What can be considered constipation. Causes, symptoms and treatment of constipation in adults

What is constipation?

Constipation is when stool is retained for 3 days or more, or when less than 300 grams of stool is passed in 72 hours.

How often should you have a bowel movement?

The presence of daily stool is typical, but it must be borne in mind that, for example, 10% of healthy people can have stool once every 2-3 days, provided there is no discomfort in the abdomen and satisfaction with bowel movements (the act of bowel movement naturally In medicine it is designated by the word - defecation). In general, the normal frequency of stool, in the absence of any pathology in the human body, is from three times a day to three times a week.

What causes constipation?

When food, thanks to peristalsis (contractions of the intestinal muscles), passes through the digestive tract, the body takes from it nutrients and water. As a result of this process, feces are formed and the urge to stool appears.

There are thousands of reasons for not having bowel movements at the right time. Most dangerous pathology is intestinal cancer. Intestinal cancer occurs in 3-5% of people and most often over the age of 40 years. Moreover, out of the total number of all cases of intestinal cancer, up to 70% occur in the rectum, i.e. to the final segment of the colon, ending with the sphincter of the rectum (or the so-called anus). The first 7-10 cm of the rectum from the anus are accessible to conventional digital examination. There is no need to be embarrassed if the doctor offers you this examination because... What is at stake is nothing less than your life. At early detection Bowel cancer is completely curable, and this is the main thing!

Most common cause constipation is a dietary and lifestyle pattern that predisposes to constipation. When a person consumes an insufficient amount of dietary fiber, fluids, moves little, takes any medications that affect intestinal motility (by the way, uncontrolled use of laxatives leads to constipation), does not go to the toilet when he wants to, and abuses foods such as strong sweet tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, semolina and rice porridge, potatoes, blueberries, red wine, marinades, smoked meats, meat sausages, fatty meats, spicy foods, white bread, pastry products, baked goods made from premium flour - all this leads to constipation.

Of all the variety of other reasons, one cannot fail to mention diseases various organs and systems, starting directly with pathology gastrointestinal tract(peptic ulcer and duodenum, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, etc.), and ending with hereditary conditions (for example, elongated sigmoid colon, Hirschsprung's disease, etc.), nervous diseases (paraplegia, children's cerebral paralysis etc.), endocrine ( diabetes, diseases thyroid gland), genitourinary (prostatitis) systems and even mental (depression, schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa etc.) and psychological (work in different shifts, unsanitary conditions in the toilet, morning rush) problems of the individual.

How to treat constipation and what to eat?

Self-medication for constipation can only make the situation worse. See your doctor if you are experiencing constipation for the first time, if constipation has lasted three weeks or more, if you notice blood in your stool, or if you have pain in your abdomen or perineum. As opposed to self-medication, self-help is an integral part of successful therapy not only constipation, but any other disease. The main thing in self-help for constipation is changing your diet and lifestyle. You need to eat at least 4-5 times a day, in small portions. It is necessary to eat a sufficient amount of fiber-rich food and drink a sufficient amount of fluid (at least 2 liters per day, hypertensive patients and people with cardiac pathology at least 1.5 liters). This helps the passage of stool through the intestines, increasing the bulk of the stool and softening it. Of course, increasing physical activity helps normalize stool frequency.

Rich in fiber following products: legumes, for example, peas, mature beans; vegetables: carrots, beets, pumpkin, zucchini, all types of cabbage; fruits and berries: apples, bananas, dates, dried apricots (apricots, peaches), figs, raisins, plums (prunes), raspberries, strawberries. There is a lot of fiber in whole grain cereals: wheat, buckwheat, pearl barley, oatmeal. There is a lot of fiber in seaweed, as well as in sunflower halva. Currently, the lack of dietary fiber can be easily compensated for by dietary bran. Starting with 3-4 spoons added to porridge, kefir, if necessary, you can increase the amount of bran to 10-15 spoons. Vegetable oil is useful. You need boiled lean meat and fish. Fresh low-fat fermented milk products without sugar are needed: kefir, yogurt, acidophilus. Recommended mineral water: “Essentuki” No. 4, 17, “Slavyanskaya”, “Lipetskaya”, “Demidovskaya”, “Krainskaya”, “Kozelskaya”.

