It may also be more difficult to pass stools and you may feel unable to empty your bowel completely. Your stools may appear dry, hard and lumpy, as well as abnormally large or small. As well as infrequent or irregular bowel movements, a child with constipation may also have any of the following symptoms:.
Constipation usually occurs when stools remain in the colon large intestine for too long, and the colon absorbs too much water from the stools, causing them to become hard and dry. Most cases of constipation aren't caused by a specific condition and it may be difficult to identify the exact cause.
However, several factors can increase your chances of having constipation, including:. Constipation may sometimes be a side effect of a medicine you're taking. Common types of medication that can cause constipation include:. If constipation is caused by medication, the condition will usually ease once you stop taking the medicine.
However, you shouldn't stop taking any prescribed medication unless your GP advises you to. Speak to your pharmacist if you have constipation that's caused by a medicine. They may be able to advise you on how to treat the problem, or they might recommend you see your GP for an alternative medicine if appropriate. About 2 in every 5 women experience constipation during their pregnancy, mostly during the early stages.
Constipation occurs during pregnancy because your body produces more of the female hormone progesterone, which acts as a muscle relaxant. The bowel normally moves stools and waste products to the anus by a process known as peristalsis.
This is when the muscles lining the bowel contract and relax in a rippling, wave-like motion. An increase in progesterone makes it more difficult for the bowel muscles to contract, making it harder to move waste products along. If you're pregnant, there are ways to safely treat constipation without harming you or your baby. Constipation in babies and children is quite common.
It's estimated that up to 1 in every 3 children in the UK has constipation at any time. Poor diet, fear about using the toilet and poor toilet training can all be responsible. Children who are over-fed are more likely to have constipation, as are those who don't get enough fluids. Babies who have too much milk are also more likely to get constipation. As with adults, it's very important that your child has enough fibre in their diet.
It's important that you don't make your child feel stressed or pressured about using the toilet. It's also important to let your children try things by themselves when appropriate. Constantly intervening when they're using the toilet may make them feel anxious and may contribute to constipation. Some children can feel stressed or anxious about using the toilet. They may have a phobia about using the toilet, or feel they are unable to use the toilets at school.
This fear may be the result of your child experiencing pain when passing stools. This can lead to poor bowel habits, where children ignore the urge to pass stools and instead withhold them for fear of experiencing pain and discomfort.
However, if they do this, their condition will only get worse. In rare cases, constipation in babies and children can be a sign of an underlying condition, such as:. Constipation is a very common condition. Your pharmacist won't usually need to carry out any tests or procedures, but will confirm a diagnosis based on your symptoms and medical history.
Your pharmacist will ask you some questions about your bowel habits. Don't feel embarrassed about discussing this with your pharmacist. It's important they're aware of all of your symptoms, so they can make the correct diagnosis. Your pharmacist may also ask questions about your diet, level of exercise and whether there have been any recent changes to your routines.
If your pharmacist thinks you may have faecal impaction when dry, hard stools collect in your rectum , they may advise you to contact your GP for a physical examination. See complications of constipation for more information about faecal impaction.
A typical examination will begin with you lying on your back, while the GP feels your abdomen tummy. You'll then lie on your side while your GP carries out a rectal examination using a lubricated, gloved finger. Your GP will be able to feel for any stools that may have collected. An internal physical examination rarely needs to be carried out on a child. Instead, the diagnosis can usually be made by feeling the child's tummy.
If you're experiencing severe symptoms, your doctor may request further tests, such as blood tests or thyroid tests, to diagnose or rule out other conditions. As there's an increased risk of bowel cancer in older adults, your doctor may also request tests to rule out a diagnosis of cancer, including a computerised tomography CT scan or colonoscopy.
Treatment for constipation depends on the cause, how long you've had it and how severe your symptoms are. Changes to diet and lifestyle are often recommended as the first treatment for constipation. In many cases, this will improve the condition without the need for medication. Read about preventing constipation for more ways to change your diet and lifestyle. Laxatives are a type of medicine that help you pass stools.
There are several different types of laxative and each one has a different effect on your digestive system. Your pharmacist will usually start you on a bulk-forming laxative. These work by helping your stools to retain fluid.
This means they're less likely to dry out, which can lead to faecal impaction. Bulk-forming laxatives also make your stools softer, which means they should be easier to pass.
