Causes of constipation

Constipation is a violation of the bowel, which is manifested by delay, difficulty, or systematically insufficient emptying.

The intestine is responsible for the digestion of food, its absorption and removal of formed slags. Digestion and absorption of nutrients occurs mainly in the small intestine. The large bowel performs primarily reservoir and evacuation functions - it absorbs water, forms dense contents( feces) and at a certain time it is removed from the body.

Movement of intestinal contents is carried out due to regular contractions of the intestine - motor( motor) activity of the large intestine.

A healthy intestine not only responsible for a timely stool, but also determines the state of immunity, since it is in the intestine that about 80% of the lymphatic system of the body is concentrated. The lymphatic system produces various substances that protect the body from the effects of pathogenic external agents( viruses, microbes, etc.) and internal( cancer antigens, etc.) origin.

Constipation is not an independent disease, constipation is always a symptom, that is, a manifestation, of some pathological condition. Experts have more than ten main causes of constipation.

However, most often a delay in emptying the colon is associated with food, and such constipation is called alimentary( from Latin alimentarius - associated with nutrition).The nutritional factor may be the only cause of constipation of in practically healthy people.

Nutrition of most modern people is irrational. Most often, schoolchildren of higher grades, students, representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, that is, mostly young people, eat irrationally. They are often on the move, hurrying "intercept" the dubious origin of food products sold by street vendors, who are primarily interested in profits, and not in quality. Products of fast food enterprises, even having licenses, experts consider safe only from one point of view - with a hygienic. All other elements of a healthy diet and above all a balance, that is, the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the availability of sufficient amounts of vitamins, microelements, plant fiber, can not withstand any criticism. Thus, control over the products of fast food enterprises exists only in the fact that a person does not get poisoned;otherwise "our health is in our hands."Street trade is unsafe and in terms of hygiene - the same hands receive money directly on dusty asphalt, serve food;about water, soap and toilet merchant, it is better not to think. Irrelevant nutrition is also promoted by certain professions: night shift work, irregular working hours, and a "rolling" work schedule.

At the heart of irrational nutrition are three leading factors: excess, deficiency, imbalance( from the French balancer - to keep the balance).Each of these factors can become an independent cause of organ dysfunction, but in practice they are often combined.

Excess. To constipation leads to excessive and / or frequent use of refined foods and beverages, canned products( primarily meat and fish), easily digestible sugars( primarily ordinary white refined sugar), fatty foods, and predominantly protein foods, preservatives, fresh bread from fine flourgrind, mealy meals. Refined means "purified from impurities, devoid of ballast substances".The canning process turns any food into digestible food. Digestion of such products by the intestine is easy, as a result of the formation of a small amount of feces, proper irritation of the intestine does not occur, evacuation of intestinal contents slows down, chronic constipation develops.

Disadvantage. The formation of constipation is facilitated by inadequate intake of dietary fiber( fiber) in the body. The old name for dietary fiber is "ballast substances".Ballast substances called dietary fibers because they are not digested in the human gastrointestinal tract. Dietary fibers are fiber( cellulose), hemicellulose, pectin substances and legnin. Fiber and hemicellulose have a carbohydrate structure, pectins and legnin are non-carbohydrate. Dietary fibers( hereinafter referred to simply as fiber) not only play a crucial role in the formation of feces, but also have the ability to adsorb, that is, absorb, various toxic compounds. Fiber is a food for bacteria that regulate normal bowel function, it lowers cholesterol and has a moderate choleretic effect.

Fiber contains fruits and vegetables - their fruits, roots, leaves, stems, as well as berries, mushrooms, cereals, coarse bread. Dietary fibers are rich in carrots, beets, zucchini, pumpkin, green peas, green beans, cabbage, vegetable and fruit juices, figs, dates, prunes, dried apricots, raspberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn, black currant, sea kale, strawberries, blackberrieswood, rye bread or whole wheat bread, dietary bread with the addition of wheat bran.

Without digesting the gastrointestinal tract, cellulose participates in the formation of feces, regulates the motor activity of the intestine and stimulates its peristalsis. Peristalsis( from the Greek peri-stalticos - encompassing, compressing) - rhythmic shrinking of the intestinal walls in order to move its contents and evacuation of stool. The lack of dietary fiber slows down peristalsis, promotes the formation of constipation and disrupts the natural cleansing of the body. In the diet of a typical modern person, fiber is lacking.

Delayed evacuation of feces also causes insufficient daily intake of fluid. The daily requirement of an almost healthy person in a liquid is on average 2.5 liters( 2300-2700 ml).This volume includes drinks( tea, juices, coffee, mineral and plain water);first course liquids;water contained in solid products;and water that forms in the body. Therefore, it is considered that at normal temperature and usual physical activity, a person should drink at least 1 liter of liquid( water, juice, tea).Lack of fluid causes dehydration and increased density of the contents of the colon.

