Constipation is a painful frustrating condition of bowel habit. Most of us (almost all of us) get constipation at some point in time. But some people have chronic constipation and do not seem to get relief from this chronic painful and frustrating condition.
How constipation can be defined?
Constipation is not easy to define medically. The medical definition of constipation is “less than three bowel movements in one week or seven days”. But the number of bowel habits or bowel frequency is not the only criteria for the definition of constipation. Many individuals with constipation have normal bowel movements but have difficulty in passing stool. Constipation can also be called if a person has infrequent, difficult, and incomplete defecation.
Bowel habit depends on several factors such as the amount of fiber intake, physical activity level, amount of water intake (low water intake makes stool hard and difficult to pass), personal habits, the health status of an individual, etc. (hence it can not be a sole criterion for defining constipation).
Normal bowel habit is one bowel movement per day in most developing countries (due to intake of high fiber unrefined foods), but in most developed western countries common bowel habit is once in two days due to intake of loss fibers. Due to high fiber intake, it is not uncommon in developing countries to have more than one (two or three) bowel movements a day, this may constitute diarrhea in Western countries.
Constipation could be of three types, which are as follows:
Constipation can be acute constipation, chronic constipation, and severe constipation.
1. Acute constipation is generally due to some underlying medical condition that may be severe and need immediate medical intervention.
2. Chronic constipation is the commonest form and usually begins in nature. Food habits and physical inactivity are the commonest causes of chronic constipation.
3. Constipation is considered severe if there is less than one bowel movement in a week and needs long-term management and counseling.
What are the symptoms of constipation?
Constipation symptoms may vary from one person to another depending on various factors.
Infrequent bowel movements (less than 3 bowel movements a week): If you're having a hard time moving your bowels, your diet might be the culprit. If you eat foods that are high in fat, it will make it harder for you to have a bowel movement. If you want to have more frequent bowel movements, eat plenty of fiber, drink plenty of water and add legumes and whole grains to your diet. If you're still having trouble having a bowel movement, you should see your primary care physician and he or she can order some stool samples and blood tests to see what's going on.
Hard stool consistency, makes it difficult to pass.
Sense of incomplete evacuation of bowel after defecation.
Straining at stool.
Sometimes constipation may also have other associated
symptoms such as abdominal pain and/or cramps, abdominal discomfort, bleeding (especially in acute constipation), nausea, vomiting, and sometimes even weight loss.
Conclusion:
Many of us have experienced constipation at least once in our lives and we know that it’s not fun at all. Constipation is the condition of having infrequent or difficult bowel movements and it can be painful, frustrating, and embarrassing. The good news is that it’s fairly easy to treat and prevent, but it’s important to learn what causes constipation, what are its symptoms, and how to treat it. Constipation can cause you to feel bloated, gassy, and in severe cases, you may also experience diarrhea. It’s easy to confuse constipation with diarrhea because they share some similar symptoms, including bloating and stomach pain. Good food, exercise, and drinking plenty of water can help you feel like your old self again.
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