For most people constipation rarely causes complications, but people with long-term constipation can develop: haemorrhoids (piles) faecal impaction (where dry, hard stools collect in the rectum) bowel incontinence (the leakage of liquid stools)
Constipation occurs when bowel movements become less frequent and stools become difficult to pass. It happens most often due to changes in diet or routine, or due to inadequate intake of fiber. You should call your doctor if you have severe pain, blood in your stools, or constipation that lasts longer than three weeks.
Constipation should not be ignored. If it is left untreated, serious complications may arise such as hemorrhoids, anal fissure, fecal impaction and rectal prolapse as well as other related diseases that affect to general health in a long run.
Eating When you Have Constipation. Try these things to relieve your constipation: Do not skip meals. Avoid processed or fast foods, such as white breads, pastries, doughnuts, sausage, fast-food burgers, potato chips, and French fries.
“It would be an emergency if you hadn't had a bowel movement for a prolonged time, and you're also experiencing major bloating or severe abdominal pain,” notes Dr. Zutshi. Slight symptoms will not take you to the emergency room. You should go to the emergency room if your symptoms are severe.
The physician will many times insert a tube to help decompress the bowel which also provides the patient with significant relief. All in all, it is imperative to learn and understand that the stool is waste matter.
Fecal impaction often occurs in people who have had constipation for a long time and have been using laxatives. The problem is even more likely when the laxatives are suddenly stopped. The muscles of the intestines forget how to move stool or feces on their own.
Very severe constipation or constipation accompanied by certain warning signs — such as blood in the stool or severe abdominal pain — can constitute a medical emergency.
Generally speaking, you can go about five days without pooping before you run into the risk of serious health issues like fecal impaction, hemorrhoids, or a bowel perforation.
Chronic idiopathic constipation, which affects far more women than men, can be extremely debilitating. While it is normal to have a bowel movement anywhere from three times a day to three times a week, a person experiencing chronic idiopathic constipation has hard or lumpy stool that is very difficult to pass.
Booze zaps your body of fluids, which can make your stools hard -- and harder to pass. Do this: Drink plenty of water instead. Double down on dairy. Lots of milk and cheese can make your constipation worse.
Along with fiber, water helps your body pass stool. Drink an extra 2 to 4 glasses of water a day if you're constipated. There's no magic number for how much fluid you should get in an average day.
Constipated patients may feel tightness in their abdomen, or a sharp, cramping pain deep in their gut. They may also feel full all the time—as if they've just eaten a large meal—even when they haven't eaten for several hours.
The most common causes include: not eating enough fibre, which is found in fruits, vegetables and cereals. not drinking enough fluids. not moving enough and spending long periods sitting or lying down.
Constipation may cause you to push too hard during a bowel movement. The pressure from pushing may cause the rectum to come through the anus. A chronic condition can cause problems that lead to a prolapse.
A person should talk with their doctor if they go more than a week without pooping, if the constipation lasts for more than 3 consecutive months, or if it does not respond to at-home treatment. Children and pregnant women should receive medical care if they experience bowel symptoms for more than a few weeks.
When you have a fecal impaction, you'll need to have the hard mass of stool removed from your colon or rectum to get better. It won't go away on its own, and it can lead to death if it's allowed to worsen.