Do I need to take a laxative?

Any medicinal laxatives should be used only on the recommendation of the attending physician. Long-term use of these drugs leads to an increase in dose, to addiction, to a deficiency of vitamins A, D, E and K and others, to loss important microelements, dehydration, dysbacteriosis, liver and kidney damage, severe allergic reactions. It is important to periodically replace laxative drugs with one mechanism of action with drugs with a different mechanism. Typically, laxatives are taken in short courses. These medications are not intended for long-term use. The exception is the so-called mass-forming laxatives. They consist of oat bran and psyllium (brand: Metamucil), polycarbophil (brand: FiberCon) or methylcellulose (brand: Citrucel). Bulk-forming laxatives work naturally by increasing the weight of stool and the volume of water in it so it passes through the intestines more easily. Mass-forming laxatives can be taken daily and long-term.

How to take mass-forming laxative?

For a mass-forming laxative to work, it must be taken every day. Follow the directions on the package. Start with a small dosage and drink plenty of fluids. Increase the dosage every 3-5 days until the desired effect occurs. To improve the taste of the mass-forming laxative, you can take it with fruit juice.

Does mass-forming laxative have side effects?

Some gas or cramping may occur at first, especially if the starting amount of the medicine is large or if the dosage is increased too quickly. These symptoms should go away in a few weeks or less.

Can I try enemas?

Enemas are usually not necessary. Many people use enemas too often. Let better body copes in a more natural way.

What if I used enemas or laxatives for a long time?

If you for a long time If you used laxatives or enemas, you will need patience: restoring normal bowel movements may take several months. During this period, you need to eat more fibrous foods, take mass-forming laxatives, consume more water, increase physical activity and accustom yourself to bowel movements at a certain time.

Tips to Prevent Constipation

• Don't suppress the urge to go to the toilet.
• In the morning it is useful to drink a glass of cold boiled water, and then a glass of cold kefir without sugar.
• Install for yourself constant time for bowel movements. It is best to do this after breakfast or another meal.
• Eat more fiber-rich foods.
• Drink plenty of fluids - at least 8 glasses a day. This means water, juices, soup, tea and other drinks.
• Don't take laxatives too often or for too long.
• Exercise therapeutic exercises, if your health allows yoga, massage your stomach clockwise, move more.

Recipe by Professor Nadezhda Timofeevna Larchenko

This recipe combines several natural ingredients and can be used in a course lasting up to 2 months: mix 250 grams of dried apricots with the same amount of prunes, add 1 tablespoon (with top) of Alexandria leaf (senna), add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed (olive or vegetable) oils and a teaspoon of natural honey. Stir all this and store in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Select the dose individually, starting with 1 tablespoon (with top) at night, if necessary, increase to 6 or more tablespoons.

Compiled by: Zelenenko E.A., Dyachkovsky V.K., MC "AGAPE".

IN modern conditions In life, rare bowel movements have become one of the most common problems among women and men. The reasons for this are the increased incidence of diseases of the digestive system, a sedentary lifestyle, and proper nutrition. According to statistics, approximately half of adults regularly experience bowel problems.

Many people have problems with constipation; often very infrequent bowel movements become chronic. It is believed that constipation is a delay in bowel movements for several days. This condition may be accompanied by a false urge to defecate, abdominal pain, straining, soreness and fissures in the anus. With chronic constipation, hemorrhoids may develop, as well as symptoms of intoxication of the body.

Causes of rare stools

The reasons for rare bowel movements can be divided into subjective, or personal, and objective. The last of them include various diseases and pathologies of the digestive organs that cause stool retention, and the subjective ones include factors depending on lifestyle, nutrition, habits, psychological state person.

