Difficulties with bowel movements are, unfortunately, the most common problem of our time. Moreover, constipation occurs in both infants and adults. Most often, functional constipation is diagnosed, which does not develop due to pathologies and abnormalities of the intestine. What are the symptoms and causes of this disease? How is it diagnosed? How to prevent the development of constipation, how to treat it? All this and much more will be discussed in the article.
General concepts of the disease
Functional constipation is a painful bowel movement, accompanied by tension and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, a feeling of incomplete emptying. Most often, constipation occurs due to intestinal motility disorders.
According to the international classification of diseases, general intestinal disorders, which include functional constipation, according to ICD-10 have the code K59. But in this classification there are divisions. Therefore, if we talk aboutclarified diagnosis, then functional constipation according to ICD-10 goes under the code number K59.0.
Constipation is classified as functional if there is strong tension, hard feces and its low weight, as well as false urges.
Views
Functional constipation is divided into two types.
- Spastic - occurs against the backdrop of a strong psychological shock or stress. The muscles of the digestive system are intensively reduced, resulting in a violation of intestinal motility. In addition, the cause of this type of constipation may be a fissure in the anus or diseases of the endocrine system.
- Atonic constipation - occurs when the diet and the rules of proper nutrition are not followed, a sedentary lifestyle. The muscles of the intestines weaken and are unable to cope with their functional task.
Defecation rate (by age)
Defecation rates vary by age.
Children under one year old should have soft, mushy feces. If the child is breastfed, then almost before the introduction of complementary foods, bowel movements occur after each feeding.
Babies can be diagnosed with pseudo-constipation, where the lack of stools is due to the mother not having enough milk, or if the baby is spitting up a lot. At high temperatures, babies can also develop constipation, as it leads to dehydration of feces. There may be temporary problems with bowel movements due to a lack of vitamin D in the body or its excess in the diet.
If the child is on an artificial or mixed type of feeding, then the chair is observed up to 2 times a day. After the introduction of complementary foods in all children, the number of bowel movements is approximately 2 times a day.
Children under 3 should have at least 6 to 7 bowel movements per week, older children should have a bowel movement at least three times a week, and adults at least twice a week for 7 days.
Symptoms
The main sign of constipation is the absence or delay of bowel movements, but in addition, the following signs may be observed:
- With atonic constipation, there are a lot of fecal masses, they are sausage-shaped. The first part is compacted, its diameter is greater than the norm, the final part is semi-formed. Often, the hard part injures the intestinal mucosa, as a result of which blood may be present in the stool.
- When spastic constipation feces resemble sheep. Babies can have colic. After emptying, there is a feeling that the intestines are still full.
- Often with constipation, there is gas formation, abdominal pain, which increases with stress and disappears after a bowel movement.
- With prolonged absence of stools, fatigue, lethargy, irritability, pale skin, a tendency to purulent rashes, and decreased performance can be noted.
- When the reflex to emptying is lost, the following symptoms are observed: stool retention can be 5-6 days, a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, pain that disappears after emptying.
- If constipation is associated with irritable bowel syndrome, then its symptoms are: alternatinghard and liquid stools, stress increases problems with emptying, traces of blood are observed in the feces, the child is diagnosed with anemia, he is losing weight.
Chronic functional constipation can cause the following complications:
- proctosigmoiditis;
- hemorrhoids;
- secondary colitis;
- anal fissures.
Signs of disease
Main signs of functional constipation:
- no bowel movements for 3 or more days;
- discomfort and difficulty in defecation;
- recurrent abdominal pain;
- heaviness;
- white coating on the tongue;
- fatigue, lethargy;
- partial or complete lack of appetite;
- nausea;
- gas formation;
- colic;
- sheep-like feces (spastic constipation);
- traces of blood in feces.
Causes of constipation in children
Functional constipation in children can be triggered by various causes.
Causes of constipation in babies:
- impaired intestinal motility;
- prematurity, due to which there is a delay in the production of intestinal enzymes;
- fetal hypoxia;
- CNS lesion;
- rickets;
- premature introduction of complementary foods;
- malnutrition of a breastfeeding mother;
- transfer baby from breastfeeding to artificial;
- replacing one formula with another;
- iron deficiency.
Functional constipation in toddlers, primary school children and preschoolers can be caused by:
- suppression of the defecation reflex;
- neuroses associated with separation from parents;
- anal fissures and fear of pain that may be with a bowel movement.
Be aware that stool retention may be due to thyroid dysfunction.
Functional constipation in children can be caused by prolonged medication. Some of them inhibit the work of the parts of the brain that are responsible for emptying the intestines, lead to the removal of potassium from the body, which stabilizes the movement of feces through the colon.
