If you have identified the cause of constipation, because you can prevent it, then maybe you do not have to know the cause of constipation. Even so, this information may be able to help the people closest to you to recognize it. Every person has varies frequency of bowel movements. Some people defecate up to three times a day, others may just three times a week. It is normal, as long as you feel comfortable and not feel difficulty during defecation.
If your bowel movement less than three times a week, the stomach is bloated and difficult to remove dirt, you've experienced a condition called constipation. Frequency of bowel movements, is not necessarily a reference. You may experience constipation, although bowel movements every day, but your stools is hard and you have to take pains to remove it.
Constipation symptoms may include abdominal pain and bloating. Part of the dirt that may rip mucous membrane of the anus, especially in children, causing bleeding in the rectum. Constipation is a common complaint, an estimated 1 in 10 people often suffer from constipation. Frequency increases with age and became more common in the age group above 60 years. This is because the elderly have a reduction in the power of the intestinal muscles and tend to take drugs that have constipation side effects.
Due to hormonal factors, constipation is also more common in adult women than adult men. Constipation is a fairly common complaint among pregnant women. Constipation is rare in infants. Babies who are breast-feeding, could not defecate during 7 days without causing interference.
Causes of constipation
Constipation is not a disease, but a symptom or condition which has many causes, such as:
- Unhealthy lifestyle. The most common cause, which is usually a combination of a lack of fluid intake, lack of fiber in the diet, lack of movement that stimulates bowel movements.
- Irritable bowel syndrome. People with this syndrome experience alternating constipation and diarrhea.
- Medicines. Constipation can be a side effect of diarrhea drug. Other medicines that can cause constipation are antidepressants, anticholinergics, antacids, psychotropic drugs, codeine and high blood pressure medications.
- Imbalance of electrolytes. Potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) and excess calcium (hypercalcemia).
- Blockage by disease. diverticulitis, colon polyps, fissures and anal abscesses, hemorrhoids, Crohn's disease, colorectal cancer.
- Blockage by neurological disorders, such as diabetes, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis.
- Hormonal disorders: such as an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), pregnancy.
Constipation sign & symptoms
Symptoms and signs will be different between one to another, due to diet, hormones, lifestyle and colon shape every person is different, but usually the symptoms and signs are commonly found in most or sometimes some sufferers are as follows:
- Stomach fullness, full, and even feels stiff because of the pile of feces (iffeces was piled about 1 week or more, the patient stomach may look like a pregnant).
- Stool becomes hard, hot, darker, fewer in number than normal (less than 30 grams), and can even form a small round object when it is severe.
- When defecating, fecess difficult to remove or discarded, sometimes have to push or squeeze the stomach first in order to pull out it (even to having hemorrhoids and cold sweats).
- Anus feels full, and like something is blocked accompanied by pain from rubbing against the heat and hard stools.
- Fart frequency increases with foul smell more than usual (and sometimes the patient will have difficulty or not at all able to fart).
- Decreasing the frequency of bowel movements, and increased bowel transit time (usually 3 bowel movements a day or more).
- Sometimes experience nausea and even vomiting if it is severe.
- Back pain when the feces that accumulate quite a lot.
- Bad breath.
As for the psychological symptoms that can occur in people with constipation include:
- Less confident
- More a loner or keep away from people around.
- Still feel hungry, but when eat, will be full faster (especially when pregnant, it will feel heartburn) because the space in the stomach is reduced.
- Emotion is increasing rapidly.
- Often feels palpitations, so easily lead to emotional stress. Ultimately vulnerable headache or even fever.
- The body does not fit, uncomfortable, lethargic, tired, and felt heavy so lazy to do something, sometimes even frequent sleepiness.
- Decreasing the spirit through the activities
- Impaired daily activities, because the body feels overburdened resulting in decreased work quality and productivity.
- Can decrease appetite.