Quite often, the reasons for rare bowel movements lie in psychological factors. Thus, constipation can be caused by depression, neuroses, stress, nervous breakdowns, experiences, as well as injuries, inflammation and brain tumors. Often a rare stool occurs against the background psychological problems when a person consciously or unconsciously suppresses bowel movements for one reason or another. This group includes traveler's constipation, problems with bowel movements due to moving, long business trips, shyness and other similar reasons.

Also, the reasons for rare bowel movements include errors in diet, sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, constant stress, taking certain medications, metabolic disorders, illnesses. digestive system And so on.

With prolonged constipation, consequences and complications are possible. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor bowel movements and their regularity. To get rid of problems with bowel movements, you can use various means, the safest of which are considered to be those made from fiber. If constipation does not go away, regularly occurs again and is accompanied by other symptoms of disease, then you need to seek help from a doctor.

Very rare chair

There are many reasons for the formation of very rare stools. This condition very often occurs with various diseases of the digestive tract, disruptions in the normal functioning of the intestines and metabolic and digestive processes. In addition, constipation can be caused objective reasons: insufficient fluid intake during the day, lack of fiber and dietary fiber in food, errors in diet and diet. Also important role plays a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle, which modern world occurs quite often.

Rare stool and vomiting

Vomiting and rare bowel movements in most cases indicate some kind of pathology. Such symptoms may appear when peptic ulcer, affecting the human stomach or intestines. They manifest themselves in a similar way various tumors and neoplasms of the digestive organs. Another reason for infrequent bowel movements and vomiting may be chronic gastritis. Lack of feces long time, accompanied by vomiting masses that look and smell like feces, may be a sign of intestinal obstruction. This disease is life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

Rarely bloody stools

Rare stools quite often cause bleeding. In most cases, they are associated with damage to the anus: cracks, ulcers, formation hemorrhoids. With prolonged constipation, feces accumulate in the rectal area and gradually become too hard. During defecation, such hard feces damage the mucous membrane of the anus, and pronounced traces and sometimes drops of bright scarlet blood appear in the feces. In some cases, similar symptoms occur with rectal cancer.

In addition, blood in the stool and rare stools can appear for other pathological reasons: ulcerative colitis, dilation of the esophageal veins, cirrhosis of the liver, etc. With such diseases, blood in the stool may not be visible to the naked eye or may be visible in the form of clots, streaks and other impurities.

Rare stool during pregnancy

During pregnancy, problems with stool, incomplete emptying, delayed bowel movements are observed very often. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the growing uterus puts a certain pressure on the intestines, making it difficult to remove feces and causing stagnation of blood in the veins. Secondly, while expecting a child, a woman undergoes hormonal changes, as a result of which the processes of digestion and intestinal motility slow down. In addition, pregnancy often causes various fears, worries and other psychological experiences, which also affect the process of defecation.

Rare stool, what to do?

The main measure to combat rare bowel movements is proper nutrition. If the diet is chosen incorrectly, a person eats mainly semi-finished products, fast food, dry food and on the run, then it will not be possible to cope with constipation. When reviewing your diet, you need to include enough whole grains, fresh fruits and raw vegetables in your diet. Daily menu should contain a sufficient amount of fiber; if there is a lack of it, you can add bran to your dishes, which activates intestinal motility and facilitates bowel movements. In addition, every day an adult should drink at least one and a half to two liters of water.

Another factor worth paying attention to is physical activity. Modern man spends most of his life in a sitting position, which increases the tendency to constipation. If you have rare bowel movements, you should increase your activity and mobility: walk, swim or ride a bike every day, do exercises for the abdominal muscles, do fitness and dancing, and the like.

For long-term chronic constipation, it is important to undergo full examination, identify accompanying illnesses and begin their treatment.

Rare stool: treatment

To treat rare stools, laxatives are used. The safest of them are made from plant components. In addition, prebiotics and probiotics are often used in the treatment of constipation. They normalize microflora and intestinal function. For spastic constipation, doctors may prescribe antispasmodics.

