What Causes Constipation?

Question

If bowel movement is chronically difficult, what are the clinical investigations needed to determine treatment?

Answer 1

1.)Dehydration
2.)Lack of dietary fiber
3.)Age
4.)Post-Op complications
5.)Narcotic Use

Answer 2

Theoretically, constipation can be caused by the slow passage of digesting food through any part of the intestine. A frequently over-looked cause of constipation is medications.
There are several principles in approaching the evaluation and treatment of constipation. The first principle is to differentiate between acute (recent onset) and chronic (long duration) constipation. Thus, with acute constipation or constipation that is worsening, it is necessary to assess for the cause early so as not to overlook a serious illness that should be treated urgently. The second principle is to start treatment early and use the treatments that have the least potential for harm. This will prevent constipation from worsening, and it also will prevent potential damage to the colon that can be caused by the frequent use of stimulant laxatives. The third principle is to know when it is time to evaluate the cause of chronic constipation. Evaluation for the cause of chronic constipation needs to be done if there is no response to the simple treatments.
If the main problem is straining to push the stool out, chronic constipation should probably be evaluated early. This difficulty might be due to pelvic floor dysfunction, and the treatment of choice is biofeedback training, not laxatives. If your primary doctor is not comfortable performing the evaluation or you do not have confidence in his evaluation, ask for a referral to a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists deal with constipation frequently and are very familiar with the evaluation techniques.

Answer 3

This may seem too simple but in today's lifestyle we eat packaged foods. All of the food value has literally been processed out of it before it was ever packaged... or we buy fast food... go through a drive through on our way home from work or shopping.. don't even get out of the car...how convenient. And we don't drink the water any more....all of these are most likely the culprits...no fibre...no exercise and lack of proper hydration....We hear it all the time...EAT MORE FIBER, EXERCISE MORE AND DRINK MORE WATER....helps to keep things on a more even keel....and we feel better when we do.

Answer 4

Isabgol works for all types of constipation. Your question is a tad complicated though.