prone to constipation. The baby inside the womb squishes the intestines, slowing down the passage of stool.

Not eating enough high-fiber foods. High-fiber foods keep food moving through the digestive system.

Taking certain medications.


Having certain neurological (diseases of the brain and spinal cord) and digestive disorders.


How does constipation happen? 

Constipation happens because your colon absorbs too much water from waste (poop), which dries out the stool making it hard in consistency and difficult to push out of the body.

 

To back up a bit, as food normally moves through the digestive tract, nutrients are absorbed. The partially digested food (waste) that remains moves from the small intestine to the large intestine, also called the colon. The colon absorbs water from this waste, which creates a solid matter called stool. If you have constipation, food may move too slowly through the digestive tract. This gives the colon more time – too much time – to absorb water from the waste. The stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to push out.


Can constipation cause internal damage or lead to other health problems? 

There are a few complications that could happen if you don’t have soft, regular bowel movements. Some complications include:

Swollen, inflamed veins in your rectum (a condition called hemorrhoids).

Tears in the lining of your anus from hardened stool trying to pass through (called anal fissures).

 

A pile-up of too much stool/poop in the rectum and anus (a condition called fecal impaction).


Damage to your pelvic floor muscles from straining to move your bowels. These muscles help control your bladder. Too much straining for too long a period of time may cause urine to leak from the bladder (a condition called stress urinary incontinence).

How is constipation treated? 

Some recommendations to help relieve your constipation include:

Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day. Avoid caffeine-containing drinks and alcohol, which can cause dehydration.

Add fruits, vegetables whole grains and other high-fiber foods to your diet. Eat fewer high-fat foods, like meat, eggs and cheese.

Eat prunes and/or bran cereal.


Keep a food diary and single out foods that constipate you.

Get moving, exercise.

Check how you sit on the toilet. Raising your feet, leaning back or squatting may make having a bowel movement easier.

Add an over-the-counter supplemental fiber to your diet (like Metamucil, Citrucel, and Benefiber).


Do not read, use your phone or other devices while trying to move your bowels.




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