Commonly prescribed bulk-forming laxatives include ispaghula husk, methylcellulose and sterculia. When taking this type of laxative, you must drink plenty of fluids, and don't take them before going to bed. It will usually be 2 to 3 days before you feel the effects of a bulk-forming laxative. If your stools remain hard after you've taken a bulk-forming laxative, your pharmacist may prescribe an osmotic laxative instead.
Osmotic laxatives increase the amount of fluid in your bowels. This softens your stools and stimulates your body to pass them. Commonly prescribed osmotic laxatives include lactulose and macrogols. As with bulk-forming laxatives, make sure you drink enough fluids. It will usually be 2 to 3 days before you feel the effect of the laxative. If your stools are soft, but you still have difficulty passing them, your pharmacist may recommend a stimulant laxative.
This type of laxative stimulates the muscles that line your digestive tract, helping them to move stools and waste products along your large intestine to your anus. The most commonly prescribed stimulant laxatives are senna, bisacodyl and sodium picosulphate.
These laxatives are usually only used on a short-term basis, and they start to work within 6 to 12 hours. According to your individual preference and how quickly you need relief, your pharmacist may decide to combine different laxatives. If you've had constipation for a short time, your pharmacist will usually advise you to stop taking the laxative once your stools are soft and easily passed.
However, if your constipation is caused by an underlying medical condition or a medicine you're taking, your GP may advise you to take laxatives for much longer, possibly many months or even years. If you've been taking laxatives for some time, you may have to gradually reduce your dose, rather than coming off them straight away.
If you have been prescribed a combination of laxatives, you'll normally have to reduce the dosage of each laxative, one at a time, before you can stop taking them. This can take several months. Faecal impaction occurs when stools become hard and dry and collect in your rectum. This obstructs the rectum, making it more difficult for stools to pass along. Sometimes as a result of impaction, overflow diarrhoea may occur where loose stools leak around the obstruction.
You may have difficulty controlling this. If you have faecal impaction, you'll initially be treated with a high dose of the osmotic laxative macrogol. After a few days of using macrogol, you may also have to start taking a stimulant laxative. If you're pregnant, there are ways for you to safely treat constipation without harming you or your baby.
Your pharmacist will first advise you to change your diet by increasing fibre and fluid intake. You'll also be advised to do gentle exercise. If dietary and lifestyle changes don't work, you may be prescribed a laxative to help you pass stools more regularly.
Lots of laxatives are safe for pregnant women to use because most aren't absorbed by the digestive system. Show references Constipation. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Accessed June 4, Chumpitazi CE, et al. Soap suds enemas are efficacious and safe for treating fecal impaction in children with abdominal pain. Bharucha AE, et al. Chronic constipation. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In press. Accessed June 6, Kellerman RD, et al. In: Conn's Current Therapy Philadelphia, Pa. Ferri FF. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture.
Wald A. Etiology and evaluation of chronic constipation in adults. Management of chronic constipation in adults. Constipation and defecation problems. American College of Gastroenterology. Accessed June 7, American Gastroenterological Association. Without treatment, fecal impaction can cause tears in the wall of your colon.
This can lead to a potentially life-threatening infection. Another approach to treating chronic constipation is bowel training. Your doctor may suggest that you:. Several different types of prescription medications are available to treat chronic constipation. Sometimes, chronic constipation may be a sign of an underlying medical condition that requires additional treatment.
You doctor can help you identify the potential causes of chronic constipation and develop a treatment plan. If left untreated, chronic constipation can cause complications, some of which may be serious. Fortunately, many treatments are available for chronic constipation.
If you experience signs or symptoms of constipation on an ongoing basis, make an appointment with your doctor. They can help you identify potential causes of the constipation and develop a plan for treating it.
They can also help you learn how to prevent and treat potential complications. Constipation can make you feel constantly bloated, uncomfortable, or even achy.
Learn about feeling pressure in your rectum. What causes it? How is it treated? Pressure in the rectum can be a sign of a serious health issue such as…. Sometimes, rectal pain is accompanied by other symptoms, such as itching and stinging. Learn more here. Learn about the causes of the sensation of hardness in the anus, as well as how to treat them yourself and when you should see a doctor. Learn what typical bowel movements should include, as well as tips to poop more…. Laxatives can help relieve constipation and promote regular bowel movements.
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