Signs of constipation

If solely it were socially acceptable, once somebody asks why you’re cross, to honestly answer, “I’m a bit protected.”

Constipation is a common condition, especially among women. But that doesn’t make it any easier to talk about. While it’d not be your topic of selection for ladies’ night out or the book club, there is at least one person who wants to hear all the details of your constipation symptoms: your health care professional. If you suffer from constipation symptoms, consider making an appointment to have a heart-to-heart about your bowel movements. Providing details concerning your gut habits will facilitate your health care skilled manage your symptoms and presumably rule out probably serious issues.

What reasonable details will your health care supplier want? The frequency of bowel movements is a good starting point. The typical BM schedule could vary from thrice per day to 3 times per week, depending on the person. Many people expertise occasional irregularity, but constipation is generally defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week, having difficulty while passing a bowel movement, or both.

Other signs of constipation could embody straining, hard or lumpy stools, or incomplete BMs. Some people with constipation also report feeling bloated or feeling abdominal discomfort. These are all important to mention to your health care provider. The consistency, color, and shape of BMs also tell a revealing story about what’s going on in your body, as does how long you have been having symptoms, what treatments you have got tried, whether or not or not they’d a bearing, and whether or not or not your symptoms keep returning.

These are common tips health care providers recommend to help manage constipation:

Get moving to get things moving. Increased physical activity, such as walking or yoga, can decrease stress and improve constipation symptoms. Relaxation techniques like meditation, massage, and tai chi can also be helpful. Namaste.

Keep a symptom diary. It won’t be as juicy as the one you wrote when you were 12, but a symptom diary can help you identify triggers, such as certain foods or stresses, which may worsen your constipation and abdominal pain or discomfort.

Fill up on fiber. Dietary fiber may help to bulk up the stool and pull more water into the stool, both of which help make the stool easier to pass. High-fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.

Hydrate like a boss. Drink plenty of water each day to stay hydrated and promote healthy digestion.

Discuss over-the-counter treatments with your health care provider. There are many over-the-counter (OTC) remedies for infrequent constipation, as well as laxatives and stool softeners. Always check with your health care professional before starting an OTC treatment, and keep in mind that although these products may temporarily alleviate constipation, they are not meant for long-term use.

Discuss prescription medications with your health care provider. Your health care provider may prescribe medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to relieve constipation and certain other symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) or chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), which is constipation without a known cause.

The impact of constipation isn’t restricted to the bathroom: there’s information to recommend that folks with constipation expertise activity impairment and a loss of labor productivity. In addition, one study found the annual price of treating constipation in America was more or less $235 million. So speak brazenly together with your health care skills to see a path that is right for you.

You may have tried a number of them already, therefore take care to debate that together with your health care supplier.