This is an automatically translated article.
Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement less than 3 times per week, occurring due to two main groups of causes: primary and secondary constipation. In particular, decreased bowel motility is a risk factor that easily leads to constipation.
1. Constipation Overview
1.1. What is Constipation?
The Rome Criteria defines constipation when the patient has at least 2 of the following symptoms:
Number of bowel movements less than 3 times per week Each bowel movement is very difficult: Hard stools, feeling anorectal obstruction. After each bowel movement, there is still a feeling of stool in the intestines and there may be blood on the hard stools.
1.2. Causes of constipation
Causes of constipation include 2 groups, which are primary causes and secondary causes.
Primary constipation occurs due to intestinal dysfunction, including the following types:
Normal bowel movements: Although stool moves through the colon at a normal rate, the patient still find it difficult to defecate. Slow or decreased bowel movements: Decreased bowel movements slow the movement of stool through the colon. Patients with this condition do not create the proper thrust to move stool out of the rectum, the levator rectal and anal sphincter do not relax when defecating. Pelvic floor dysfunction: Patients with this condition often feel like they don't go to the toilet, take a long time to defecate, or have to use pressure on the pelvic floor to help defecate. convenient. The group of secondary constipation occurs due to the following reasons:
Improper nutrition such as not drinking enough water; the diet lacks fiber-rich foods (vegetables, fruits, cereals); drinking a lot of diuretic drinks (coffee, wine, tea..); eat a lot of food containing animal fat... Frequently fasting or ignoring the feeling of bowel movements: When the rectum is filled with feces, the feeling of defecation will be transmitted to the cerebral cortex. In this case, if you hold on and ignore the feeling of wanting to go to the toilet, the stool will not be expelled, the intestinal system will continue to absorb water from the stool, making them dry, hard and more difficult to pass out. Constipation caused by drugs: Some drugs cause constipation as a side effect when used for a long time, such as opioid pain relievers (morphine, codeine, tramadol...); drugs to treat parkinsonism (benztropin, trihexyphenidyl, orphendrin), calcium channel blockers (verapamil, diltiazem, nifedipine..); iron and iron supplements , antidepressants (imipramine, amitriptillin). Systemic symptoms such as hypercalcemia (excessive calcium supplementation increases blood calcium leading to decreased intestinal motility, stool is retained in the intestine longer and causes water in the stool to be reabsorbed much leading to a condition called fecal incontinence). constipation); pregnancy (hormonal changes during pregnancy slow down bowel movements, the mechanical pressure of the uterus on the intestine increases with the growth of the fetus, iron supplements during pregnancy, diet changes. ..); hypokalemia ; hypothyroidism ... can also cause decreased bowel movements leading to constipation. Diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Hirschsprung, head trauma, spinal cord injury, stroke increase the risk of constipation. Abuse of laxatives: Using laxatives for a long time will reduce the ability of the colon muscle system to function, making this muscle system unable to function when not taking the drug, reducing intestinal motility, making the condition worse. Constipation of the patient increased.
Giảm nhu động ruột làm cho tình trạng táo bón của người bệnh tăng lên
2. Decreased bowel movements increase the risk of constipation
Peristalsis is a wave-shaped contraction that occurs in organs in the digestive system, which has the effect of moving, digesting and absorbing nutrients from food for the body. This process begins in the esophagus when food is swallowed, then moves to the stomach, small intestine and ends at the anus. The muscular system in the vascular walls of the digestive organs from the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and anus works in harmony to help food move, digest, absorb nutrients and excrete feces from the body.In the esophagus: Peristalsis plays a role in pushing food down to the stomach. In the stomach: Peristalsis conducts contractions to help grind food into smaller sizes for easy conversion into nutrients for the body to absorb. In the small intestine: The contraction of peristalsis in the small intestine consists of two phases: kneading contractions (segmental contractions) and pushing contractions (peristaltic contractions). This is the stage where food is transformed and most nutrients are absorbed. It takes 3 to 5 hours for the new peristaltic contractions to push the chyme from the duodenum to the ileocecal valve. The waste products will be peristaltic pushed down into the large intestine. So, when the rhythmic activity of bowel movements is disrupted, it can lead to conditions such as increased bowel movements or decreased bowel movements.
Decreased intestinal motility occurs when the activity of smooth muscles is reduced, leading to the following consequences:
Food is slow to digest, undigested, bloating and indigestion. Stools and waste products do not receive enough thrust from the smooth muscles, so they become blocked in the intestines leading to constipation. Abdominal pain, bloating and abdominal distension. Decreased bowel movements are one of the common causes of constipation. Therefore, understanding the factors that reduce intestinal motility will help you take measures to build a reasonable diet, activity and exercise to protect the body against the risk of disease.
Some causes of decreased intestinal motility are as follows:
Improper diet: The diet does not add enough fiber to the body, eat a lot of foods containing animal fat. Drink less water: Drinking less water reduces intestinal motility, reduces the activity of the digestive system. Inactivity Patients with diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, parkinson...
Giảm nhu động ruột xảy ra khi sự hoạt động của các cơ trơn bị giảm đi dẫn đến đau bụng
3. Measures to help regulate bowel movements and relieve constipation
Depending on the cause of decreased bowel movements, there are different treatment measures. Some measures have the effect of regulating bowel movements and reducing constipation as follows:
Change in diet: Add foods high in fiber such as cereals, oatmeal, green vegetables, fruits. (avocado, banana, orange...), vegetables (pumpkin, papaya, broccoli...). Drink enough water every day (about 1.5 - 2 liters) and should drink a glass of warm water every morning to help regulate bowel movements of the digestive system, limiting the risk of constipation. Daily exercise: Daily exercise such as cycling, walking, swimming... will help the intestinal system work better, increase bowel movements and reduce indigestion and constipation. . Supplement with beneficial bacteria probiotics: The beneficial bacteria in the gut help the digestive system work better, regulating bowel movements. Some foods help to supplement beneficial bacteria for the body such as yogurt, pickles, kimchi... Keep the spirit happy and comfortable: Stressful conditions reduce bowel movements significantly. Therefore, always keeping the spirit relaxed and happy will help the body's digestive system work better, avoiding the decrease in bowel movements that cause constipation. If the bowel movement is not treated for a long time, it will cause discomfort and seriously affect the health of the patient. Therefore, in case of decreased bowel movements causing prolonged constipation, especially related to diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, parkinson... you should go to medical facilities for examination and treatment. most accurate diagnosis.
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