Constipation is a very common problem and information about it is very important to many people. And this is the main aim to write this article.
An
excretory system is a group of organs whose principal duty is to cleanse the
body of all its waste.
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These wastes
may comprise solid, liquid, or gaseous wastes that when stored inside the body
for too long may be lethal.
Liquid
wastes or urine are released from the body via the kidney, the bladder, and the
tubes connecting to these 2 organs. The process of removing liquid waste is
termed urination.
Gaseous
wastes are allowed out of the body through means of the mouth, nose, and rectum.
The
procedure is dubbed burping when excess gas is released from the mouth;
exhaling when you let out carbon dioxide which is a waste product of
respiration, and farting for discharge of hazardous gases by way of the rectum.
Solid and possibly
semi-solid wastes are expelled from the body through the anus in a process
termed feces. Food passes through the digestive tract where nutrients and other
sustenance are absorbed and digested.
Wastes are then retained in the rectum till the time of expulsion. Food is moved
along the large intestine towards the rectum by waves of muscular contraction
called peristalsis.
Fecal matter
should be eliminated from the body at least daily to guarantee that
no waste items are maintained inside the body.
However, there are conditions where the body encounters trouble eliminating solid wastes.
Causes of constipation and how to fix them
It is a
digestive system condition when a victim excretes hard stools. When constipation
occurred, the large intestine that transfers the food to the rectum may be
moving slowly or immobile.
People with
constipation may find it exceedingly unpleasant and/or difficult to defecate
which may lead to fecal impaction in the rectum. The stool of a constipated
individual may be firm and dry.
Constipation
is one of the most prevalent digestive ailments. It is more frequent in
children and older persons and affects more women than males.
Causes of constipation
Hardening of
the feces may be induced by:
·
Improper chewing or mastication of meals. Chewing is
the first step in digestion and at this stage; food is broken down into tiny
parts to make food simpler to process in the stomach, and important nutrients are absorbed by the body.
Bigger bits
of food are consequently more difficult to digest and excrete.
·
Insufficient fiber in the diet. Dietary fibers are
the indigestible portion of plant meals that absorb water while traveling
through the colon, making feces simpler.
If there is an insufficient amount of fiber in your diet, the colon may absorb all the water
in the digested meal as it travels through the large intestines.
·
Dehydration or insufficient liquid consumption. When
water is in insufficient supply in the body, the colon will try to restrict
needless water loss through the feces.
·
Medications. Diuretics that make the body remove water
quicker than normal lead to the loss of water in the feces, making it hard and
difficult to expel.
·
Paralysis of the colon or delayed peristaltic movement
can be caused by: Medical disorders. Certain medical problems such as
hypothyroidism and hypokalemia may induce sluggish motility of the colon.
·
Injured anal sphincter. It is scientifically termed a
patulous anus. When the anal sphincter is damaged, it is either caused by
injury to the sphincter muscle itself or the nerve supply of the anal
sphincter.
This
produces an abnormal reduction of tone in the muscles around the anus and all
contracting activities
·
Medications. Medications such as loperamide, pain
medications, and some anti-depressants may produce paralysis or sluggish
peristaltic movement as well.
Complications of constipation
Complications
may emerge if you continue to ignore constipation. Many complications can occur
including:
·
Hemorrhoids. These are produced by too much tension on
the anal sphincter when trying to push bowel movement.
·
Anal fissures. These are rips in the skin around the
anus brought about by over-stretching when trying to pass firm stool. This can
also induce rectal bleeding.
·
Rectal prolapse. This occurs when a tiny portion of the intestinal lining is pushed out of the anal hole when straining for bowel
movement.
·
Fecal impaction. This arises when hard stools are
compressed firmly in the gut and rectum and regular peristaltic action of the
large intestine is insufficient to have it released.
·
Bowel perforation. This occurs when the hardened
fecal matter punctures through the intestinal wall and pours into the
abdominal region.
This causes
serious infection as waste products of the body enter into direct touch with
other organs housed by the abdominal cavity.
The severe illness
induced by this overflow of fecal matter may possibly become lethal when not
treated quickly and adequately.
How is constipation treated?
Constipation
is a problem that can be prevented. Simple interventions that would include a
little adjustment of lifestyle can be done to assist treat constipation and
prevent it from re-occurring.
Maintaining
a well-balanced, high-fiber diet, consuming enough water, frequent exercise,
and maintaining a regular bowel routine will assist.
Don't ever
ignore the desire to defecate when your body tells you you need to, it is never
healthy.
In case the natural method doesn't assist with your constipation problem, enemas and
colonic irrigation help activate peristaltic movement in the intestine.
If these
still don't work, laxatives are prescribed to encourage bowel movement.
If laxatives
and other methods fail, manual dysimpaction is done on the afflicted. This
requires physically removing affected feces from the rectum.
This may be
done with or without sedatives or anesthetics. In situations when constipation approaches intestinal perforation, emergency surgery is essential
to remove spilled fecal matter from the abdominal cavity.
In today's
fast-paced environment, it is easy to overlook what your body is telling you.
People assume
they have more essential things to perform and thus put off until later the
need to expel body wastes - whether pee, gas, or excrement. In the end, it will
merely cause additional inconvenience.