Constipation Treatment in Denver, Colorado
Constipation is a fairly common condition marked by the difficulty to pass stool. This typically means having fewer than three bowel movements a week often due to insufficient dietary fiber, dehydration and/or lack of exercise. Medical conditions and certain medications can also lead to symptoms of constipation. Most people can find constipation relief by changing their dietary and exercise habits or taking nonprescription medications such as laxatives. However, when your constipation becomes chronic, or long-term, there may be an underlying condition causing or worsening your symptoms that needs to be addressed.
The most common symptoms of constipation include:
- Fewer than three bowel movements a week
- Stool that is hard, dry and difficult to pass
- Straining or pain during bowel movements
- The feeling that not all stool has passed
Constipation generally occurs when stool makes its way through the colon too slowly. Since the stool does not move fast enough and sits in the colon longer, the body will absorb too much water from it, making it hard, dry and difficult to pass. Common causes of constipation include lifestyle choices, certain medications, pelvic floor muscle weakness, blockages in the colon or rectum and other factors like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a common condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract, causing abdominal pain with bloating, diarrhea or constipation.
To speed up the rate at which stool moves through your large intestine, we may recommend the following changes:
- Eat a high-fiber diet
- Stay hydrated
- Exercise regularly
- Keep routine bowel habits
- Take laxatives or prescription medications
