Each of us is faced with constipation at least once in a lifetime. However, women and older people suffer from this disorder most often. The symptoms of constipation usually disappear on their own and are rarely harmful to he alth. Also, bowel dysfunction may be a sign of some other disease.
Symptoms of constipation, and in general - what is constipation?
This disorder is caused by the fact that the intestine does not push its contents well or does it intermittently. For each person, the intestines work differently: someone goes to the toilet three times a day, and someone once or twice a week. If the urge to the toilet is not observed for more than 3 days, then this is considered a very long period. After three or more days, the stool becomes very hard and difficult for the intestines to push through. We can say that you have symptoms of constipation if within 3 months more than 25% of the time:
- had difficulty with defecation;
- you had a hard chair;
- was incomplete emptying;
- defecations occurred 2-3 or less times a week.
What are the symptoms of constipation and what causes them
The most common symptoms of the disorderare:
- infrequent bowel movements and/or difficulty with bowel movements;
- heaviness in the stomach;
- pain and nausea.
Most often, constipation is caused by disruption of the intestines for a variety of reasons. These include:
- insufficient water intake;
- insufficient fiber in the diet;
- violation of eating habits;
- lack of physical activity of the body or long-term immobility;
- dairy consumption;
- constipation symptoms can even be caused by stress or depression;
- intentionally holding a chair for any reason;
- excessive use of laxatives: over time, the intestinal muscles become too weak to function;
- hypothyroidism;
- multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease;
- use of antacids with calcium, iron or aluminum, painkillers, antidepressants, drugs;
- disorders of the digestive tract;
- irritable bowel syndrome;
- pregnancy;
- colon cancer and many other causes.
How to relieve the symptoms of constipation?
To get rid of this disease on your own, experts recommend using the most common methods. If your bowels are not working well, you can try to eliminate constipation with one of the following procedures:
- drink more water;
- in the morning you can drink somethingsomething hot;
- add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, try to avoid sticky and heavy foods;
- eat prunes and bran bread;
- if necessary, you can try a mild laxative available in pharmacies. Do not use these drugs for more than 2 weeks without the advice of a doctor, as the symptoms of constipation may become more severe.
If the bowel function does not return to normal within 2-3 weeks, then you should go to the clinic. If even a laxative helped, but after constipation, the symptoms reappear after a few days, you should also consult a doctor. You may have other bowel problems that will require diagnostic tests.
