Causes and treatment for chronic constipation

The most common digestive complaint in the U.S. is constipation.  Not only can it make life miserable but it’s time consuming and costly. There’s no doubt most people have had a bout of constipation in their life.  Occasional, short-lived constipation is not unusual and can be blamed on a variety of things – lack of fluids, lack of exercise, lack of high-fiber foods, certain medications, and even stress.  Generally when lifestyle changes are made, the situation is corrected and things begin to run smoothly like usual.

What is chronic constipation?

But chronic constipation is a different story.  Chronic constipation is characterized by difficult, infrequent, or perceived incomplete evacuation of bowel movements.  Symptoms of constipation include having less than 3 bowel movements per week, straining, hard stools, incomplete evacuation and inability to pass stool. The prevalence of chronic constipation ranges from 2-28% of the general population. Prevalence of constipation increases with age and is more common in women than men.

Causes of chronic constipation

Like many other medical conditions, there are a variety of causes of chronic constipation. Sometimes it can be due to structural lesions of the colon, medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, Parkinson’s disease, pregnancy, or medications for conditions such as pain, hypertension, and seizures.

Treatment options for chronic constipation

Anyone who is experiencing chronic constipation can rely on several treatment options to relieve the condition.  Many of these options are also often recommended for short-lived constipation but others do rely on more invasive action such as medication use or possible even surgery in more severe cases.

Here are options to try and to discuss with your doctor to see if they are right for you:

·      Eat more fiber – Take an honest look at your diet and ask yourself if you are consuming at least 5 or more servings a day of foods high in fiber.  The goal is to aim for at least 25 grams of fiber each day for women and men should aim for at least 30 grams of fiber daily. The best sources of fiber rich foods include apples, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, mango, guava, persimmon, carrots, beets, broccoli, Swiss chard, collard greens, artichokes, all beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and popcorn.

·      Drink more water – To flush things out, your digestive system requires plenty of water. Be sure to drink at least 8 cups of water each day.

·      Increase exercise – Movement helps the muscles in your digestive system work better helping stools move through more smoothly. Try to be active most if not all days of the week

·      Make time for spending time in the bathroom – When nature calls, don’t put it off – go to the bathroom when you need to and spend time while there.  Some people put off when nature is calling or spend little time when in the bathroom.  By giving yourself time, this can help get everything out helping moving thing along.

·      Pelvic muscle training – Constipation can sometimes occur due to weak muscles needed to help you pass stools.  To exercise and train these necessary muscles, it helps to work with a physical therapist to do biofeedback. The physical therapist will insert a catheter into your rectum which will measure muscle tension.  The machine senses when you are relaxed and when you’ve tightened muscles.  The purpose of biofeedback is to learn how to relax when you need to pass a stool.

·      Medications – There are many different medication options to choose from.  By working with your doctor and depending on your particular cause of constipation, will determine which medication is right for you.  As example, if your constipation is caused by irritable bowel syndrome or chronic idiopathic constipation, your doctor may prescribe a chloride channel activator.  This works by turning on switches in your cells that tell more fluid to come into your gastrointestinal tract.  Or there are medications that can help make you more regular and can lessen the pain in your abdomen when having a bowel movement.  Other medications for constipation work by stimulating your bowels to work faster whiles others help soften stools making it less painful to go.  Fiber supplements can add bulk to your diet and stool softeners work by drawing water from your intestines into your stool preventing the stool from getting hard and dry and more difficult to pass.

·      Surgery – Surgical options are reserved for more severe cases of chronic constipation or if other methods have been tried but the constipation is not getting better or maybe even worse. Depending on what the problem causing the constipation will determine what type of surgical intervention is needed.  If there is a blockage, rectal prolapse (part of your rectum is bulging outside your body), or an anal fissure (small tears in your anus), surgery can repair these problems.  If your colon is not working like it should and this is found to be the cause of your constipation, then surgery may be necessary to relive the issue.

No matter what the situation or cause of your chronic constipation, talk to your doctor about your concerns and follow their advice on the best way to get relief.