Constipation Awareness Month: Everything you need to know about the condition

Every year December is marked as ‘Constipation Awareness Month’ to raise awareness of constipation and how to tackle the condition. Constipation is when a person has three or fewer bowel movements weekly. It happens when bowel movements become less frequent and stools become difficult to pass. 

Key features that define constipation 

• Stools are dry/ hard, and stools are difficult to pass

• Pain during bowel movement 

• Feeling that one has not fully emptied the bowels

It is important to note that constipation is one of the most prevalent issues in society today. Some of the most crucial causes of constipation are:

• Not eating enough fibre (eg: fruit, vegetables and cereals)

• Change in routine or lifestyle

• Limited privacy while using the toilet

• Ignoring the urge to pass stools

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Chronic constipation 
Constipation can affect persons of all ages on occasion. Certain persons and settings are prone to constipation regularly. The term “chronic constipation” is referred to in such cases. Older adults are less active, have slower metabolisms, and lower muscle contractions along their digestive tracts than younger people. On the other hand, women especially during pregnancy and after childbirth, are at risk of developing constipation. The changes in a woman’s hormones make them more prone to constipation and the baby inside the uterus squishes the intestines, slowing down the passage of stool. The complications associated with constipation include Hemorrhoids or piles, Fissures, Diverticulitis, Colon and Rectal Cancer. One should immediately notify their doctor if they see blood or mucus in stools, weight loss, and constipation. 

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 Recommendations to help relieve constipation

• Drink two to four additional glasses of water per day
• Caffeine-containing drinks and alcohol can cause dehydration. It is ideal to avoid consumption. 
• Add fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and other high-fibre foods to your diet
• Limit high-fat foods, like meat, eggs and cheese
• Eat prunes and bran cereal
• Maintain a food diary and make a note of foods that constipate you
• Get moving, and exercise
• Check how you sit on the toilet. Raising your feet, leaning back or squatting may make bowel movement easier
• Take a very mild over-the-counter stool softener or laxative (If needed). Please note that overuse of laxatives can worsen your symptoms
• Do not read or use your phone or other devices while trying to move your bowels

Surgery
Surgery is rarely required in cases of constipation. It is required if the patient develops piles, fissures, rectal prolapse or intestinal obstruction. Surgery will also be required if the patient develops Cancer of Colon and Rectum. 

The surgeries for prolapse and cancer of colon and rectum can now be performed by Minimal access or a Laparoscopic approach. With the advent of lasers, piles and fissures can be treated with laser. These approaches have less stay in the hospital, less bleeding, less infection and early return to routine activities.

• Constipation Awareness Month