What is Constipation?
Constipation happens to almost everyone at some point in their lives. It is when they are unable to have a comfortable bowel movement and empty them enough in a timely manner. Constipation can happen for many reasons such as:
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Food intolerances
- Dehydration
- Ignoring the edge to have a bowel movement
- Medication
- Laxative abuse
- Emotional stresses
At times, can be due to more systemic illnesses for example:
- IBS
- IBD
- Colonic inertia
- Hormone Imbalances
- SIBO
- Cancer
Constipation is a symptom not a cause. In order to cure chronic constipation you first must find the cause.
How Do I know I have Chronic Constipation?
For those who suffer with chronic constipation, they will encounter dry hard to pass stools on a regular basis and will need to take either laxatives or enemas to induce a bowel movement.
Your stool becomes dry and painful to pass due to sitting in the colon for long periods at time. Your Large intestines main purpose is to absorb water from the stool to be used elsewhere in the body and excrete waste that the body doesn’t need. If you are constipated for long periods of time your body will continue to steal water from the colon resulting in a dehydrated stools, which is painful to pass.
What are the symptoms of Chronic Constipation
- Painful Bowel Movements & straining
- Large dry stools or small lumpy stools
- Bloating & abdominal pain
- vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Sense of incomplete bowel movement
- In some cases depression
- Fecal Impaction (In severe cases)
What should I do if I think I have chronic constipation?
Your first step would be to go to your GI specialist. He should show concern for your quality of life and make it his mission to get to the root of the problem. Write down a list of symptoms you have and when they become worse. He may want to carry out tests to confirm any underlying problems, and this will be moving forward to getting the answers you need to better manage your symptoms and even better curing them once and for all!
Please remember I’m not a doctor of any kind and the information on this site is advisory only, you must always consult a qualified physician prior to dramatic lifestyle changes or if you have any cause for concern about your own well-being.
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