Imbalance. We already mentioned the violation of the physiological ratio of nutrients in the diet. Rational nutrition involves the regular use of all necessary food ingredients in optimal proportions - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, plant fiber. There is a concept of irreplaceable nutritional factors, that is, substances that can not be synthesized( formed) by the organism itself and without which the body does not.can function normally. Such factors are essential amino acids( constituent parts of proteins), some vitamins, fatty acids, minerals, microelements, plant fibers, that is, fiber. To food imbalance leads a monotonous diet, for example, mainly meat or dairy. A vivid example of food imbalance is a white loaf of fine flour with fat chopped meat or sausage, bathed in mayonnaise or ketchup.

So, the main factors of irrational nutrition, which lead to constipation: excessive use of refined, canned, easily assimilated products;deficiency in the diet of fiber - dietary fiber;imbalance of food components.

Exacerbate the situation caused by inappropriate nutrition: insufficient fluid intake;lack of physical activity( hypodynamia);defects of the chewing apparatus.

There are other causes of constipation. We list them.

Pregnancy. Constipation is noted in 11-38% of pregnant women. And the difficulty with a chair can persist for some time and after childbirth.

Age. The frequency of constipation increases with age. Constipation in the elderly is quite common: after 60 years, stool retention or difficulty in defecation is noted by 30-60% of people.

Hypodynamic constipation. These constipation develops due to lack of physical activity. The lack of movement is more characteristic of older people, as well as patients in the postoperative period. Particular difficulties are experienced by patients who are operated by the intestine, but even after a fracture of the foot problems with bowel movement due to hypodynamia may increase dramatically. In addition to immobilization, constipation after surgery is caused by anesthesia and temporary paresis( weakness) of the intestine, which develops after any cavitary surgical interventions.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Constipation is often accompanied by hemorrhoids, cracks in the rectum and other diseases of the anorectal zone( from the Latin anus - an anal opening and from the Latin rectum - the rectum).Such constipation is called proctogenic.

Stool retardation also develops due to a disorder of intestinal motility in irritable bowel syndrome - a fairly common functional bowel disease. Constipation is observed in intestinal dysbiosis( imbalance of microbes inhabiting the intestine), peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, chronic diseases of the biliary tract.

Medications for constipation. Constipation due to the side effects of a number of drugs:

cardiovascular: verapamil, diltia-zem, nifedipine( syn: cordaflex, kordipin, kordafen, adalat);anaprilin( syn: propranolol, obzidan);ateno-lol;metoprolol( syn: egilok, metocardium);sotalol( syn: sotalex);

means regulating the central nervous system, especially sedative, sedative, antidepressant drugs: anaphranil, ixel, coaxil, lyudomil, melipramine, paxil, fevarin, chlordiazepoxide( syn: elenium), diazepam( syn: re-lanium, seduxen, sibazon), merlit, reladorm, difenine, codeine, morphine, clopixol, rispolept, seroquel, ti-zercin, phenobarbital, barbitol, barbamyl and other barbiturates, donormyl;

diuretics: hypothiazide, indapamide( syn: arifone), furosemide( syn: lasix);

analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuprofen( syn: ibufen, nurofen), indomethacin( syn: methindol), ketorolac( syn: ketorol, toradol), movalis( syn: meloxicam), piroxicam;

gastric substances: famotidine( syn: kvamatel, ha-rasidin), omeprazole( synomez, lossek), pariet, algae km , diamond A, diamond neo, phosphalugel, aluminum hydroxide, calcium carbonate;

antispasmodic: atropine, halidor, no-shpa( syn: drotaverin);

preparations containing iron: actinferrin, biofert, hemopher, maltofer, sorbifer durules, ferlatum, ferro-folgamma, ferrum lek, heferol;

antisclerotic drugs: zocor( syn: sim-vastatin), mevacor( syn: lovastatin, lovasterol), li-primar( syn: atorvastatin), cholestyramine, cholestyrene;

antidiarrhoeals: smecta, imodium( syn: loperamide).

Prolonged use of antibiotics can cause intestinal dysbacteriosis and subsequent frustration of feces evacuation.

Causes constipation and laxatives themselves, especially if they are abused.

Diseases of the nervous system. Neurogenic constipation can lead to stress, mental overstrain, prolonged depression, damage or compression of the spinal cord, common sclerosis and others. To the neurogenic is the so-called situational constipation, which develops as a result of strong-willed suppression of the stool( habitual constipation).The development of habitual constipation is facilitated by such factors as, for example, morning rush, unsanitary conditions, a sense of false shame.

Mechanical locks. They are caused by an obstacle to the movement of intestinal contents( narrowing of the intestine as a result of the transferred diseases, tumors).

Anomalies in the development of the colon( from Greek apothalia - deviation from the norm) refer to the inborn causes of constipation.

Diseases of the genitourinary system: urolithiasis, chronic inflammation of the uterine appendages, prostatitis.

Endocrine gland diseases: menopause, some cases of diabetes mellitus, parathyroid gland pathology.

Toxic constipation. They arise due to the action of some toxic substances on the intestines( lead, mercury, thallium) and can develop in chronic occupational poisoning.

Recent studies have established that heredity is important in the development of constipation.