Folk remedies such as valerian infusion, elderberry jelly, buckthorn bark decoction, hay-based remedies and others are widely used to relieve constipation. You can cope with rare bowel movements in other ways: regular abdominal massage, special gymnastics, and establishing a daily routine.

Constipation is the slowness and difficulty of defecation, in which there is a sensation. This condition can occur at any age. Most often, functional constipation is observed, which is not associated with organic intestinal pathologies. It comes in 2 types:

• atonic;
• spastic.

Functional constipation is observed in more than 90% of children suffering from stool retention

Constipation symptoms

The normal number of bowel movements varies depending on age.

In children of the first year of life, feces should be soft and mushy. If the baby is completely on breastfeeding, then before the introduction of complementary foods, stool is usually observed after each feeding. When a child is on artificial or mixed feeding from birth, most often stool is observed a maximum of 2 times a day.

With the introduction of complementary foods, the number of bowel movements is reduced to 2 times a day, even in those infants who have received only breast milk since birth.

For children under 3 years of age, the norm is to have bowel movements at least 6 times a week, for older children at least 3 times, and for adults at least 2 times every 7 days.

Important! Infants may be diagnosed with pseudoconstipation, in which rare stools are associated with the fact that the mother has a deficiency of milk, or the child sucks poorly, or constantly spits up. Also constipation in children age group can develop at high temperatures, since it causes dehydration of feces and makes their evacuation difficult. Temporary difficulties with bowel movements can be caused by a deficiency or, conversely, excess of vitamin D in the diet.

In addition to the absence of bowel movements, the following symptoms may be observed:

Causes of constipation in adults and children

Factors that provoke constipation in children

Functional constipation in children can be caused by various reasons.

Difficulties with bowel movements in infants can be caused by the following:

• the mechanisms of intestinal motility and fecal evacuation are disrupted;
• prematurity of the newborn, due to which there is a delayed production of intestinal enzymes;
• history of hypoxia, damage and dysfunction of the central nervous system;
• reduced muscle tone caused by rickets and perinatal hypoxia;
• lack of L-carnitine in the diet, as a result of which there is a decrease in sphincter tone;
• deficiency of digestive enzymes, which is observed due to the premature introduction of complementary foods;
• improper nutrition of a woman who is breastfeeding;
• transferring a child from breastfeeding to artificial feeding;
• replacing one adaptation mixture with another;
• iron deficiency in the body.

The cause of functional constipation in preschoolers and young children school age May be:

• suppression or absence of the bowel movement reflex, provoked by the child’s adaptation to kindergarten or school;
• neurosis that developed due to separation from parents;
• suppression of the urge to defecate;
• the habit of regularly emptying the intestines has not been developed;
• anal fissures and fear of pain when going to the toilet.

In addition, the reason for the lack of stool may be dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

Important! The cause of functional constipation in children can be long-term use of certain medications: muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, anticholinergics, diuretics and psychotropic drugs. They inhibit the functioning of the part of the brain that is responsible for bowel movements, block the nerve pathways that control intestinal motility, and lead to the loss of potassium, which stabilizes the movement of feces through the colon.

Reasons for lack of stool in adults

Functional constipation in adults can be caused by:

• physical inactivity;
• endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroid pathologies, excess weight);
• ischemic colitis;
• neurological diseases;
• taking certain medications, for example, abuse of antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, problems with stool can be observed after antibiotic therapy;
• stress;
• regular suppression of the natural urge to bowel movement;
• chronic intoxication with salts of heavy metals;
• the predominance of high-calorie foods in the menu, which contain a lot of animal protein, starvation diets;
• removal of the gallbladder;
• connective tissue diseases.

