Constipation is a condition characterized by a decrease in the amount of bowel movements and affects both children and adults. If no action is taken, there are many consequences in the long run. Anal complications such as hemorrhoids or fissures and pain during bowel movements. Also, with constipation there is often a deficit of serotonin which is accompanied by fatigue, apathy, even depression.
IDENTIFYING CONSTIPATION
Occasional constipation may be considered common, but some people suffer from chronic constipation. Acute or transitory constipation is considered when it coincides with travel, changes in diet, when fiber (vegetables and fruits) is eliminated, during periods of immobility or due to the effects of certain drugs or diseases.
According to the Catalan Society of Digestology, a patient is considered to have constipation when two or more of the following symptoms are present in more than 25% of bowel movements:
- You defecate less than three times a week
- You find it difficult to defecate and you strain too much
- Your stool is dry, lumpy or hard
- You have the sensation of incomplete evacuation
- Sometimes you feel pain
- Need for assistance with bowel movements (massage, enemas, suppositories, etc.)
If these symptoms last more than three months, then chronic constipation is present.
CAUSES OF CONSTIPATION
Constipation has very different causes. It can be primary or secondary. Primary means that it is due to a disorder of bowel function and secondary means that it is caused by other diseases. Some of the main causes are:
- Lack of fiber in the diet
- Poor dietary habits, such as decreased fluid intake
- Consumption of drugs or medications that slow bowel movements
- Changes in diet due to travel
- Pregnancy
- Celiac disease
- Lack of colon mobility
- Weakening of abdominal wall pressure
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Excessive use of laxatives
- Brain or spinal cord injuries
- Conditions affecting hormones
- Conditions affecting metabolism
PREVENT CONSTIPATION
1. Physical activity
A sedentary lifestyle causes the bowel to slow down, while physical activity mobilizes it and facilitates evacuation. Train at least three times a week or walk daily for 30 minutes.
2. Eat dinner 4 hours before going to bed
To avoid constipation, it is advisable to have a light dinner about 4 hours before going to bed. The reason for this is that stomach emptying is delayed during the night, which slows intestinal transit.
3. Eat meals on the same schedule
The body has a clock. Getting the bowels used to a schedule helps prevent constipation. Eat meals at the same hours and chewing your food well will make it easier for you to have a regular bowel movement.
4. Hydrate yourself
Good intestinal transit goes hand in hand with good hydration, since the liquid lubricates the intestines, moistens the food and softens the stool. Start the day with a big glass of water!
5. Don’t hold the urge to go to the toilet
If you do not go to the bathroom when your body asks you to, you will be giving your body more time to extract the water from the stool, so it hardens and is more difficult to evacuate. If you have the urge to go to the bathroom, don’t hold back!
6. Add prebiotics and probiotics
It has been shown that there are differences in the composition of the intestinal microbiota between people who suffer from constipation and those who do not. Adding prebiotics and probiotics to the diet improves the microbiota and may reduce intestinal transit time and stool frequency and consistency.