Constipation: Gastrointestinal Tract Problems In The United States

Constipation
Spencer Johnson 4/29/14
Med. Professions 5th period

Constipation occurs when a person has small, dry and hard stools that are painful and difficult to Defecate. The length of time which a person can be constipated varies from a short amount of time to possibly even a chronic or long amount of time. Most of the time constipation is not long lasting or dangerous. Constipation is one of the most common types of gastrointestinal tract problems in the United States. People of any age, race,
or gender can be affected at any point by constipation. The most common case of constipation is during pregnancy and after child birth.
Most cases of constipation occurred in women aged 65 and older. This disease is caused after the stool has spent too much time in the colon. The colon absorbs most of the water from the stool which makes the stool become hard and try making the process of defecating painful and difficult. Some factors that lead to constipation include diets low in fiber, lack of physical activity, gastrointestinal tract problems, medications, and changes in a person daily routine. When a person’s diet is low in fiber constipation occurs because the fiber helps keep the stool soft and easier for the colon to pass through. Some problems of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to the colon becoming compressed, making the feces harder to pass. The overuse of over the counter laxatives can also cause constipation. Constipation can be treated in many ways depending on how sever it is diagnosed to be. Some treatments include, changes in diet and nutrition, medications and surgery. When changing your diet to treat constipation you want to eat more foods that contain fiber.
By eating foods that contain fiber it softens the stool and allows it to pass.
Some medications used include, stool softeners and lubricants. Stool softeners do basically what they are called and soften the stool for it to be able to pass. Lubricants are considered inexpensive laxatives that help clear out the colon. In some cases surgery may be needed to fix anorectal blockage. Also the removal of the colon may be an option for people whose colon muscles do not work properly. It is said that if you eat or drink too many dairy products it can be a cause of constipation. Since dehydration can cause constipation, drinking a lot of water helps prevent it and relieve it. Another type of constipation is chronic constipation. Chronic constipation is when someone has a very difficult time defecating feces. This means no matter how bad you feel you have to use the bathroom, and no matter how long you sit, the feces just doesn’t pass. This is due to the feces being too hard and dry making it very difficult to defecate. Some people think that it is abnormal to have less than one bowel movement per day. This
statement is false, less than 50% of people have less than one bowel movement per day. Also some think that bowel movements increase as you age. Again this is false, as you grow older bowel movements decrease. Constipation is one of the most frequent digestive system disorder that anyone ever brings to a doctors attention.

GLOSSARY-
Anorectal- pertaining to the anal and rectal portions of the large intestine.
Gastrointestinal Tract- The stomach, small intestine, and large intestine; often used as a synonym of digestive tract.
Bowel movement-The discharge of waste matter from the large intestine; defecation.
Defecate- To pass feces (stool) out of the rectum through the anus.

Sites used- http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation/index.aspx http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/gastrointestinal+(GI)+tract
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/chronic-constipation-facts-vs-myths