The cause of functional constipation may be poor nutrition, namely the predominance of fatty foods in the menu

Diagnostics

If constipation is observed, then it is necessary to identify the cause of its occurrence. For this purpose they prescribe:

• sigmoidoscopy and X-ray of the intestine (irrigoscopy), which allow you to assess the anatomical state of the intestine, exclude organic pathologies, including neoplasms, anomalies or expansion of the colon, observed with obstruction, hypogangliosis;
• colonoscopy;
• histology of biopsy samples of the intestinal mucosa;
• stool examination for occult blood;
• bac sowing

You also need to exclude factors that can provoke constipation:

• nutritional features;
• taking a number of medications;
• accompanying pathologies.

Depending on the reasons that provoked constipation, as well as on the severity accompanying symptoms the doctor selects a treatment regimen.

Methods of therapy

In the treatment of functional constipation, diet therapy plays an important role. The diet should be dominated by foods that increase the volume of feces, as well as increasing the rate of its evacuation from the intestinal lumen. These include:

• berries and fruits (raspberries, cherries, plums, apples, rose hips);
• bran;
• prunes;
• seaweed;
• legumes;
• mushrooms;
• vegetables of the Cruciferous and Pumpkin family, such as turnips, radishes, zucchini, cucumber.

The following should be excluded from the diet:

• baked goods, white bread;
• rice, semolina;
• fatty, smoked and salty dishes.

You need to drink up to 1.5 liters of plain water per day. The doctor can also select laxatives, which, depending on the mechanism of action, are of 4 types:

Infants, after consultation with a specialist, can be given an enema. If you have flatulence, you can give your child dill water. It is also useful to massage the abdomen.

If you have problems with your stool, you should not put off visiting a doctor, as constipation can be a symptom of a dangerous disease.

The absence of stool for two days is, of course, an unpleasant phenomenon, as discomfort arises, but then what can we say about constipation lasting 7 or even 14 days? This is not only unpleasant, but also truly dangerous!

What happens with prolonged constipation:

• no matter how long the stool remains in the intestines, the same amount of time our body will suck the liquid out of it, which means the consistency of the stool will become harder and harder, and the situation will worsen;
• fecal stones formed as a result of constipation put pressure on the intestinal wall and injure the mucous membrane. This can lead to the formation of ulcers, erosions, as well as disruption of the intestinal innervation, which will cause a lack of peristalsis and further complicate bowel movements;
• water that is absorbed into the bloodstream from stale feces contains a lot of toxic compounds formed as a result of putrefactive and fermentation processes. They spread through the blood throughout the body, poisoning all organs and systems. Therefore, with prolonged constipation, symptoms of intoxication in the form of weakness, headache, loss of strength and other unpleasant moments occur in 100% of cases;
• if a person, feeling the urge to defecate, tries for a long time and to no avail to defecate, this can lead to the appearance of hemorrhoids, anal fissures and even rectal prolapse;
• oppression normal microflora putrefactive bacteria multiplying in feces leads to dysbacteriosis, which causes a decrease in immunity and an even greater deterioration in intestinal function;
• for people suffering from long-term constipation, pain syndrome and a feeling of fullness in the intestines.

Long-term constipation can contribute to the development of intestinal inflammation, various diseases colon and even rectal cancer. That is why, if such an unpleasant situation recurs, the help of specialists is necessary to detect and eliminate the causes of this condition.

Causes of long-term constipation

The main causes of long-term constipation are commonplace:

• improper diet;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• insufficient water intake;
• intestinal dysbiosis:
• disruption of the functioning of other organs of the digestive system;
• endocrine diseases;
• pregnancy in women;
• diseases accompanied high temperature and increased fluid loss;
• diseases nervous system, contributing to the absence or reduction of peristalsis;
• impaired blood supply to the intestine, which leads to failure of the muscular layer of the intestine and sphincters;
• pathology anatomical structure intestines and much more.

If there are pathologies of other organs, it is necessary to first direct efforts to treat them and only then treat the constipation itself.

Tactics for dealing with long-term constipation

For constipation lasting 3-7 days or more, accompanied by severe pain, you need to visit a doctor to rule out intestinal obstruction or other serious pathologies.

