Types of constipation

Constipation is a condition in which there is difficulty in emptying the bowels, usually associated with hardened feces. In most cases, this occurs because the colon has absorbed too much water from the food that is in the colon. The slow food moves through the digestive tracts, the more will colon absorbed from it. The stool is often hard and dry. When this happens, emptying the bowels can be more painful. Although it’s not serious, you’ll feel much better when your body is back on track. The normal length of time of bowel moment get varies from person to person. Some person has them three times in a day. Others have just a few times a week. If you go longer than 3 days or more without one, though it is usually too long.

Though occasional constipation is very common, some people experience chronic constipation’s that can interfere with their ability to go about their daily tasks. Chronic constipation may also cause excessive straining to have a bowel movement and other sign and symptoms.  The Treatment for chronic constipation depends in part on the underlying cause. However, in some cases, a cause is never found. you can read other different types of constipation below down.

Measures that may help to get rid of constipation  include drinking enough fluids, eating more fiber and exercise. If this is not an effective laxative of the bulk forming agents, osmotic agent, stool softener, or lubricant type may be recommended. Stimulant laxative, are generally reserved for when generally other types are not effective. Other treatment may include biofeedback, or in rare cases surgery.  In general, population rates of constipation’s are 2-30 percent. Among elderly people living in care home the rate of constipation is 50-75 percent. People spend, in the United states, more than US$250 million on medications for constipation a year.

Fast facts on constipation

Here are some key point about different types of constipation.

• When all water from food get absorbed, it usually leads to constipation.
• The Causes of constipation include physical inactivity, certain medications and aging.
• Some of constipation can be relieved by lifestyle changes.
• Laxatives should be only used as a last resort.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation includes:

• Passing fewer than three stools a week
• Having a lumpy or hard stool
• Straining to have a bowel movement
• There is feeling as though there’s a blockage in your rectum that prevents a bowel movement
• There is 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.
• Different types of constipation may be considered chronic if you’ve experienced two or more of these symptoms last for three months.

Source: Webmd

Types of constipation

1. Atonic constipation

Atonic constipation results from reduced muscle tone of the colon, abdominal wall or pelvic floor. Atonic constipation results in chronic constipation which can lead to reduced bowel activity. The causes of atonic constipation are:

• Habits like sedentary lifestyle, irregular meals, low-fiber diet, postponing bowel moment, overuse of laxatives resulting in decreased muscle tone of the colon which is always known as lazy colon that does not behave to stimuli, like eating and existence of the stool in the rectum. The people having with atonic constipation does not feel the urge to defecate even when his colon is full of stool.
• In old people, loose rectal muscle.
• weak pelvic floor muscle especially in women after giving birth
• damage of the intestinal nerves in long-term, poorly controlled diabetes patients or congenital disorder, like Hirschsprung’s disease.

Changes of lifestyle, or surgery procedure can help

2. spastic constipation

Spastic constipation results from colonic spasms, triggered by stress, certain foods or medications, and is known as constipation-dominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS_C). The symptoms include different types of constipation , abdominal cramps, bloating and occasional diarrhea. Certain neurological disorder can also cause spastic constipation.

3. obstructive constipation

It results from the obstruction of the passage of stool. the causes of obstructive constipation include cystic fibrosis (in children), tumors, adhesions- scars formed in the abdomen but outside of the intestine (mostly after abdominal surgery), or structures-can firmed within the intestine (mostly caused by inflammation, like Crohn’s disease

Why does it happen?

Some causes of constipation include:

• Changes to what you eat or your activities
• Not enough or water in your fiber diet
• Eating lots of dairy products
• Not being active
• Resisting urge to poop
• Stress
• Overuse of laxatives
• Some medications (especially strong pain drugs such as narcotics, antidepressant and iron pills)
• Antacid medicine that has calcium or aluminium
• Eating disorder
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Pregnancy
• Problems with nerves and muscles in your digestive system
• Colon cancer
• Under active thyroid (called hypothyroidism)
• It also occurs due to some neurological condition such as Parkinson’s disease, or multiple sclerosis

What should I do if I am constipated?

Take these steps

• Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day, Unless your doctor told you to limit fluid for another reason
• Try warm liquid, especially in the morning
• Add fruits and vegetable to your diets
• Eat prunes and bran cereals
• Exercise most of days of this week. When you move your body, the muscle in your intestines, are more active, too.
• Don’t ignore urge to poop
• You can take laxatives, too. There are several types of laxatives. Each of them works in different way to ease different types of constipation .  You need to ask your doctor or pharmacist which kind might work for you and how long you should take it.

