Constipation is one of the most common problems in gut health. It is presented as difficulty in passing stools, passing hard stools, excessive straining while passing stools, or incomplete bowel evacuation.
It is often a minor issue and requires only dietary and lifestyle modifications in most scenarios. Some dietary changes recommended are increasing fibre intake from fruits, vegetables, salads, and green leafy vegetables and increasing water intake (3 to 4 litres per day). Other physical activities such as walking, yoga, and meditation are also essential for overall health.
When do you need an evaluation for constipation?
Long-standing or persistent constipation issues can hurt gut health. Individuals may experience alarming symptoms like blood or mucus in stools, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, or weight loss in the elderly.
In these situations, a clinical evaluation is necessary to find out the root cause, which could sometimes be related to systemic illnesses, colonic stricture, colonic cancer, thyroid, or neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease.
Another important cause for constipation is IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Certain medications may also lead to constipation, especially in elderly patients who are on multiple medications. These patients require adjustments to medication doses or changes in medications to resolve the issue.
A complete diagnostic pathway that includes a colonoscopy, anorectal manometry, CT scan, and blood work can help to investigate these GI symptoms and offer the best course of treatment. Common treatments that are often used include biofeedback therapy and other laxatives and bulk-forming agents if it is not responding to dietary therapy and lifestyle modifications.
To sum up, constipation can be a simple problem, but if it is persistent, it could be an indicator of serious health complications in some individuals. Therefore, patients should not wait or resort to home remedies; instead, they should evaluate their symptoms with a gastroenterologist.
(The author is a medical gastroenterology consultant at Manipal Hospital, Malleshwaram)
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
