Constipation is a condition in which the bowels are opened infrequently or
incompletely, as a result of which the motions are dry and hard. Although
one daily movement of the bowels is most common in health, the exact
frequency may vary, though less than three times a week is generally
regarded as constipation. It is a chronic condition, and must be
distinguished from acute obstruction, a much more severe condition. The
stools may vary considerably in colour, consistency, and amount, according
to the nature and quantity of food and drink taken.
Causes
The most common causes are (1) habit, (2) 'a greedy colon', which absorbs
water too quickly, (3) a spastic colon, in which the muscles remain in a
state of spasm, (4) lack of tone in the muscle, (5) a low-roughage diet.
Of these, poor habit is the most important. The condition is usually
aggravated by using aperients and purgatives. Uncommon causes, such as a
tumour, result in stricture of the bowel, leading to obstruction.
Symptoms and effects
The stools are dark, hard, and passed with difficulty, and in small
amounts. In severe, persistent cases there may be swelling of the abdomen,
from the retention of large masses of the remnants from digestion. Colic
may occur in long-standing cases. Piles, which are a cause of increasing
constipation, are often brought on by inattention to the bowels to begin
with.
Treatment
If there is no organic cause, such as tumour or other source of mechanical
obstruction, attention to daily habit is the most important matter. Daily
exercise, regular opening of the bowels at the same time each day, should
be cultivated. A high-roughage diet is important, with plenty of fruit and
vegetables. A cereal rich in bran is helpful, and wholemeal bread should
be preferred.
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