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A gastroenterologist or a specialist in digestive health can help with constipation. They are trained to diagnose and treat various causes of constipation. For effective management of constipation, it’s best to consult a constipation doctor offering expert diagnosis and treatment for both acute and chronic constipation.
What is Constipation?
Constipation is a condition in which a person has uncomfortable or infrequent bowel movements. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in the passage of small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. However, normal stool elimination may consist of having a bowel movement three times a day or three times a week; depending on the person.
How Often Should I Move My Bowels?
The standard time frame for normal bowel movement (BM) frequency ranges from as many as three bowel movements per day to as few as three bowel movements per week. This is a wide range. Our program usually gives patients suffering from constipation a rescue drug to use if no bowel movement has occurred in 3 days. The colon draws water from stool, the longer stool sits in the colon, the harder the stool becomes. What is more important is whether you are comfortable with your bowel movement frequency or whether there has been a significant change from your typical bowel movement frequency.
When Should I Take My Baby to the Doctor for Constipation?
Take your child to see a healthcare provider if you're concerned about their bowel habits or if you notice the following:
1. For infants younger than four months old: Excessive crying, fewer than three bowel movements weekly, hard stools, and vomiting
2. For older infants: A lack of desire to eat, blood in diaper, distended abdomen, vomiting, and weight loss
3. For children: A lack of desire to eat, blood in bowel movements, pain complaints during bowel movements, repeated constipation episodes, and toilet training trouble.
What is Chronic Constipation?
Chronic constipation refers to a long-term issue where individuals consistently experience difficulty passing stools or have random bowel for an extended period, typically defined as three months or longer. Constipation can be caused by a variety of factors, including dietary choices, dehydration, lack of physical activity, certain medications, and underlying medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or thyroid disorders. It can be caused by a variety of factors including a low-fiber diet, inadequate fluid intake, lack of physical activity, certain medications, or underlying medical conditions.
What Happens If You're Constipated for Too Long?
For most people constipation rarely causes complications, but people with long-term constipation can develop hemorrhoids (piles), fecal impaction (where dry, hard stools collect in the rectum), and bowel incontinence (the leakage of liquid stools).
Who Suffers Most from Constipation?
Constipation is no fun. The bloat, the discomfort, the unsatisfying trips to the bathroom. If it happens to you, you’re not alone. The National Institutes of Health reports that constipation is among the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the United States.
And it’s even more common among women. Women are two to three times more likely to suffer from constipation than men. There are plenty of theories about why women tend to be more constipated than men, but most experts believe it boils down to anatomy and physiology. Studies show women’s colons are 10 centimeters longer than men’s on average.
Shifting hormones, which are more common in women, may also play a role. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which fluctuate as part of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, can plug you up.
Add it all together and it takes food longer to travel through a woman’s GI tract. Unfortunately, that also makes women more prone than men to other tummy troubles like bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and pelvic floor issues.
What Should I Eat to Avoid Constipation?
You should gradually add fiber to your diet to avoid constipation. A slow increase of fiber in your diet helps prevent stomach discomfort. Aim to eat around 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed. In addition to consuming enough fiber, staying active and well-hydrated is also crucial to prevent constipation in the long run.
How Much Does a Constipation Doctor Cost?
Chronic constipation impacts the healthcare budget because of physician visits and procedures, medication use, and diagnostic procedures to identify underlying etiology. Currently, studies reporting the combined costs of healthcare utilization for chronic constipation have predominantly been carried out in the USA. In two previous studies, the mean annual direct medical costs for (chronic) constipation were estimated to be between $250 and $500 per patient in the USA in the period 1995–2003 9,10, whereas out-of-pocket expenses approximated $400 per patient per year.
1. Diet and Medication Controlled Constipation: The colon moves stool along within 24 -72 hours. The muscles of the pelvic floor move properly. Usually, most people respond to fiber or laxative treatment.
2. Dysynergic Constipation: The muscles of the pelvic floor do not work properly and may even perform the opposite function of what they are supposed to do. Sometimes muscles are in spasm. Patients usually complain of not being able to fully empty or having to use their fingers to pass stool. Dysynergic constipation may be coupled with an outlet obstruction. An outlet obstruction is where a structure such as a rectocele or an enterocele is in the way of stool coming out.
3. Slow Transit Constipation: The colon moves slowly, as a result, bowels move very infrequently sometimes only once every 2-3 weeks.
