What Your Constipation is Telling You and What To Do

WHAT YOUR CONSTIPATION IS TELLING YOU AND WHAT TO DO.

Constipation means you’re experiencing difficulty passing stool or infrequent bowel movements. This difficulty may cause you to excessively strain before you can have a bowel movement.    It may even affect your ability to perform daily activities. It is considered chronic constipation if it persists for several weeks.

Chronic constipation can be so bad that it affects your daily living.

SYMPTOMS OF CONSTIPATION

When you’re constipated, you may experience one or more of the following:

• Hard or lumpy stools.
• Fewer than three stools a week.
• Feeling like you can’t totally empty your rectum.
• Feeling like you have a rectal blockage that’s preventing bowel movement.
• You have to strain to have a bowel movement.
• You need help emptying your bowel, such as pressing your abdomen or removing stool from your rectum with a finger.

Experiencing two or more of the above for at least three months means you have chronic constipation. And you should do something about it.

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF CONSTIPATION.

Constipation is a common and usually uncomfortable condition. It is also more common than you might think, as it affects almost 80 million people. Despite being a common occurrence, chronic constipation is NOT NORMAL, and it can have devastating effects.

Healthy digestion and daily waste excretion are essential for your overall health. This is because your liver eliminates waste and toxins and deposits them into your intestines. So, your digestive system needs to excrete these toxins early enough. Otherwise, the toxins are reabsorbed into your body.

Toxin reabsorption not only makes you feel miserable but can also harm your health. This can be why constipation has been linked to various health issues, like cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

WHAT YOUR GUT COULD BE TRYING TO TELL YOU.

It is often difficult to attribute regular constipation to a single thing. However, your irregular bowel movement could be an indicator of one or more underlying health issues. The following may be what your digestive system is trying to tell you and what you can do about it.

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Constipation may be an indication that you’re maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle. Poor diet and physical activity levels are the most common causes of constipation. Therefore, it’s best to rule out these two before you look into other possible causes.

Some lifestyle-related factors that can affect your bowel movement include:

• Heavy consumption of meat and dairy products.
• Diet rich in processed foods that are high in fat and sugar.
• Insufficient fiber in your meals.
• Inadequate water/fluid consumption.
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine intake.
• Lack of exercise or low physical activity level.
• Putting off using the bathroom when you get the urge.

The following lifestyle changes can help relieve your constipation:

• Increase your fiber intake by including more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables in your meal.
• Take fiber supplements daily with lots of water.
• Increase your physical activity level. This can be as simple as 30 minutes walk every day.
• Use the bathroom as soon as you have the urge.
• Reduce your alcohol and caffeine intake.

Hypothyroidism

The thyroid is a gland in front of your neck that produces the thyroid hormone. This hormone plays a vital role in your metabolism.

When your thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones (hypothyroidism), your metabolism significantly slows down. The slow metabolism consequently slows down your digestive movement, which results in constipation.

Hypothyroidism symptoms typically develop slowly over time. Besides constipation, an underactive thyroid may also cause you to experience the following symptoms:

• Increased cold sensitivity.
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• Dry skin and brittle nails.
• Thinning hair.
• Irregular menstruation, if you’re a woman.
• Weight gain and puffy face.
• Memory impairment.

You should talk to a healthcare professional if you are experiencing constipation plus any of the above symptoms. Your doctor will run a thyroid function test. If the results show that you have an underactive thyroid, your doctor will prescribe the appropriate medication to help improve your metabolism.

Diabetes

This is another hormonal issue where your body does not produce enough insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for breaking down the sugar in your bloodstream. Insufficient insulin means that your body can no longer break down the sugar in your blood, which causes your blood sugar levels to rise.

This continuous blood sugar elevation can damage your nerves, including those controlling your digestive tract. Some studies have shown that damage to your digestive tract nerves can result in constipation. Therefore, it is essential to diagnose diabetes as early as possible to prevent such nerve damage. Furthermore, diabetes symptoms and complications will worsen if left untreated.

In addition to constipation, other symptoms of diabetes include:

• Frequent urination, especially at night.
• Excessive thirst.
• Fatigue and weight loss.
• Blurred vision.

You should speak with your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms. S/he will run appropriate diagnostic tests and prescribe medications to help control your blood sugar levels. The earlier your blood sugar is controlled, the better for your long-term wellbeing.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

The exact cause of IBS is not clear. But it is thought to be a result of problems with how your brain and digestive system communicate. Your doctor can help you diagnose IBS by assessing your symptoms. Apart from constipation, IBS can cause:

• Bloating and excessive flatulence.
• Abdominal pain and cramping.
• Occasional urgent diarrhea.
• Passing mucus, alone or with feces.

Anxiety

Stress or anxiety causes your body to go into “flight or fight” mode. In this mode, your sympathetic nervous system becomes more active, and your digestion slows down significantly.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder – anxiety that doesn’t go away – can severely impair your digestive process and result in constipation. Other symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder include:

• Restlessness and excessive worrying.
• Difficulty concentrating and irritability.
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Your healthcare provider can help you manage anxiety with medications, therapy, or psychological counseling.

Depression

This can cause constipation for many reasons. Depression can make you stay in bed all day, which reduces your physical activity levels. Furthermore, depression can cause you to consume a lot of sugar-rich foods or not eat at all. These changes in diet and lifestyle can result in constipation. Other symptoms of depression include:

• Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
• Feeling of despair, hopelessness, and worthlessness.
• Fatigue and trouble concentrating
• Suicidal thoughts
• Angry outbursts
• Loss of appetite

You should speak with your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms. Fortunately, you can get over depression with the appropriate medication(s) and psychotherapy. Once your psychological symptoms have been addressed, your constipation should start to improve.

Other (More Serious) Health Issues

Sometimes, constipation may be due to more severe health issues. For instance, brain or nervous system issues can affect the nerves that stimulate the contraction of your intestinal muscles. This can result in slow stool movement, and therefore, constipation.

Bowel obstruction with something like a tumor can also result in constipation. However, constipation is usually not the only symptom in such cases. Other serious health issues that can cause constipation include:

• Multiple sclerosis,
• Parkinson’s disease, and
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Pregnancy

Constipation is a common occurrence during pregnancy, with at least 40% of pregnant women experiencing it. This happens because your body produces more progesterone which has been shown to reduce intestinal muscle contraction in some people.

You should speak to your doctor about safe ways to treat constipation if you’re pregnant.

Certain Medications

Your constipation may also be drug-induced. Some medications that are known to cause constipation include:

• Opioid analgesics, like morphine and codeine.
• Calcium channel blockers and diuretics.
• Certain antidepressants and anti-epileptics.
• Calcium and iron supplements.
• Antacids and anti-diarrhea drugs.

If your bowel movement changes after starting any of the above medications, you should speak to your doctor about it. They may adjust your medication or add one that will relieve your constipation symptoms.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Chronic constipation may indicate that you need to change your lifestyle concerning your diet and physical activity.

However, you should see your doctor if you do not see improvement after making appropriate lifestyle changes. Because constipation can be due to an underlying health issue. Especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms like hair loss, fatigue, weight changes, vision issues, or abdominal cramps.

But note that having chronic constipation does not automatically mean that you have an underlying health condition. However, it is good to have your doctor perform some tests to be sure.

If the diagnostic tests show that you have an underlying health issue, you shouldn’t worry. Instead, you should work with your doctor to get you the appropriate treatment as soon as possible.