If you don’t have the opportunity to go to see a doctor, and you believe that constipation is not a consequence of serious illnesses, but the result of some temporary factors, you can try to help the body yourself.

Of course, if your constipation lasts only two to three days, you can try using more soft methods struggle - eating foods that weaken, folk remedies. But if an adult has constipation for 5 days, what should you do? Definitely, take more drastic measures - laxatives. And if this problem has been haunting you for a week, then you cannot do without an enema, since waiting for other remedies to work means subjecting your body to a serious test of intoxication.

Treatment of long-term constipation

Treatment tactics directly depend on how many days there is no stool; the longer, the more decisively you need to fight this problem. If constipation has lasted for 5 or more days, then you first need to cleanse the intestines, and only then take preventive measures to prevent its occurrence in the future.

Cleansing enema

To quickly evacuate feces and stones, it is necessary to give a cleansing enema, but it is advisable to do this in the morning. You will need pure water room temperature, you can use peeled or boiled. Pour vegetable oil or glycerin into it to soften fecal stones and facilitate their movement through the intestines.

Esmarch's mug needs to be secured to the maximum high level, generously lubricate the tip with Vaseline or other lubricant and carefully push it into the rectum, then slowly open the tap and wait until all the water is inside the intestine, carefully remove the tip.

If you feel pain, stop, breathe deeply and try again. You need to try to keep the liquid inside yourself for as long as possible so that it washes out all the feces as much as possible, reaching every corner of the intestine.

It should be remembered that cleansing enemas should be treated with extreme caution, resorting to them only when necessary, since the intestines can get used to such cleansing, which will further worsen its functioning.

Microclysters

After successful cleansing of the intestines, you can undergo a course of treatment using microenemas. To carry out this procedure, you need a syringe or a Janet syringe with a catheter. The total volume of the solution ranges from 50 to 200 ml depending on the type.

The best effect for long-term constipation is provided by a course of treatment with oil enemas. Take 50-100 ml of olive, Vaseline, hemp or other vegetable oil, brought to a temperature of 37 degrees and introduced through the anus into the intestines. It is advisable to carry out this procedure at night, in this case the effect will be maximum.

Microenemas based on cow's milk with the addition of butter are also popular. Usually they take 100 ml of milk, heat it to a temperature of 37 degrees, add 1 tablespoon of melted butter and introduce it into the intestinal lumen, holding it for at least 20-30 minutes.

Sometimes herbal decoctions are also used. A course of treatment with microenemas usually includes 7-10 procedures. After it, intestinal function should immediately improve.

Laxatives

If there is no stool for 3-5 days, you can try to get by with laxative suppositories, tablets, drops or other medications. It is advisable that the selection medicines conducted by the doctor. Elderly people and pregnant women should be especially careful when choosing.

The choice of laxatives is now very large. It is advisable to start taking it with the most harmless of them, which act locally - as a rule, this rectal suppositories. These include Bisacodyl, glycerin suppositories, "Dulcolax". All these drugs have an irritating effect on the nerve endings of the rectum and cause the urge to defecate, helping to facilitate the passage of feces due to the fats in their composition.

The most commonly used tablets are synthetic (Bisad, Perilax, Laxacodil) and herbal (Regulax, Tisasen, Senade). They drink 1 tablet at night, and if bowel movements do not occur in the morning, then the next evening they drink 2 tablets, if there is no dosage regimen in the instructions.

Salt solutions are also used as a laxative. Magnesium sulfate, Carlsbad or Glauber's salts are suitable. The contents of the single-use package must be dissolved in a glass of water if it is a packaged drug. If not, then 1 tablespoon or according to instructions.

Laxative herbs

Herbs can also help relieve constipation. The well-known hay has the greatest effect. To prepare it, pour boiling water over 1 tablespoon of leaves, leave for half an hour and drink the same amount before meals.

