Worried about not having to go to the toilet for the most part? This is a fairly common pathological condition. The normal frequency of bowel movements is considered to be from 1 to 3 times a day. Deviations from the norm are detected in the form of constipation and diarrhea. Certain types of constipation are accompanied by a lack of urge to defecate. The symptom is characteristic of atonic types of constipation. Sometimes, to eliminate constipation, it is enough to introduce fresh vegetables and fruits, dried fruits, as well as various cereals (except rice) and sour-milk products into the diet.
If there is no urge to go to the toilet for the most part, it is important to find out the reasons and start timely treatment. After all, a delay in fecal masses can cause intoxication of the body and problems with the digestive tract.
Why is there no urge to defecate in children?
The cause in babies is an imperfectly formed digestive tract. Constipation in young children can be the result of an improperly organized diet, non-compliance with the basic principles of feeding, or an incorrect diet of the mother.
If the child getsartificial nutrition, it is necessary to dilute the mixture according to the ratio indicated by the manufacturer so that an insufficient amount of water does not cause problems with defecation in the baby.
When the urge to go to the toilet is mostly gone in children, it can be caused by:
- taking certain medications (antibiotics, iron supplements);
- teething period.
Pathological condition in children is manifested by bloating, pain and discomfort in the peritoneal area, lack of appetite. The temperature remains mostly normal.
Reasons for the lack of urge to defecate in adults
Why there is no urge to go to the toilet for the most part is a very serious question. As with children, constipation in adults is often caused by dietary habits. If the menu does not include a sufficient amount of foods rich in vegetable fiber, and the body does not receive the required volume of water per day (daily intake up to 2.5 liters), constipation may develop. The condition often appears in people who consume bread and pastries, polished rice, sausage, cheese, s alt products, coffee and cocoa in large portions.
In many patients, the reason for the lack of urge to defecate is hypodynamia. A person leads a sedentary lifestyle, which leads to a decrease in the tone of the intestinal muscles, which are involved in the process of moving the food bolus, and then the feces, in the direction from the duodenum to the rectum. Fecal masses, lingering in the intestines, cause the development of intoxication, since absorption continues, and together withharmful chemical compounds also enter the bloodstream (lazy intestines). When the patient leads an active lifestyle, contractions of the striated muscles of the limbs and trunk activate the activity of the smooth muscles of the intestine, ensuring the normal act of defecation.
The urge to empty the bowels may also be absent when:
- Ignoring the urge to defecate. If the phenomenon is periodic, then after a while the urge may disappear.
- Regular use of specific groups of medicines, especially laxatives. The constant use of these drugs leads to the fact that the patient cannot do without medication.
- The presence of concomitant diseases. The absence of urges is often recorded with problems with the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, hormonal imbalance, thyroid disease). Constipation accompanies diseases of the digestive tract (diverticulosis, adhesions after surgical interventions or inflammatory processes). The urge to go to the toilet may not appear after severe stress and depression, when the nervous system is affected.
- The presence of mechanical obstructions in the intestines. They can be neoplasms, adhesions, scars, hemorrhoids, tumors, polyps. Such changes lead to stretching of the intestinal walls, they lose elasticity - and feces accumulate inside.
- Pregnancy, when the uterus is enlarged and the hormonal balance is disturbed. Under the influence of progesterone, smooth muscles relax, causing lazy bowel syndrome.
- Postpartum period, when intestinal motility is reduced. This is due to the weakening of the muscles after pregnancy and childbirth.
The condition in adults is manifested by constipation, bloating and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, bad breath and decreased appetite, and a feeling of dry mouth. Late signs of pathology can also be dry skin, hair, brittle nails.
What to do if there is no urge to defecate?
So how to cause the urge to go to the toilet for the most part, because their absence for a long time can cause the patient to feel worse? The patient may complain of flatulence, pain of varying intensity, weakness. The skin becomes pale, possibly an increase in body temperature, the appearance of headaches. Fermentation and putrefaction of food residues is fixed in the intestinal lumen.
A condition is considered dangerous when the absence of urge to empty is accompanied by symptoms of intoxication. In such cases, urgent medical attention should be sought. Patients in stationary conditions as a first aid do gastric lavage using Esmarch's mug. At home, you can make an enema with a large volume of water, adding a small amount of campfire oil to the liquid, which has a laxative effect.
Lack of treatment can cause intestinal obstruction. The problem is solved by urgent hospitalization and surgery, since there is a risk of death.
If constipation occurs intermittently, apreventive measures, dietary adjustments, and in some cases, the use of drug therapy.
Complications due to intestinal atony
Delayed stool and defective act of defecation for a long period lead to serious dysfunctions of organs and systems. Often this condition causes the development of recurrent colitis or damage to the end zone of the gastrointestinal tract.
Lack of defecation also leads to indigestion, the occurrence of enteritis as a result of throwing solid intestinal mass into the cavity of the caecum. The clinical picture can be complicated by hepatitis, problems with the biliary tract and rectum, the appearance of neoplasms in the digestive tract.
Treatment
If you do not feel the urge to go to the toilet for the most part, it is not recommended to self-medicate. With a delay in bowel movements for 3 days, and even more so for a week, you should consult a doctor and, after a thorough examination, identify the cause of the condition. Treatment tactics are selected depending on the cause of constipation.
Used for treatment:
- local funds;
- oral drugs;
- enemas.
Therapeutic exercise and isometric (breathing) exercises are effective.
Topical preparations
Rectal suppositories, due to their composition, irritate the mucous membrane and smooth muscles of the intestine. They cause contraction of the organ, and after a certain time, emptying occurs. Suppositories must not be usedconstantly or for a long time to avoid getting used to them.
In most cases, glycerin suppositories are used ("Bisacodyl", "Microlax").
Oral medications
Medicines are used in the form of powders, tablets and syrups. Lactulose-based products are considered safe, which can also be used during pregnancy. They soften the feces, facilitate their passage through the intestinal lumen. The impact of such drugs is mild, the effect appears 12 hours after ingestion.
They prescribe the drug "Bisacodyl" in tablets, however, this remedy has a number of contraindications, it is not allowed to be used by children and pregnant women.
Doctors also prescribe choleretic drugs, the action of which is aimed at normalizing the digestive process and the act of emptying. Effective drugs include Allohol, Hofitol, herbal preparations.
To normalize digestion, it is recommended to take the preparations "Bioflor", "Bifidumbacterin" and its analogues. These funds provide the body with bacteria that activate the digestive process. They are used to treat patients after strict diets or in the postpartum period.
Enema
Perform a cleansing enema at home or in a medical facility using Esmarch's mug. After the procedure, the patient should lie on his side until the urge to defecate appears (3-5 minutes).
Special Diet
If noturge to go to the toilet for the most part, everyone should know what to do. Dieting and dietary adjustments are essential to restore normal bowel movements, especially for chronic constipation.
The daily menu should include foods rich in fiber (vegetables, fruits), as well as foods that have a laxative effect (bread with bran, dried fruits, nuts). The use of products containing organic acids (citrus fruits, sauerkraut, sour-milk products) is advised. Fish oil is also helpful. You need to drink about 2.5 liters of fluid per day.
Heavy and hard-to-digest foods, low-fiber foods (flour foods, rice, potatoes) should be excluded from the diet, foods that cause flatulence (legumes, sorrel, white cabbage) should not be eaten.
When there is no urge to go to the toilet for the most part, this may be a signal of the presence of a serious illness. Ignoring pathology or self-medication can lead to aggravation of the patient's condition. In some cases, there is a risk of serious complications.
