What Is Constipation?
When the human body is unable to pass bowels normally, it is known as constipation. Any discomfort experienced during defecation can be a sign of constipation. It usually involves strained bowel movements, hard and dry stools or pain while discharging faeces. This occurs when the stools move slowly through the colon and as a result, a lot of water is absorbed by the colon leading to hard and dry stools.
Bowel movements usually decrease with age, but that doesn’t mean that the individual will suffer from constipation. Often younger people, who eat a lot of processed food, bread and meat or do not drink enough liquids, can also feel constipated. At times pregnant women can also feel constipated due to the pressure of the heavy womb, hormonal changes or iron in prenatal vitamins that are prescribed. In other words, constipation can have multiple causes and can manifest in any age group or gender.
Constipation Symptoms and Risk Factors
Constipation takes place when there is difficulty in passing stools along with pain or discomfort. Passing very few stools can also be a sign. In medical terms, constipation happens when the human body discharges less than three stools in a week and it is very severe if the discharge is less than one stool per week. Most normal adults pass stool between 21 to 3 times in a week.
Symptoms Of Constipation Can Be
- Hard, dry or lumpy stools
- Strained bowel movements
- Feeling of a blocked rectum
- Rectal bleeding or pain
Constipation can be short-term/Acute or chronic. In case of chronic constipation, if simple measures bring relief, then there may not be much to worry. But in case of short-term discomfort that causes a lot of stress, it may be a symptom of an underlying problem requires immediate medical assessment. In such cases, it is best to consult a medical professional.