In the case of buckthorn herb, you need to pour boiling water over 1 tablespoon of leaves and bark, leave for an hour and take 2 times a day 60 minutes before meals.

Pharmacies also sell ready-made laxative herbal teas in the form of teas. It’s enough just to brew a bag, and the laxative effect will not take long to arrive. Typically, they are taken before bed so that they can take effect in the morning.

Traditional medicine

The effectiveness of traditional medicine is high, but not as lightning fast as that of medicines. The choice in favor of this group of laxatives should be made for constipation lasting 3-4 days.

Most often ethnoscience for a laxative effect, he recommends drinking 1 liter of kefir during the day, while avoiding flour products. Prune compote or the fruits themselves in their original form are also widely used. In addition, plum juice, fresh beet juice or sunflower oil have an excellent effect.

When the problem of dealing with long-term constipation has been solved, it is necessary to take preventive measures so as not to encounter it again.

Preventive measures against long-term constipation

If the cause of constipation is not due to some serious illness, this means that you urgently need to adjust your lifestyle in order to prevent chronic constipation.

First of all, you need to pay attention to your diet. Include in it as much fiber-rich food as possible: cabbage, all vegetables and fruits that have peel, legumes, grains. Give preference to steamed, boiled or stewed dishes, add spices to them that help improve digestion: hot pepper, rosemary, ginger, etc.

Try to consume less wheat flour products, eat small portions as often as possible. It is advisable not to drink after eating, while a glass of water half an hour before meals, on the contrary, will be very useful.

Pay attention fermented milk products, as they help improve the composition of the intestinal microflora. Avoid saturated broths, fatty meats and smoked foods.

In addition, try to drink at least 2 liters of water per day, and during active physical work or in the heat and all 3-4 liters.

Love sports. Physical activity very good for normalizing intestinal motility and strengthening muscles abdominal wall and pelvic floor, which promotes easier and more regular bowel movements.

In principle, any sport has a beneficial effect, but walking, swimming, breathing exercises, exercises on a fitball and with a hula hoop. Find a sport that will not only benefit you, but also give you pleasure, since stress also contributes to poor digestion.

Sign up for a massage course or learn self-massage. This pleasant activity will help improve blood circulation, ensuring blood flow to the intestines, and increase the tone of not only the muscles of the abdominal wall, but also the entire body. Also massage is an excellent remedy combating stress, which also helps normalize stool.

Try to always remain calm, take care of your nerves, because, as you know, all problems are caused by them, and constipation is no exception. Keep track of your daily routine, try to go to the toilet at the same time every day, without being distracted by books, phones and other gadgets.

Don’t overwork yourself, always stay in a good mood, and then you will forget about long-term constipation once and for all. Be healthy!

Stool disorders in most cases are caused pathological process in the small or large intestine. Sometimes diarrhea or constipation signal a disease of the stomach or duodenum.

Retention of stool and gas in combination with other local and general symptoms is a formidable sign deep violations intestinal motor function and is observed in organic and functional obstruction.

This symptom acquires clinical significance when there are accompanying peristalsis disorders. If, in the absence of stool and gas, a violent, visible to the eye peristalsis, intestinal obstruction should be suspected.

Abnormal stool

Constipation (constipation) can occur in cases where, due to various circumstances (decreased or complete absence appetite) the amount of food consumed decreases. As a result, the volume of feces is insufficient to provide the force of irritation of the colon necessary for the act of defecation.

Constipation is often observed with gastroptosis. In this case, prolapse and hypotension of the stomach and duodenum lead to a sharpening of the splenic angle of the transverse colon and contribute to the retention of intestinal contents in it.

Most often, constipation still occurs in patients with peptic ulcers and gastroduodenitis with increased acid-forming function of the stomach. One of the reasons for their occurrence in these cases is strict dietary rations, rich primarily in easily digestible food with a low content of plant fiber. Such constipation is usually called nutritional. Low motor activity of the colon is further aggravated by the long stay of patients with exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease on bed rest.

