Constipation: symptoms, home remedies and medication

Constipation, medically called constipation, can occur for a short time, for example, with an unhealthy diet or as a reaction to stress. However, it can also persist for extended periods, leading to great suffering for those affected. What are the symptoms of constipation, what can you do about constipation, and when should you seek medical advice?

 

Definition: When do you speak of constipation?

The frequency of bowel movements varies from person to person and depends on many factors, including age and diet. Having a bowel movement three times a day is just as normal as once every three days. In babies, the frequency varies from several times a day for fully breastfed infants to once a week. In older children, it is done several times a day, up to three times a week (as in adults).

One speaks of constipation (obstipation) only when there are fewer than three bowel movements per week, i.e. when there is too little emptying of the bowel, or it is incomplete. If the stool is not emptied too often, the food becomes thicker and thicker due to dehydration, and the stool becomes hard and dry.

 

Symptoms of constipation

In addition to the lack of stool (over a long period) and hardened faeces, other symptoms can accompany constipation.

The following symptoms are possible:

• Feeling that the bowels are not completely emptied during a bowel movement
• muscular straining is required for defecation
• emptying the intestines is experienced as tedious and sometimes painful
• the intestine appears as “blocked.”
• Accompanying symptoms such as abdominal pain, flatulence, and a feeling of fullness can occur

Causes of Constipation

Various causes can promote the development of constipation. This includes:

• an unbalanced diet that contains too little fibre
• insufficient fluid intake
• Movement poverty
• Hectic, stress or mental strain
• Change in diet, for example, during or after a trip
• laxative abuse
• Drugs, such as iron supplements, tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, and diuretics
• pregnancy
• certain diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, but also scleroderma or multiple sclerosis
• Transport disorders in the large or small intestine
• Defecation disorders of the rectum

In addition, injuries in the anal area, such as fissures, can trigger constipation. The cause is the conscious retention of the stool to avoid pain during defecation. This can eventually become clogged. Conversely, prolonged constipation can also lead to anal fissures or enlarged haemorrhoids.

 

What helps against constipation? A diet rich in fibre is essential.

If the intestines become sluggish, a high-fibre diet and drinking enough water often help. Fiber increases intestinal movement and binds water. As a result, the stool contains more liquid and becomes softer.

Gradually change your diet to high-fibre with at least 30 grams of fibre daily.

The change should be made slowly over several days or weeks so your intestines can get used to the new situation. At first, he may react with flatulence and discomfort. However, these side effects usually disappear after an adjustment period of around one to two weeks.

Here’s how you can increase the amount of fibre in your diet:

• Increase your consumption of whole wheat bread. Consuming around 200 grams per day is advisable, preferably from finely ground wholemeal flour.
• When baking, gradually replace white flour with whole wheat flour.
• Increase your consumption of other whole grains (raw rice, whole grain pasta).
• Eat unsweetened muesli based on whole grain cereal flakes (50 grams/day) for breakfast or between meals.
• Eat fruits and vegetables more often. Try to follow the recommendations of the German Society for Nutrition of two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day.
• Eat dishes with legumes more often.
• Pure fibre supplements, such as wheat or oat bran and ground flaxseed, can also be helpful.

Remember to drink enough, at least 1.5 litres per day. Dietary fibre can only perform its function if there is sufficient liquid to bind it.

What else should you eat when you are constipated?

In addition to foods that are exceptionally high in fibre, other foods can also help digestion go again in the event of constipation. These include, for example, sour milk products such as yoghurt, quark and sour milk. Foods such as quark also contain probiotic bacteria that are good for the intestinal flora. Sauerkraut also has a stimulating effect on the intestines and can score with beneficial lactic acid bacteria.

Dried fruit is recommended as a snack between meals, which you can also puree if necessary. Due to their relatively high sugar content, however, they should only be enjoyed in moderation.

A glass of water every day mixed with some antibacterial apple vinegar and honey is good for digestion and should counteract constipation. Many also swear that a daily tablespoon of olive oil helps clear constipation.

Home remedies and tips to get rid of constipation

A few more home remedies and tips can help to clear constipation and prevent it from happening again:

1. Limit the consumption of low-fiber foods such as flour, baked goods, pasta, sugar, or chocolate.
2. Use the natural stimulus to empty yourself, which can be triggered in the morning by a sufficient breakfast or a glass of cold fruit juice. Coffee and green or black tea can also stimulate intestinal activity. Be aware, however, that excess caffeinated beverages can make constipation worse.
3. It is generally advisable to go to the toilet after meals (because the intestines are particularly active during this time) and thus get the intestines used to regular emptying. Under no circumstances should the bowel movement be suppressed. Instead, take your time and don’t put yourself under pressure.
4. Get regular exercise – cycling or walking will do just fine. While lack of exercise promotes sluggish bowel movements, physical activity stimulates the passage of food through the intestines and, thus, bowel movements.
5. Reduce mental stress. Relaxation techniques such as yoga or autogenic training are helpful because the psyche can influence intestinal health.

