The condition of constipation is characterized by painful or infrequent bowel movements. Constipation is often defined as the inability to pass more than three times per week in little volumes of a firm, dry stool during bowel motions. But depending on the individual, having a bowel movement three times a day or three times a week is typical stool removal.
Babies, kids, and adults can all have constipation. According to estimates, up to 1 in 3 children and 1 in 7 people in the UK have constipation on a regular basis.
In addition to being more prevalent in older persons and during pregnancy, the illness affects twice as many women as males.
Causes of Constipation
Your colon absorbs too much water from feces, which leads to constipation, which dries up the stool and makes it hard to push out of the body. Too much water is absorbed when the feces pass through the intestines too slowly as a result of the colon's slow or sluggish muscular contractions. The most common causes of constipation include some of the following:
· Medications;
· inactivity;
· a deficiency in dietary fiber;
· and irritable bowel syndrome
· Ignoring a bowel movement when it's necessary
· Issues with gastrointestinal function
· Abuse of laxatives
· Changes in habits or lifestyle, such as those brought on by pregnancy, old age, and travel
Symptoms of Constipation
Here is a list of the constipation symptoms and indicators that are most prevalent. However, each person may have distinct symptoms. The following symptoms may appear:
· Hard and painful bowel movements
· Fewer than three bowel movements per week
· Bloating or discomfort
· Sluggishness
· Abdominal pain
· You feel as though you haven't fully evacuated your bowels after a pass.
Preventing Constipation
Constipation may commonly be treated with dietary and lifestyle changes, which also help to avoid it. Treatment options include:
1- Well-Balanced Diet with Plenty of Fiber
Water and fiber both aid in bowel movement. Eat a healthy, fiber-rich diet that is well-balanced. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole-grain bread, and cereals are all excellent sources of fiber. Constipation sufferers should consume between 18 and 30 grams of fiber daily.
2- Dietary Supplements
Use a nutritional supplement like magnesium to alleviate minor constipation. Magnesium shouldn't be taken by everyone. Before taking, see your doctor.
3- Exercise
Improved intestinal motility is only one of the numerous advantages of regular exercise. Exercise should ideally be done for 30 minutes a day. People who struggle with mobility issues need to be as active as they can be every day since even a small bit of regular exercise can assist.
4- Regulate Fluid Intake
Fluids aid in filling up feces. However, it's crucial to limit your use of diuretic beverages like alcohol, tea, and coffee. Therefore, it's crucial to consume lots of water to avoid constipation.
Complications of Constipation
Constipation can result in difficulties like haemorrhoids, which are brought on by straining to go to the bathroom, or anal fissures, which are skin rips around the anus brought on by hard stool stretching the sphincter muscle. The outcome might be rectal bleeding.
Occasionally, straining may cause a little part of the intestinal lining to prolapse from the anal orifice. Fecal impaction, which most frequently affects youngsters and elderly individuals, can also be brought on by constipation. The gut and rectum are so firmly packed with the hard feces that the colon's regular pushing motion is insufficient to release the stool.
Concluding Thoughts
Constipation is a medical ailment that, if left untreated, can lead to consequences. The only approach to manage this problem is through timely treatment and prevention.