4. Combined dysynergic and slow transit constipation.
Symptoms of Constipation
The following are the most common symptoms of constipation. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
1. Difficult and painful bowel movements
2. Bowel movements fewer than three times a week
3. Feeling bloated or uncomfortable
4. Feeling sluggish
5. Abdominal pain
The symptoms of constipation may resemble other medical conditions or problems. Always consult your doctor for a diagnosis.
- Changes to your daily routine, such as traveling
- Not drinking enough water
- Not eating enough fiber
- Eating a lot of dairy products
- Not being active
- Ignoring the urge to poop
- Stress
- Older age
- Intestinal obstruction
- Diverticulitis
- Using a lot of laxatives
- Some medications, such as prescription pain medicines, antidepressants, antihistamines, some blood pressure medications, some anti-seizure medications, and iron pills
- Antacid medicines that have calcium or aluminum
- Eating disorders
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Problems with the nerves and muscles in your digestive system
- Colon cancer
- Neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis
- An underactive thyroid (called hypothyroidism)
- Excess calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia) because of overactive parathyroid glands, medications, cancer (lung, breast, multiple myeloma), or other causes
Benefits of Seeing a Constipation Doctor
Getting professional advice from a constipation doctor is beneficial for a lot of reasons, it assures you of an accurate diagnosis and reduces health anxiety as you don't have to struggle with the condition on your own. They can rule out possibilities of more severe conditions, or any such underlying issue can be picked up during the medical examination. Early detection increases your chances of quick recovery by a large margin.
In case of a first-time occurrence, the doctor will likely prescribe some stool softeners instead of laxatives. They will suggest some modifications in your diet: more vegetables, less baked goods, etc.
If you feel a throbbing pain in the anal region, during or after bowel movements, the doctor will conduct a physical examination to look for any lumps or abnormalities in the rectum.
When to See a Doctor for Constipation
Constipation with other symptoms may indicate there is a serious problem. If you have any of the following 8 signs, it’s essential to talk to your doctor right away.
1. Sudden onset – If you’ve always been regular and suddenly develop chronic constipation, there may be an underlying cause that needs treatment.
2. Long-lasting – Constipation is usually a temporary problem. If you can’t resolve it at home within three weeks with water, exercise, and fiber, you should see a doctor.
3. Blood in stool – With constipation, blood in the stool can indicate conditions like Crohn’s disease or colorectal cancer. Blood in the stool may appear bright red or may make the stool look black and tarry.
4. Unexplained weight loss – Constipation may make you feel like skipping meals, but a noticeable, unexplained weight loss can indicate celiac disease or cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. Severe abdominal pain – Intense abdominal pain with constipation can signify a serious problem like intestinal obstruction or diverticulitis.
6. Vomiting – Vomiting with constipation can be a sign of bowel obstruction, or being unable to pass stool due to a blockage. Causes include severe inflammation, a hernia, or a tumor.
7. Bloating – Painful bloating with constipation can be a sign of bowel obstruction, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is a condition in which the stomach does not digest and move food down the digestive tract properly.
8. Racing heart – If you experience a racing heart with constipation, you might have fecal impaction. That’s a dangerous condition where hard, dry stool gets stuck and blocks new stool from passing. It can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and even confusion. Fecal impaction can become an emergency if not addressed quickly.
1. Drink an extra two to four glasses of water a day, unless your doctor tells you to limit fluids for another reason.
2. Try warm liquids, especially in the morning.
3. Add fruits and vegetables to your diet.
4. Eat prunes and bran cereal.
5. Exercise most days of the week. When you move your body, the muscles in your intestines are more active, too.
6. Don’t ignore the urge to poop. Listen to your body when it's telling you it's time to go.
7. Eat foods with probiotics such as yogurt and kefir.
8. Skip processed meats, fried foods, and refined carbs such as white bread, pasta, and potatoes. You can eat lean meats such as poultry and low-fat dairy products.
9. Keep a food diary and make a note of any foods that constipate you.
10. Adjust how you sit on the toilet. Raising your feet, leaning back, or squatting may make it easier to poop.
11. Take an over-the-counter fiber supplement. Start with a small amount at first.
12. Avoid reading or using your phone or other devices while you're trying to move your bowels.
13. Drink less alcohol and caffeinated drinks, which can make you dehydrated.
14. Talk to your doctor about bowel training. It can help train your body to pass stool shortly after breakfast every morning.
