Open: Disease Dictionary | Online: Health Checkups & Health Solutions
Chronic constipation is infrequent bowel movements or difficult passage of stools that persists for several weeks or longer.
Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week.
Though occasional constipation is very common, some people experience chronic constipation that can interfere with their ability to go about their daily tasks. Chronic constipation may also cause excessive straining to have a bowel movement and other signs and symptoms.
Treatment for chronic constipation depends on the underlying cause. Though, in some cases, a cause for chronic constipation is never found.
Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation include:
Constipation may be considered chronic if you've experienced two or more of these symptoms for the last three months.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience unexplained and persistent changes in your bowel habits.
Constipation most commonly occurs when waste or stool moves too slowly through the digestive tract, causing it to become hard and dry. Chronic constipation has many causes:
Blockages in the colon or rectum may slow or stop stool movement. Causes include:
Neurological problems can affect the nerves that cause muscles in the colon and rectum to contract and move stool through the intestines. Causes include:
Problems with the pelvic muscles involved in having a bowel movement may cause chronic constipation. These problems may include:
Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Diseases and conditions that upset the balance of hormones may lead to constipation, including:
Factors that may increase your risk of chronic constipation include:
Including sedatives, narcotics or certain medications to lower blood pressure
Complications of chronic constipation include:
Straining to have a bowel movement may cause swelling in the veins in and around your anus.
A large or hard stool can cause tiny tears in the anus.
Chronic constipation may cause an accumulation of hardened stool that gets stuck in your intestines.
Straining to have a bowel movement can cause a small amount of the rectum to stretch and protrude from the anus.
You'll likely first seek medical care for constipation from your family doctor or general practitioner. You may be referred to a specialist in digestive disorders (gastroenterologist) if your doctor suspects a more advanced case of constipation.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of information to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared.
Tests and procedures used to diagnose chronic constipation include:
In this procedure, your doctor inserts a lighted, flexible tube into your anus to examine your rectum and the lower portion of your colon.
This diagnostic procedure allows your doctor to examine the entire colon with a flexible, camera-equipped tube.
In this procedure, your doctor inserts a narrow, flexible tube into your anus and rectum and then inflates a small balloon at the tip of the tube. The device is then pulled back through the sphincter muscle. This procedure allows your doctor to measure the coordination of the muscles you use to move your bowels.
In this procedure, you'll swallow a capsule containing markers that show up on X-rays taken over several days. Your doctor will look for signs of intestinal muscle dysfunction and how well food moves through your colon.
During this procedure, your doctor inserts a soft paste made of barium into your rectum. You then pass the barium paste as you would stool. The barium shows up on X-rays and may reveal a prolapse or problems with muscle function and muscle coordination.
Treatment for chronic constipation usually begins with diet and lifestyle changes meant to increase the speed at which stool moves through your intestines. If those changes don't help, your doctor may recommend medications or surgery.
Your doctor may recommend the following changes to relieve your constipation:
Adding fiber to your diet increases the weight of your stool and speeds its passage through your intestines. Slowly begin to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables each day. Choose whole-grain breads and cereals.
Your doctor may recommend a specific number of grams of fiber to consume each day. In general, aim for 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories in your daily diet.
A sudden increase in the amount of fiber you eat can cause bloating and gas, so start slowly and work your way up to your goal over a few weeks.
Physical activity increases muscle activity in your intestines. Try to fit in exercise most days of the week.
Take your time in the bathroom, allowing yourself enough time to have a bowel movement without distractions and without feeling rushed.
Several types of laxatives exist. Each works somewhat differently to make it easier to have a bowel movement.
Examples of laxatives include:
Fiber supplements add bulk to your stool.
Osmotic laxatives help fluids move through the colon. Examples include milk of magnesia, magnesium citrate, lactulose, polyethylene glycol (MiraLax) and sodium phosphate enema (Fleet Enema).
Lubricants enable stool to move through your colon more easily.
Stool softeners moisten the stool by drawing water from the intestines.
Prescription medications used to treat chronic constipation include:
Several new medications for treating chronic constipation are being studied in clinical trials. Talk with your doctor about whether any of these medicines may benefit you.
Biofeedback training involves working with a therapist who uses devices to help you learn to relax and tighten the muscles in your pelvis. Relaxing your pelvic floor muscles at the right time during defecation can help you pass stool more easily.
During a biofeedback session, a special tube (catheter) to measure muscle tension is inserted into your rectum. The therapist guides you through exercises to alternately relax and tighten your pelvic muscles. A machine will gauge your muscle tension and use sounds or lights to help you understand when you've relaxed your muscles.
Surgery may be an option if you have tried other treatment and your chronic constipation is caused by rectocele, anal fissure or stricture.
For people who have tried other treatments without success and who have abnormally slow movement of stool through the colon, surgical removal of part of the colon may be an option. Surgery to remove the colon is rarely necessary.
HERBAL MEDICINES BY DR MTONGA N. ISAAC THE HERBALIST
Buy 1 bottle of God's Vine Herbal Powder and 1 bottle of Real B. Cleanser Powder.
Open this link below and read descriptions: MIP Health Products Pricelist and descriptionsMI-Pharmacy | Zambia
Location:
Lusaka, Zambia
Connect with Dr. Mtonga N. Isaac for personalized herbal treatment plans