Constipation

Constipation is a difficulty passing stool. Chronic constipation occurs when the problem lasts for more than a few weeks. Chronic constipation may cause life-disrupting symptoms, but you should always seek medical attention when you have the following symptoms in addition to constipation:

Symptoms

Symptoms of constipation include:

Having three or fewer bowel movements per week,
Hard stools or small stools like,
Straining,
Feeling a blockage in rectum,
Can’t fully empty bowels,
Needing to use hand on abdomen or rectum to exit/evacuate stool,
Bloating and cramping,
Decreased appetite,
Lethargy.

What Causes Constipation?

Some causes of constipation include:

Changes in diet and/or activities,
Change of place and/or traveling,
Dehydration,
Not eating enough fiber,
Fast foods and carbonated drinks,
Not being active,
Ignoring the urge to poop,
Stress or depression,
Intestinal obstruction,
Diverticulitis,
Using a lot of laxatives,
Some medications (allopathic specially, painkillers, NSAIDS, antidepressants, antihistamines, blood pressure medications, anti-seizure medications, antacids, calcium, aluminum etc),
Eating disorders,
Irritable bowel syndrome, nerves and muscular diseases of digestive system
Pregnancy,
Colon cancer,
Neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis,
Hypothyroidism,
Hypercalcemia {because of overactive parathyroid glands, medications, cancer (lung, breast, multiple myeloma), etc)}.

Risk Factors

Some things that can increase the risk of constipation are:

Being older: After age 65, our metabolism slows down, the muscles lining our digestive tract that help move stool along get weaker, and me might be less active.

Being assigned female at birth: Changes in hormones can affect our digestive system, especially during pregnancy and after giving birth. Unborn baby may press against intestine and make it harder for lady to pass stool.

Activities: Moving our body helps our digestive system work normally.

Having a mental health condition: Such as depression or an eating disorder: not getting enough exercise, not eating a healthy diet, and taking allopathic antidepressants or other allopathic medications can cause constipation.

Not eating enough high-fiber foods: Fiber is the part of plant foods that our body can’t digest. It bulks up our stool and helps it move through our intestines.

Certain medications: Especially allopathic pain medications, antidepressants, antacids, iron pills, allergy medicines, anti-seizure medicines, anti-nausea medicines, blood pressure medicines, and many more can cause constipation.

Certain neurological diseases (of the brain and spinal cord) and some digestive diseases: Parkinson’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), colorectal cancer, and diverticulitis affect our digestive system and cause constipation.

Constipation Diagnosis

Start by asking your patient about his/her medical history, lifestyle and habits, and his/her bowel movements. Do a physical exam (rectal exam) to check for any problems, such as a lump etc.

Other tests to find the cause of your constipation:

Blood, stool, and urine tests: These look for any problems with hormones, or conditions such as diabetes, anemia, and cancer. These tests also show if there is an infection or inflammation.
Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy: with a tiny camera into the rectum and colon to look for any issues.
Imaging tests: X-ray, CT scan, or MRI scan are other ways to look for anything unusual in digestive system.
Bowel function tests: Defecography, anorectal manometry, balloon expulsion, radiopaque marker, and scintigraphy are all tests that see how patient’s colon is working and how poop moves through and out of the colon.

Allopathic treatment for constipation

A laxative – is an over-the-counter medicine that can help patient with bowel movements.
Stimulants – This type of laxative creates intestinal contractions.
Osmotics. They increase the amount of intestinal fluid.
Lubricants. Mineral oil helps hard stool pass more easily through lubrication of the intestines.
Stool softener. These medications turn hard stool softer, making it pass more easily.

If constipation doesn’t get better with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medicines, prescribe stronger medication, such as:

Lubiprostone,
Linaclotide,
Lactulose,
Plecanatide,
Prucalopride etc.

If constipation is caused by opioids or allopathic pain medications, prescribe the following:

Methylnaltrexone,
Naldemedine,
Naloxegol.

These medications help block the effects of opioids have on the movement of stool through the colon.

Surgery for constipation

If there’s a problem with the structure of colon, surgery can fix it and prevent constipation. Some reasons why you might need surgery are:

Tips to Reduce Pregnancy Constipation - Dr Qaisar Ahmed

Anal tear,
Colon blockage,
Narrowing of intestine,
Rectum – collapsing into vagina.

Use Enemas An enema is a procedure that puts liquid into the rectum. It often clears out stool or other blockages. An enema with water and a bit of sodium chloride (salt) can relieve constipation. Some enema solutions contain sodium phosphate, it agitates the rectum.

Take Probiotics (good” bacteria), can help to balance the digestive system. Studies show that taking probiotics, especially those containing the organism bifidobacterium, can increase the number of bowel movements you have per week by 1.3.Yogurt and kefir are the best natural probiotics.

Homeopathic treatment for constipation

Prescribing Homeopathic medicines to your patients, always keep in mind that treating the symptom(s) is not the real treatment, always remember that our gland creates and secretes saliva type substances to keep our nose, mouth, intestines, rectum, urethra etc moisture and soft; that’s why along with symptomatic medicines always keep an eye on patient’s glandular system, especially thyroid gland.

Iodium

Hemorrhage at every stool. Diarrhea, whitish, frothy, fatty. Constipation, with ineffectual urging; better by drinking cold milk. Constipation alternating with diarrhea. Liver and spleen sore and enlarged. Jaundice. Mesenteric glands enlarged. Pancreatic disease.

