A bowel movement is nature’s way of clearing your body of the solid and liquid residue, including bacteria and toxins, that’s left after you’ve extracted nutrients from your food. When surveyed, more than half of 20,099 women and men from around the world reported that they’ve struggled with constipation within the last six months.
Although constipation disproportionately affects females, anyone, of any age group, race, or socioeconomic class, may deal with the strain and pain of stools that are hard, difficult to pass or infrequent.
If you’re constipated, you have difficulty passing fecal matter from your body. Instead, this waste material accumulates in your colon in hard masses. Constipation has several forms, including:
Constipation isn’t normal, and it’s nothing you should have to live with. Our colorectal experts and surgeons at Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford, in Bloomfield, South Windsor, and Plainville, Connecticut, are experts at treating constipation. We first determine the cause or causes of your trouble and then prescribe a treatment plan.
Why are you struggling to have a pain-free, easy bowel movement? Following are a few potential reasons.
Although they may not look like it, normal feces are about 75% water. The other quarter is made of solid matter approximately composed of:
In addition, stool collects cell debris from the gut’s mucus membrane lining as it passes into the rectum. Bile and dead leukocytes (i.e. white blood cells) also hitch a ride.
Without enough water, though, that solid mass of debris and dead cells can’t be easily pushed by the contractions of your gut. If your stools are hard or stuck, the first thing you should try is upping your intake of healthy fluids, such as fresh, filtered water. Start with the standard eight glasses of eight ounces (i.e. one cup) each day and modify from there.
If your diet comprises primarily fast foods or processed foods — whether you’re a carnivore, omnivore, vegetarian, or vegan — you may not have enough fiber to create bulky, easily moved stools. The best fiber comes in the form of fruits and vegetables. Many fibrous foods have the added benefit of hydrating you, too. Try:
Whole grains, nuts, and legumes can als increase your fiber intake.
If you want to go, you need to get going. Exercise improves all of your body’s systems, including your digestive system.
Cardiovascular exercise helps pump blood and oxygen throughout your body, refreshing and revitalizing your organs. Strengthening your core can also stimulate contractions in your intestines that help move stool along.
If you’ve been sedentary for a while, work with your doctor so you gradually work up to at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Or, if you’re already active, aim for 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. You can also mix moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activities.
Even if you have a healthy, fiber-rich diet that focuses on whole foods you prepare yourself, you may have a food sensitivity that triggers constipation. Common food sensitivities include:
If you think your diet may contribute to constipation, eliminate the most likely culprits and see if your symptoms improve. If they do, gradually add back in each type of food — one at a time — to determine if it’s the culprit or not.
Constipation may be a symptom of another medical condition that needs evaluation or treatment. Or, you could be in a state of stress. Even pregnancy can cause constipation. To determine why you’re constipated, we may test or evaluate you for:
Certain medications and even chronic stress may cause constipation. You may also have developed a habit of holding in your stools that may be related to anxiety or another problem.
To find out why you’re constipated and get a remedy that helps you have normal, pain-free bowel movements again, schedule an evaluation online today, or call us at the office nearest you (Bloomfield, South Windsor, or Plainville, Connecticut).
