Constipation means different things to different people. For some, it means infrequent bowel movements. For others, it means hard stool or separate lump-like pellets that are difficult to pass. Most people with constipation feel that they haven’t completely emptied their bowels after a movement. Once you have fewer than one bowel movement a week it is considered severe constipation.
Signs and symptoms of severe constipation include:
- Passing fewer than one stool a week,
- Having lumpy or hard stools,
- Straining to have bowel movements,
- Feeling a blockage in your colon that prevents bowel movements,
- Not feeling empty after a bowel movement,
- Lower abdominal discomfort, bloating or distension,
- Anal bleeding or fissures caused by hard stools,
- Occasional diarrhea due to obstruction of the colon by hard stool, and
- Psychological distress over having bowel movements.
There are many possible causes for severe constipation: low fibre diets, laxative abuse, a sedentary lifestyle or hormonal disorders. Medications are frequently overlooked causes of constipation too. The most common are codeine, oxycodone, antidepressants and imipramine.
Severe constipation is a serious problem for the human body. Straining to have a bowel movement can cause swelling in the veins around the anus, which can lead to hemorrhoids. Hard, dry stool can cause tiny tears in the anus known as anal fissures that cause pain and anal bleeding. Over time, hardened stool becomes impacted along the colon wall causing auto-intoxication and weakens the colon’s ability to properly eliminate future waste.
A common misconception about constipation is that taking laxatives will solve the problem. Not only are laxatives harmful to your body they do nothing to remove the underlying causes of severe constipation.
Treatment for severe constipation begins with diet and lifestyle changes. The best changes to make if you are suffering from constipation or severe constipation are to:
- Increase your fibre intake by eating more vegetables and fruits. Surprisingly, the human gastrointestinal tract does not digest fibre. Fibre is beneficial because it binds to water in the intestines, which stops the water from leaving through the colon walls. The presence of fibre means more water is present which softens the stool so it passes more easily.
- Exercise most days of the week. Sedentary lifestyles are common among sufferers of constipation. Exercise increases muscle activity in the whole body, including the intestines! At a minimum you should be walking 30 minutes a day.
- Remove impacted fecal matter with colon hydrotherapy. The colon reabsorbs water from waste before it is expelled. When there is impacted matter, the water must go directly through this before it re-enters your bloodstream. By using hydrotherapy, you give your colon a safe and pain-free way to move that old waste out of your body.
Health is achieved by the actions you take every day. If you have severe constipation take the steps today to give your body its best chance. Eat right, get moving and release the old matter clogging up your colon so we can start seeing the best you! Call me at (780) 906-2316 if you have any questions or to book your next appointment.