Diagnosis of Constipation and Methods of Treatment
(Foreword/Disclaimer: All writing here is supplied on an informational basis, with no endorsement of any of the particular products that may be mentioned. In addition, any interested party should seek the knowledge of a board-certified physician. The writer here is not and does not represent himself as a physician. All research provided here has been gathered from other written sources.)
Numerous statistical figures have quoted that the impact of constipation to be as low as 2% to as high as 30%. A large recent 2006 survey conducted by the famous pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim pinpoints the number to be at 12% worldwide. Even at 2% though, most people would agree that constipation seems to be a problem afflicting a broad segment of the population.
One of the problems associated with statistical surveying of constipation is that it's a poorly defined condition. This translates into an impact on diagnosis and treatment. For example, one physician might believe that having a bowel movement every three days is ok, but another physician would be alarmed at the low frequency. The source of the inconsistent opinions is that bowel movement frequency is itself highly variable from person to person. This difficulty in definition is compounded by differences in patient-reported symptoms such as difficulty or pain in passing stool, or excessive time spend on the toilet.
The causes of constipation are also numerous. Certain poorly understood but well-defined chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome can lead to constipation. As there is no treatment for the underlying condition, alleviation of symptoms is the only therapeutic route. Physiological and anatomical defects can also give rise to constipation. These include muscle or nerve damage from or sports-related injuries. Finally, a very broad class of patients have no identifiable cause: these patients have what is termed idiopathic constipation.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient's self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
One other option is therapy via one of the many prescription drugs for constipation. A number of these overlap with over-the-counter laxatives. A very small handful are advanced, "targeted" drugs which affect the digestive tract in specific ways. In recent times, unique approaches such as electrode-assisted biofeedback have been studied as possible medical therapies. The field of constipation remedies seems poised for great changes in the coming decade. - 17274
Numerous statistical figures have quoted that the impact of constipation to be as low as 2% to as high as 30%. A large recent 2006 survey conducted by the famous pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim pinpoints the number to be at 12% worldwide. Even at 2% though, most people would agree that constipation seems to be a problem afflicting a broad segment of the population.
One of the problems associated with statistical surveying of constipation is that it's a poorly defined condition. This translates into an impact on diagnosis and treatment. For example, one physician might believe that having a bowel movement every three days is ok, but another physician would be alarmed at the low frequency. The source of the inconsistent opinions is that bowel movement frequency is itself highly variable from person to person. This difficulty in definition is compounded by differences in patient-reported symptoms such as difficulty or pain in passing stool, or excessive time spend on the toilet.
The causes of constipation are also numerous. Certain poorly understood but well-defined chronic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome can lead to constipation. As there is no treatment for the underlying condition, alleviation of symptoms is the only therapeutic route. Physiological and anatomical defects can also give rise to constipation. These include muscle or nerve damage from or sports-related injuries. Finally, a very broad class of patients have no identifiable cause: these patients have what is termed idiopathic constipation.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient's self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
One other option is therapy via one of the many prescription drugs for constipation. A number of these overlap with over-the-counter laxatives. A very small handful are advanced, "targeted" drugs which affect the digestive tract in specific ways. In recent times, unique approaches such as electrode-assisted biofeedback have been studied as possible medical therapies. The field of constipation remedies seems poised for great changes in the coming decade. - 17274
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