Treatment for Chronic Constipation

Chronic constipation can stem from a variety of causes, including:

• Slowed transit of stool through the colon
• Challenges in maintaining a balanced diet, particularly a deficiency in fibre-rich fruits and vegetables
• Insufficient fluid intake, leading to dehydration
• A sedentary lifestyle, which can slow digestion
• Conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome
• Adverse reactions to medications
• Mental health issues, such as anxiety, stress, eating disorders, and depression.
• Certain medical conditions like diabetes that affect metabolism
• Hormonal imbalances like hypothyroidism
• Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.

Constipation can affect individuals at any age. But women, especially during pregnancy or postpartum, and older adults are more likely to experience this condition.

Frequently straining during bowel movements or passing hard stools can lead to several complications, including:

• Anal fissures: These are small tears inside the anus that result from hard stool stretching the sphincter muscle, potentially causing rectal bleeding.
• Hemorrhoids: These swollen veins in the anus develop from straining during bowel movements.
• Faecal impaction: This condition involves an accumulation of hardened stool in the rectum and intestine, where the normal pushing action of the colon is insufficient to expel the stool.
• Rectal prolapse: In this condition, a segment of the rectum stretches and protrudes from the anus, with a small part of the intestinal lining pushing out through the anal opening.