Chronic constipation is infrequent bowel movements or difficult passage of stools that persists for several weeks or longer.
Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week.
Though occasional constipation is very common, some people experience chronic constipation that can interfere with their ability to go about their daily tasks. Chronic constipation may also cause people to strain excessively in order to have a bowel movement.
Treatment for chronic constipation depends in part on the underlying cause. However, in some cases, a cause is never found.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation include:
•Passing fewer than three stools a week
•Having lumpy or hard stools
•Straining to have bowel movements
•Feeling as though there’s a blockage in your rectum that prevents bowel movements
•Feeling as though you can’t completely empty the stool from your rectum
•Needing help to empty your rectum, such as using your hands to press on your abdomen and using a finger to remove stool from your rectum
Constipation may be considered chronic if you’ve experienced two or more of these symptoms for the last three months.
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience unexplained and persistent changes in your bowel habits.
Causes
Constipation most commonly occurs when waste or stool moves too slowly through the digestive tract or cannot be eliminated effectively from the rectum, which may cause the stool to become hard and dry. Chronic constipation has many possible causes.
Blockages in the colon or rectum
Blockages in the colon or rectum may slow or stop stool movement. Causes include:
•Tiny tears in the skin around the anus (anal fissure)
•A blockage in the intestines (bowel obstruction)
•Colon cancer
•Narrowing of the colon (bowel stricture)
•Other abdominal cancer that presses on the colon
•Rectal cancer
•Rectum bulge through the back wall of the vagina (rectocele)
Problems with the nerves around the colon and rectum
“Though occasional constipation is very common, some people experience chronic constipation that can interfere with their ability to go about their daily tasks. Chronic constipation may also cause people to strain excessively in order to have a bowel movement
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Neurological problems can affect the nerves that cause muscles in the colon and rectum to contract and move stool through the intestines. Causes include:
•Damage to the nerves that control bodily functions (autonomic neuropathy)
•Multiple sclerosis
•Parkinson’s disease
•Spinal cord injury
•Stroke
Difficulty with the muscles involved in elimination
Problems with the pelvic muscles involved in having a bowel movement may cause chronic constipation. These problems may include:
•The inability to relax the pelvic muscles to allow for a bowel movement (anismus)
•Pelvic muscles that don’t coordinate relaxation and contraction correctly (dyssynergia)
•Weakened pelvic muscles
Conditions that affect hormones in the body
Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Diseases and conditions that upset the balance of hormones may lead to constipation, including:
*Diabetes
*Overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism)
*Pregnancy
*Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Risk factors
Factors that may increase your risk of chronic constipation include:
*Being an older adult
•Being a woman
•Being dehydrated
•Eating a diet that’s low in fiber
•Getting little or no physical activity
•Taking certain medications, including sedatives, opioid pain medications, some antidepressants or medications to lower blood pressure
•Having a mental health condition such as depression or an eating disorder
Complications
Complications of chronic constipation include:
*Swollen veins in your anus (hemorrhoids). Straining to have a bowel movement may cause swelling in the veins in and around your anus.
*Torn skin in your anus (anal fissure). A large or hard stool can cause tiny tears in the anus.
*Stool that can’t be expelled (fecal impaction). Chronic constipation may cause an accumulation of hardened stool that gets stuck in your intestines.
*Intestine that protrudes from the anus (rectal prolapse). Straining to have a bowel movement can cause a small amount of the rectum to stretch and protrude from the anus.
Prevention
The following can help you avoid developing chronic constipation.
*Include plenty of high-fiber foods in your diet, including beans, vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals and bran.
*Eat fewer foods with low amounts of fiber such as processed foods, and dairy and meat products.
*Drink plenty of fluids.
*Stay as active as possible and try to get regular exercise.
*Try to manage stress.
*Don’t ignore the urge to pass stool.
*Try to create a regular schedule for bowel movements, especially after a meal.
*Make sure children who begin to eat solid foods get plenty of fiber in their diets.
6 best fruits to manage constipation
A number of reasons can trigger the condition, but if experts are to be believed, our lifestyle and diet could be major culprits.
Here are six of some of the best fruits that can help to manage constipation.
1. Apples
According to the book, ‘Healing Foods’ by DK Publishing House, apples are loaded with pectin fibre, “pectin has an amphoteric action. Paradoxically, it can provide relief from both constipation and diarrhoea, depending on the body’s need.”
2. Oranges
Oranges are packed with vitamin C and fibres, which help increase the bulk in your stool. They are also a good source of naringenin, a flavonoid that (according to some studies) can work like a laxative. Pack them for snacks or throw them into salads. Juicing oranges may cost you a good dose of fibre. Therefore, it is best to have them whole and raw.
3. Bananas
The high-fibre content in bananas may work wonders to soothe effects of constipation. They can help you push out the waste better by making stools easier to pass.
4. Berries
Raspberries provide 8 grams of fibre in one cup, as per the USDA. According to the book, ‘Healing Foods’, eating mulberries can strengthen the digestive tract and ease bloating and constipation. Berries are both delightful and nutritious if you can tuck into them raw, or use them as a topping for your cereals.
5. Figs
Figs are not available all year round, which is why when it is in season you must make most of it. Figs are a fantastic source of fibre, which are vital for maintaining a healthy digestive system.
6. Bael fruit
Pulp of bael (wood apple) fruit is an excellent Ayurvedic remedy for constipation. Eating a half cup of bael fruit pulp and a teaspoon of jaggery every day in the evening before dinner may also help relieve constipation. You can also have bael sherbet along with tamarind water and jaggery added in it.
source@mayoclinic.org & @Food.ndtv.com