15. Don't rush when going to the bathroom. Give yourself time to relax, which can help your digestive muscles relax.
16. Talk to your doctor about any medications that could be causing your constipation.
Top Foods That Lead to Constipation
On the other hand, eating a diet rich in processed foods can disrupt the balance in your gut microbiome. This can lead to a range of gastrointestinal issues, including infrequent bowel movements. Here are the top foods that can lead to constipation:
1. Processed and Fast Foods
Processed foods, including fried foods and fast foods such as chips, cookies, chocolate, ice creams, French fries, burgers, pizza, and hot dogs, are low in fiber high in saturated fat and can slow digestion. In addition, processed foods fill you up and prevent you from eating healthier, fiber-rich foods.
2. Refined Grains
Processed grains (white bread, white rice, white pasta) contain less fiber than whole grains. For example, 100 grams of whole wheat flour contains around 10-12 grams of fiber, while an equivalent amount of refined white flour contains only 2-3 grams of fiber. Similarly, there are 3-4 grams of fiber in 100 grams of brown rice versus only 1-2 grams of fiber in 100 grams of white rice.
3. Red Meats and High-Fat Foods
Red meat (beef, pork, lamb, venison) does not contain any fiber. Additionally, it can replace higher-fiber options in your diet.
4. Sweets and High-Sugar Foods
Snack foods that have a high sugar content can cause constipation symptoms because they are low in fiber and water content.
5. Gluten-containing Foods
Gluten-containing foods (grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and others) can cause constipation in people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
6. Dairy Products
Milk and dairy products may cause constipation, especially in children. Studies have found that removing cow’s milk protein from the diet of certain children with chronic functional constipation can lead to more regular bowel movements. More research is needed to study the effects of dairy intake on bowel regularity in adults.
7. Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause loose bowel movements. Alcohol can similarly cause diarrhea. However, these substances are dehydrating, and poor hydration is a known cause of constipation.
1. Add veggies. You don't have to count grams of fiber to get the amount you need. Instead, aim to eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day. Make sandwiches with roasted veggies, add a salad instead of fries to your meal, buy pre-cut vegetables to snack on with low-fat dip, keep the fruit bowl full for a handy and healthy snack, and add chopped, dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal.
2. Go for grains. Replace white bread, white rice, and regular pasta with whole-grain bread, whole-wheat pasta, and brown rice. Eat more whole oats, multigrain cereals, and whole wheat crackers -- but be sure to choose low-fat and low-sugar options. Snack on air-popped popcorn instead of chips. When you buy cereal, choose brands that have at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
3. Bulk up on beans. Replace meat with a bean or legume dish at least once or twice a week. Add cooked beans to salads, and try bean soups and stews as main courses.
4. Add fiber gradually. Make changes slowly over a week or so -- if you up fiber too quickly, you could end up feeling bloated and gassy. Be patient -- it may take time for your body to adjust.
5. Consider a fiber supplement. If you have trouble getting enough fiber in your diet, a supplement might help. Also called bulk-forming laxatives, they’re generally safe. Just be sure to talk with your doctor before you use them as they can make some medications not work as well.
6. Stay hydrated. If you add more fiber to your diet either with food or supplements, be sure to drink more fluids, too. Choose low or no-calorie beverages -- sugary soda and fruit drinks will add extra calories you don't need.
How to Find the Right Constipation Doctor Near Me
Whether your healthcare provider is a family doctor or a specialist (like a gastroenterologist), there are certain qualities to look for to help you get the care you need for your constipation. Here is a checklist of questions to consider:
1. Is your healthcare provider sympathetic? Does he or she listen carefully as you explain your symptoms? Does he or she understand the real impact of constipation on your life? If you feel your provider thinks your symptoms are trivial or “all in your head,” it’s time to move on.
2. Does your healthcare provider spend the time needed to explain and discuss your constipation?
3. Does your healthcare provider order many tests, but fail to explain the reason for them and the meaning of their results?
4. Does your provider regularly order medicines or diets without an explanation of their risks and benefits?
6. Is your healthcare provider usually available, or do you often see a stand-in who is unfamiliar with your case?
7. Does your healthcare provider seem knowledgeable about your illness, yet willing to seek a specialist’s advice for difficult issues?
8. Does your healthcare provider use a patient portal that allows you to communicate effectively about your care?
Perhaps most importantly, does the doctor inspire your confidence? Are you able to establish a good relationship? Constipation can be a long-term condition that will likely take twists and turns over time. You will be best served by a doctor who is your partner through this.
No healthcare provider is perfect, but the answers to the above questions should help you decide. Remember, you are not married to your doctor. It is your right to find a new one and have your complete medical record transferred. On the other hand, too many changes can work against you.
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