In addition, constipation during peptic ulcer disease can be caused by reflex effects on the large intestine (like viscero-visceral reflexes) from the stomach and duodenum, as well as increased tone vagus nerve(neurogenic constipation).

The development and aggravation of constipation can be caused by constitutional weakness of the muscles of the anterior abdominal wall, taking certain antiulcer drugs (calcium carbonate, almagel). During exacerbation of peptic ulcers, constipation can sometimes be tolerated by patients worse than painful sensations, and come to the fore in clinical picture diseases.

Diarrhea in diseases of the stomach and duodenum they are not so rare and are sometimes the leading symptoms of the disease (gastrogenic diarrhea). So, acute gastritis(especially if it is caused by bacterial flora) may be accompanied by diarrhea. Diarrhea serves characteristic feature gastric achylia and are often observed in patients with chronic anacid gastritis and stomach cancer.

Causes of bowel dysfunction

The absence of hydrochloric acid leads in such cases to the rapid entry of undigested food debris into the intestines, the development of fermentative and putrefactive dyspepsia, and secondary disorders of the exocrine function of the pancreas, which is accompanied by the appearance of persistent diarrhea. Diarrhea (sometimes profuse) occurs with post-gastroresection disorders (dumping syndrome, post-gastroresection dystrophy), as well as after vagotomy operations.

A combination of diarrhea with sharply increased production of hydrochloric acid and ulcers (often multiple) of the stomach and duodenum (sometimes jejunum) may indicate the presence of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Diarrhea in such patients is explained by inflammation of the small intestine (due to a significant decrease in pH in the lumen of the jejunum), impaired absorption of water and electrolytes in small intestine as a result of hyperproduction of gastrin, inactivation of pancreatic enzymes. In some patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, diarrhea is the only symptom of the disease.

In patients with diseases of the stomach and duodenum, diarrhea of ​​drug origin may occur, associated, for example, with taking magnesium oxide. If your stool is abnormal, you should seek help from a gastroenterologist.

If a person wants to be in good mood, to be productive and happy - he needs to fix short-term bowel disorders. This is necessary so that these short-term disorders do not turn into long-term ones. The process of bowel movements plays a very important role in the health of the entire body. This, according to Academician Pavlov, is a very important act of reflection, which depends on many factors in a person’s life.

Disturbances in the act of defecation occur even in those people who eat normally and drink enough water. The cause of these disturbances is a sudden change in the kitchen or climate, or physical activity, or emotional stress. Those people who often travel on business trips are well aware of these circumstances.

When a person often travels on business and his diet changes, instead of the usual menu he receives fast food or cold snacks, and this can radically affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Cold food cannot provide sufficient stretching of the colon and rectum, and cannot cause the usual fullness of the stomach. Therefore, a person experiences a very weak urge to defecate and delays it - infrequent or chronic - under the condition of frequent business trips.

Prevention and treatment

If such problems arise, there is no need to get upset ahead of time. You just need to wait. If previously your stool was regular, now it may simply be delayed. That is, the act of defecation can take place not once a day, as before, but once every two days - this is quite permissible norm For healthy person. Most often, the intestines empty themselves of feces over time.

Any person can experience stool retention, there is nothing to worry about. But if you find that such delays are happening more and more often and the intestines can no longer be emptied without the help of enemas or this process is too strained, then you need to consult a doctor to correct the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Diet

At first, with short-term delays in bowel movements, you can and should improve and change your diet. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach is not advisable - it harms digestion. If you don’t have the opportunity to eat homemade soups and borscht while on a business trip, stock up on dairy products.

Sour cream, yogurt, fermented baked milk, kefir contribute to the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and its normal emptying. Dairy products with normal bifid flora are good for the rectum and counteract constipation.

Instead of buns, bran bread and fresh fruit (separately) are also good. In order for the intestines to function stably, it is very important to drink enough liquid - this will help digest food. Flax seeds and bran help digest food. They have a good effect on the stomach and intestines, stimulating their work.