Causes of constipation in adults
Causes of functional constipation in adults can be:
- diabetes mellitus;
- functional disorders of the thyroid gland;
- overweight;
- hypodynamia;
- ischemic colitis;
- taking certain medications;
- neurological diseases;
- stress;
- suppression of the urge to void;
- intoxication of the body with s alts of heavy metals;
- starvation diets;
- predominance of sweet and fatty foods in food;
- insufficient fluid intake;
- sedentary lifestyle;
- abuse of laxatives, resulting in "lazyintestines";
- abuse of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants.
Diagnosis of disease
If constipation occurs, then the cause of their occurrence should be established. To do this, appoint:
- intestinal x-ray, with which you can assess the anatomical condition of the intestine, exclude pathologies, neoplasms, anomalies;
- colonoscopy (examination of the inner surface of the large intestine using an endoscope);
- fecal examination;
- back seeding.
In addition, factors that can trigger the development of constipation should be excluded: dietary habits, medications, concomitant anomalies and pathologies.
In case of prolonged and frequent physiological constipation, you should contact a gastroenterologist as soon as possible. Depending on the causes and severity of the disease, the doctor selects the optimal treatment regimen.
Treatment options for adults
In the treatment of functional constipation, diet therapy is of great importance. The diet of the patient should be dominated by products that increase the volume of feces, as well as increase the rate of its evacuation. These products include:
- fruits and berries (cherries, raspberries, apples, plums, rose hips);
- bran;
- algae;
- prune;
- mushrooms;
- legumes;
- pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini, turnip, radish.
Do not eat: white bread, semolina, rice,muffins, as well as smoked, fatty, s alty dishes.
For constipation, drink at least 1.5 liters of plain water a day.
The doctor, if necessary, can select laxatives, which are divided into 4 groups, depending on the mechanism of action:
- Drugs that are not digested, they swell in the intestines and promote fecal evacuation: flax seed, psyllium-based medicines.
- Means that retain water in the intestines, as a result of which the volume of feces increases, these include Forlax, Fortrans.
- Medicines based on lactulose - "Duphalac", "Normaze". In the intestines, the drug becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms that break down lactulose, increase motility, increase the volume of feces and accelerate its excretion from the body.
- Drugs that enhance intestinal motility, they include senna ("Senadexen", "Senade", "Bisacodyl"). The effect occurs 7-8 hours after ingestion.
If constipation suffers for a long time, and laxatives do not work, this may indicate a severe pathology of the digestive tract. Self-medication in such a situation is dangerous. The course of treatment should take place in a hospital under the supervision of specialists.
Treatments for children
For the treatment of functional constipation in children, it is recommended to use the following drugs and remedies:
- Laxatives "Duphalac" and "Senade", which are given to children in much smaller doses than adults. pick upthe dosage should only be a doctor.
- Microclyster Microlax is a very convenient fast-acting laxative designed to be injected into the rectum. The drug is safe for babies and has virtually no side effects.
- Light massage of the abdomen should be performed in a circular motion in a clockwise direction.
- Proper nutrition (vegetables, fruits, soups, dairy products, semi-liquid cereals, olive oil).
Features of the treatment of infants
If a baby has constipation, you should definitely consult a pediatrician to establish the real cause of the disease.
The following clinical guidelines for functional constipation in children (infants) should be followed:
- if the baby is breastfed, the mother should follow a strict diet;
- in addition to milk, you need to give liquid to the child during the day to prevent hardening of feces;
- recommended to give mixtures that contain live bacteria and lactulose;
- after 6 months, children can be given a decoction of prunes;
- of cereals, buckwheat and oatmeal are best suited, they stimulate the stomach and intestines well;
- you can put a gas tube or a glycerin candle, the effect comes in a few minutes.
- if your tummy doesn't hurt, you can do massage and gymnastics.
Prevention
To prevent constipation, you must adhere to the following rules:
- eat moreliquid;
- do not eat unhe althy foods (fast food, chips, carbonated drinks, sweets, muffins, fatty meats, strong black tea, smoked foods, spicy foods);
- fruits, vegetables, buckwheat or oatmeal, bran bread, prunes, berries, green tea should be present in the daily diet.
- lead an active lifestyle, you can do light sports, gymnastics, hiking;
- take vitamin complexes;
- avoid stress.
Functional constipation is a serious reason to see a doctor, as delayed emptying may indicate pathologies of the internal organs (intestinal obstruction, tumors, endocrine disorders). Laxatives help, but do not eliminate the true cause. Also, don't overdo it as it will only make matters worse.
Conclusion
Constipation is not a sentence, but a temporary nuisance. To get rid of it, you need to eat right, lead a he althy and active lifestyle. Eat more foods rich in fiber, try to empty the bowels at the same time. Do not take laxatives very often, as they become addictive, causing the intestines to lose their ability to empty naturally.