 

Medications: Laxatives for constipation

If there is chronic constipation and other diseases and medications can be ruled out as the cause, laxatives can help to get the symptoms under control.

When taking it, you should (unless otherwise prescribed by a doctor) carefully follow the package instructions to avoid side effects. Then, most of the funds are well tolerated, even for long-term use. Diarrhoea can occur, especially if taken in excess, which can cause or increase dehydration and, thus, in turn, lead to constipation. This can also lead to sodium and potassium deficiencies.

The following laxatives can be used as therapy for constipation to provide relief:

• Bulking agents and fillers such as psyllium, wheat bran or linseed are officially laxatives. They contain indigestible fibre that absorbs water. Like a squeezed sponge, these substances swell up with water and increase their volume in the intestine. This stimulates intestinal activity. It is essential to drink enough fluids (drink a lot!) so the preparations can swell well. Bloating (meteorism) and abdominal pain can occur as side effects.
• Isoosmotic laxatives with the active ingredient macrogol are another alternative. This also binds water strongly and makes the stool softer. Overall, funds with macrogol are well tolerated.
• Synthetic laxatives,  such as bisacodyl sodium picosulfate, and herbal laxatives, such as senna leaves, rhubarb root or buckthorn bark, prevent the stool from thickening in the large intestine to varying degrees and promote the proper movements of the intestine. These preparations are only suitable for short-term use. Abdominal cramps can occur as a side effect.
• Sugar alcohols and sugars increase the mobility of the intestines, soften the stool and increase its volume. The preparations are based on lactulose, the sugar alcohol mannitol or milk sugar (lactose). Bloating can occur as a side effect.

Enema is another treatment option.

Another option for treating constipation is an enema. With the help of a so-called enema, i.e. a tube or a balloon with a long tube for insertion, water or a solution with sugar or table salt is injected through the anus into the intestine. This stimulates the bowel to empty.

You can find more information about enemas here.

constipation in pregnancy

Constipation is prevalent during pregnancy. Almost half of all pregnant women suffer from the symptoms during pregnancy. The reason for this is hormonal changes, which, on the one hand, result in increased water absorption in the lymph and blood and, on the other hand, cause the muscles in the intestine to relax more, contributing to reduced intestinal activity.

Bulking agents such as psyllium husks, linseed, and wheat bran are suitable remedies for pregnant women. If these show no effect, drugs with lactulose or macrogol can be used. In general, however, a doctor should be consulted when taking medication during pregnancy.

 

Constipation in babies and young children

Babies and small children can also become constipated. Babies often become constipated after a change in diet, such as bottle or pap feeding. In addition, irritated skin on the buttocks or, depending on their age, the cleaning process can cause constipation, even in (more minor) children. A low-fiber diet in children can also cause the symptoms.

A change in diet can also be helpful here. Depending on the child’s age, porridge diluted with plenty of liquid or a higher proportion of whole grain products or fruit and vegetables can be helpful. Attention should be paid to whether the skin on the buttocks is sore. Then, it would help if you treated the sore spots.

In the case of persistent constipation, however, a doctor must always clarify whether there is an organic cause. For example, some metabolic diseases can become noticeable through constipation. If the constipation persists, medication suitable for children, such as glycerin suppositories, can also be used after consulting a doctor.

The paediatrician can also determine whether the intestine may have widened due to long-lasting constipation. As a result, the affected children lose the perception of their urge to defecate so that small amounts of faeces can be passed unnoticed (so-called “stool smearing”). Then, medical support can help eliminate the symptoms.

An essential measure for somewhat older children with constipation is stool training in the form of regular visits to the toilet. Again, medical advice can be helpful.

Constipation – when to see a doctor?

In many cases, constipation can be resolved relatively quickly with a change in diet, adequate fluid intake and more exercise. If you are still constipated despite these measures, you should seek medical advice. This also applies if other symptoms (such as inexplicable weight loss, night sweats, fever or enlarged lymph nodes) occur, as well as severe pain or blood in the stool.

A doctor should also be consulted in the event of chronic constipation. One speaks of chronic constipation when the symptoms have existed for at least three months. Because even if constipation is not dangerous for health in most cases, the symptoms can severely impair the quality of life.

diagnosis in constipation

The doctor will first ask about the existing complaints in a conversation. Known previous illnesses, the intake of medication, possible psychological complaints and eating habits are also clarified.

A physical examination can then be carried out. The lower abdomen is palpated for hardening caused by hard stool. If injuries or haemorrhoids in the anal area are suspected, this can also be examined. If the doctor-patient conversation and the physical examination cannot clarify the trigger, an ultrasound examination (sonography) of the intestine can provide further clues.