Can I prevent constipation?

In many cases, you can.  These things help:

• Eat well balanced diet with plenty of fiber. Good sources are fruits, vegetables. Legumes, whole grains bread and cereals (especially brans).
• Drink 11/2  to 2 quarter of water and other fluids a day. (Unless your doctor has advised you on a fluid restricted diet). Fiber and water work together to keep you regular healthy.
• Avoid caffeine. It can be dehydrating.
• Cut back on milk. Dairy product can constipate someone.
• Exercise regularly.  Do something activities like exercise, work, household activities, for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
• Go to the bathroom when you feel urge.

Epidemiology

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal disease in the adults. Depending on the definition employed on constipation, it occurs in 2 to 20% of the population. It is more common in the women, the elderly and the children. Especially constipation with no known cause affects females more often affected the males. The reason it occurs more frequently in the elderly and children is felt due to the increasing number of health problems as human age and decreased physical activities.

• 12% of population worldwide report of constipation.
• Chronic constipation account for 3% of all visits annually to pediatric outpatients clinics.
• Constipation related any health care costs total $6.9 billion in the US annually.
• More than 4 billion Americans have frequent constipation’s, accounting for 2.5 million physical visits a year.
• Around $725 is spent on laxative products in America each year.

Treatments for differentTypes of constipation

In the majority of cases, it resolves itself without any treatment or risk to health.

The treatment of recurring same problem can include lifestyle changes such as doing more exercise, eating more fiber, and drinking more water.

Usually, laxatives will treat successfully most cases of constipation – but should be used with care and only when necessary. In more difficult cases, the person may need a prescription of medication.

It is important to understand the cause of the constipation-there could be underlying illness or condition. Some people with recurring constipation uses daily dairy where they record their bowel movements, stool characteristics, and, another fact that may help both the doctor and the patients devise the best treatment.

Some Gastrointestinalist comments that there are people who do not allocate enough time for their defecation. Set aside enough time to allow your toilet visit to be unstressed and uninterrupted, and do not ignore and urge to have a bowel movement.

OTC Laxatives

Only use this laxative as a last resort:

• Stimulants: This makes the muscle in intestines contract rhythmically. These include Correctol, Dulcolax, Senkot.
• Lubricants: These laxative help the stool to move down the colon more easily. These include Mineral oil and Fleet.
• Stool softener: Those moisten the stool. Stool softener includes Colace and Surfak.
• Fiber supplements: These are the perhaps the safest laxatives. They are also called the bulk laxatives. They include fiber, Metamucil, Konsyl, serutan, and Citrucel and should be taken with plenty of water. If you want to buy bulk laxatives, there is an excellent selection online with thousands of customer reviews.
• Osmotic: This facilitates the movement of fluids through the colon, These include the Cephulac, Sorbitol, and Miralax.
• Saline laxatives: These draw water into the colon and include milk of magnesia.
• Chloride channel activator: These require a prescription and include lubiprostone (Amitiza).
• 5-HT-4 agonist: These increase secretion of fluid in the intestine and speed up the rate at which food passes through the colon. They include Prucalopride.

If constipation do not respond to any treatment, as a last resort, surgery to remove part of the colon may be undertaken. During the procedure, the segment of the anal sphincter or rectum that causes constipation is removed.

Natural Remedies

These are few ways to ease the symptoms of the constipation without using medication.

These include

• Increasing fiber intake
• Drinking water
• Bulking agents
• Regular exercise
• Routine
• Avoiding holding stool        
• Elevate your feet
• Homeopathic remedies

Complications

Constipation in its own can be uncomfortable, but not life threatening. However,the  severe constipation can develop into more serious conditions, including:

• Rectal bleeding after continually straining to pass stools
• Anal fissures, or small tears around the anus
• Hemorrhoids, or swollen or inflamed blood vessels of veins in the rectum
• Fecal imp-actions, in which dried stools collect in the rectum and anus, leading to an obstruction in path stool would to leave the body

Summary

Constipation is defined as the infrequent passage of hard stools. the patient may complain of straining. a sensation of incomplete evacuation and either perianal or abdominal discomforts. constipation may occur in many gastrointestinal and other medical disorder.

Here the world of medical saviours explain the types of constipation, its cause, treatment and it’s prevention. In the majority of case, it resolves itself but it doesn’t get better do visit to the doctor.