Constipation is an all too common condition. In fact, many of us may have suffered from it at least one time or more in our lives. But just what is constipation and what triggers it? This article is fixated on these two questions.
Question 1- What is Constipation? Constipation is a condition where one does not experience their usual bowel movement and when they do, they pass small, hard and dry stools which are oftentimes difficult and painful to pass. Constipation also affects adults, babies and children, it has no respect of age! Because we are different individuals with different body compositions, it is apparent that we all have different bowel habits and eating habits. However, there can be some form of a general rule of thumb to help you identify whether you are constipated or not. If you are an adult and you do not experience a bowel movement in at least three days then you may be classified as being constipated. If it’s a child and they do not experience a bowel movement in four days, they too can be considered to be constipated. One can suffer from chronic or acute constipation. Chronic constipation is when you have this condition constantly recurring or persisting for a long time. This means you may have a bowel movement of less than three times that can go on for several months. Acute constipation is of a shorter duration but typically severe. Question 2- What causes or triggers constipation?The causes of constipation can be understood in two ways. In most cases it is triggered because of one’s diet and lifestyle. If your diet consists more of high-fat foods, and less of the fiber rich foods and liquids, you are most likely to suffer from constipation every now and then. Also, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, you are most likely to suffer from constipation. This is mainly because your abdominal muscles and your intestinal muscles work together to cause bowel movement. Therefore, when these muscles are weak, it’ll also mean weak and slow bowel movement which will lead to constipation. The other manner in which constipation is to be understood is that it is a symptom and not a disease. A symptom of what you may wonder? It can be a symptom of depression, diabetes, low thyroid hormone levels or bowel impaction which is a serious condition where faeces are trapped in the lower part of your colon (the large intestines).
So if you had been wondering what constipation is and what causes it, here’s hoping that this has answered and helped you!