In which case can we say that a person has constipation? How to deal with such misfortune? For the most effective fight against this unpleasant phenomenon and its prevention, we propose to consider in detail the causes of constipation and the mechanism of their formation.
What is constipation?
Constipation is a violation of the functioning of the intestine, characterized by the absence of stool for more than two days (acute constipation), or by its presence no more than three times a week for a year (chronic constipation). It can be found in both adults and children, it is often observed in pregnant women.
The most common causes of constipation:
· Stresses and constant tension, which everyone periodically encounters. As a result of overloads, the nervous system is shaken, the phenomenon of autonomic dysfunction occurs (the brain cannot control internal organs properly, the intestines suffer, first of all).
Low motor activity of the intestine caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Slow bowel motility is especially common in older people.
· Improper diet, in which the first place in consumption is fatty foods, meat, rich flour products, sweets. Such food displaces natural foods rich in fiber, which ensures the active functioning of the intestine.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, such as peptic ulcer, duodenal ulcer, dysbiosis, chronic pancreatitis.
The causes of constipation can also be an obstacle to the movement of feces (swelling, narrowing, polyp, gallstone), as well as the formation of an insufficient amount of feces (which simply does not allow the intestines to be properly stimulated).
How does constipation occur?
Two prevailing mechanisms of the formation of the disease are distinguished - dyskinesia or colon dyshesia.
Colon dyskinesia is a violation of the coordination of intestinal contractions, or a decrease in the tone of the intestinal wall. The reason for this is the improper implementation of the nervous regulation of the colon, as well as the influence of hormones.
The main symptoms of dyskinesia:
Flatulence, increased gas formation.
· Abdominal pain.
Constipation
Belching, unpleasant obsessive taste in the mouth.
Cause of constipation may also be in violation of the stool transit in the large intestine. The duration of food passage through the small intestine of a healthy person is on average 4 hours 10 minutes, and with constipation this time increases to five and a half hours.
The appearance of colon dyshesia is promoted by the prolonged suppression of the natural urge to empty the intestines. As a result, the rectum is stretched under the influence of feces, and bowel movements become extremely painful.
Whatever the causes of constipation in children or in adults, it is necessary to immediately take measures to eliminate them, since the prolonged presence of feces in the body leads to the occurrence and spread of parasites throughout the intestine. As a result, the human body is intoxicated and slowly poisons itself. The statistics are disappointing - about ten percent of the inhabitants of highly developed Western countries suffer from constant constipation. Women are most susceptible to this disease; in them it occurs three times more often than in representatives of the opposite sex.
How to prevent constipation and how to deal with this ailment?
· Review your diet, include foods high in vegetable fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread), and drink at least two liters of liquid daily.
· Eat not only fully, but also regularly (five times a day).
· Consume predominantly warm food and drinks.
· To live an active lifestyle.
If the disease has overtaken you, the main thing is to correctly establish the causes of constipation, which contributes to their speedy elimination.