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Constipation
- Having fewer than three bowel movements a week
- Stools are dry and hard
- A bowel movement is painful and stools are difficult to pass
- A feeling that you have not fully emptied your bowels
- Older age
- Stress
- Being a woman, especially while you are pregnant and after childbirth
- Hormonal changes
- The baby inside the womb squishes the intestines, slowing down the passage of stool
- Changes in your regular routine ie: traveling
- Not eating enough foods rich in fibre
- Not drinking enough water
- Taking certain medications
- Having certain neurological and digestive disorders
- Fewer than three bowel movements/wk
- Stools are dry, hard and/or lumpy
- Stools are difficult/painful to pass
- Stomachache/cramps.
- Bloating
- Nausea
- Incomplete emptying feeling after a bowel movement
- Medical history and bowel movement history
- Physical exam, including rectal exam
- Lab tests: Blood and urine tests to check for hypothyroidism/anemia/diabetes
- Stool sample: To check for signs of infection/inflammation/cancer
- Imaging tests: Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or lower gastrointestinal tract series may be ordered to identify other problems
- Colonoscopy: An internal view of your colon with a scope – may be performed
- Colorectal transit studies: These tests involve consuming a small dose of a radioactive substance, either in pill form or in a meal, and then tracking both the amount of time and how the substance moves through your intestines
- Defecography:
- A small amount of liquid barium is released through a tube into the colon and rectum
- An x-ray video is taken that shows how the rectum is functioning
- Anal manometry:
- A short, thin tube is inserted up into the anus and rectum to measure sphincter tightness
- Studies the strength of the anal sphincter muscles
- Review your medications and supplements (if you take any) with your doctor so they can be modified if they are causing the problem
- Self-Care
- Exercise regularly
- Check how you sit on the toilet
- Raising your feet, leaning back or squatting may make having a bowel movement easier
- Do not read, use your phone or other devices while trying to move your bowels
- Dietary Changes
- Drink 2-4 extra glasses of water a day
- Avoid caffeine-containing drinks and alcohol, which can cause dehydration
- Add fruits, vegetables whole grains and other high-fibre foods to your diet ie: prunes, bran cereal
- Add an over-the-counter supplemental fibre to your diet
- Eat fewer high-fat foods, like meat, eggs and cheese
- Keep a food diary and single out foods that constipate you
- Oral Medication
- There are a few prescription drugs on the market
- A very mild over-the-counter stool softener or laxative, mineral oil enemas and stimulant laxatives are available over the counter
- Ask your pharmacist or doctor for help in making a choice
- Do not use laxatives for more than two weeks without calling your doctor
- Overuse of laxatives can worsen your symptoms
- Surgery
- If there’s a structural problem in the colon
- Examples of these problems: Intestinal obstruction/stricture, tear in the anus or rectal prolapse