Kalium Carbonicum

Large, difficult stools, with stitching pain an hour before. Hemorrhoids, large, swollen, painful. Itching, ulcerated pimples around anus. Large discharge of blood with natural stool. Pain in hemorrhoids when coughing. Burning in rectum and anus.

Natrum Muriaticum

Burning pains and stitching after stool. Anus contracted, torn, bleeding. Constipation: stool dry, crumbling. Painless and copious diarrhea, preceded by pinching pain in abdomen.

Ammonium Muriaticum

Splenic diseases. Constipation during pregnancy. Chronic congestion of liver. Itching and hemorrhoids, soreness with pustules. Hard, crumbly stool, or covered with glairy mucus. Stinging in perineum. Green mucus stools alternate with constipation. Cancer of stomach. During and after stool, burning and smarting in rectum.

Magnesium Muriaticum

A liver remedy with pronounced characteristic constipation. Long history of indigestion. Constipation of infants during dentition; only passing small quantity; stools knotty, like sheep’s dung, crumbling at verge of anus. Painful smarting hemorrhoids.

Baryta Carbonica

Constipation, with hard, knotty stools. Hemorrhoids protrude on urinating. Crawling in rectum. Oozing at anus.

Aloe Socotrina

Constant bearing down in rectum; bleeding, sore, and hot; relieved by cold water. Feeling of weakness and loss of power of anal sphincter. Sense of insecurity in rectum, when passing flatus (uncertain whether gas or stool will come). Stool passes without effort, almost unnoticed. Lumpy, watery stool. Jelly-like stools, with soreness in rectum after stool. A lot of mucus, with pain in rectum after stool. Hemorrhoids protrude like grapes; very sore and tender; better cold-water application. Burning in anus and rectum. Constipation, with heavy pressure in lower part of abdomen.

Aesculus Hippocastanum

The action of aesculus Hippo is most marked on the lower bowel – engorged hemorrhoidal veins, with backache, with absence of actual constipation but bowel’s action is slowed down. Severe constipation: anus dry, uncomfortable feeling in rectum as if it were filled with small sticks, soreness, burning, itching, raw feeling, and fulness. Sensation of rigid hardness before stool.

Alumen

Constipation of the most aggravated kind. No stool for days. Violent ineffectual urging to stool. No ability to expel stool. Marble-like masses pass, but rectum still feels full. Itching after stool, itching in anus. Long lasting pain and smarting in rectum after stool. Rectal bleeding.

Alumina

Stool hard dry, knotty; no desire. Rectum sore, dry, inflamed, bleeding, itching and burning. Even a soft stool is passed with difficulty. Great straining. Constipation of infants and old people from inactive rectum, and in women of very sedentary habit. Diarrhea on urinating. Evacuation preceded by painful urging long before stool and then straining at stool.

Collinsonia Canadensis

Sensation of sharp sticks in rectum. Sense of constriction. Vascular engorgement of rectum. Dry feces. Most obstinate constipation, with protruding hemorrhoids. Aching in anus and hypogastrium. Constipation during pregnancy; with membranous dysmenorrhea. Painful bleeding piles. Dysentery, with tenesmus. Alternate constipation and diarrhea, and great flatulence. Itching of anus

Psorinum

Mucous, bloody, excessively fetid, dark fluid. Hard, difficult stool, with blood from rectum and burning piles. Constipation of infants, in pale, sickly scrofulous children.

Paraffinum

Frequent desire for stool. Obstinate constipation in children. Chronic constipation, with hemorrhoids and continual urging to stool, without result.

Nyctanthes

Profuse bilious stools with nausea; hard to expel. Obstinate constipation.

Antimuonium Crudum

Anal itching. Diarrhea alternates with constipation, especially in old people. Slimy, flatulent stools. Mucous piles – continued oozing of mucus, stools composed entirely of mucus. Hard lumps mixed with watery discharge. Catarrhal proctitis.

Opium

Obstinate constipation; no desire to go to stool. Round, hard, black balls. Feces protrude and recede (Thuj; Sil). Spasmodic retention of feces in small intestines. Stools involuntary, black, offensive, frothy. Violent pain in rectum.

Sanicula Aqua

Stools large, heavy and painful. Pain in whole perineum. No desire until a large accumulation. After great straining only partially expelled; recedes, crumbles at verge of anus. Very offensive odor. Excoriation of skin about anus, perineum, and genitals. Diarrhea; changeable in character and color; after eating.

Selenium Metallicum

Chronic liver affections: liver painful, enlarged, with fine rash over liver region. Stool hard, hard and accumulated in rectum.

Sepia Officinalis

Bleeding at stool and fullness of rectum. Constipation; large, hard stools; feeling of a ball in rectum, cannot strain; with great tenesmus and pains shooting upward. Dark-brown, round balls glued together with mucus. Soft stool, difficult. Prolapsus ani. Almost constant oozing from anus. Infantile diarrhea.

Haritaki or Terminalia Chebula

Biliary colic and constipation. Diarrhea and dysentery. Blood sugar. Aging skin, constipation. It regulates liver and spleen functions. osteoarthritis. Indigestion. Mouth ulcers. Hypertension.

Grephites

Constipation; large, difficult, knotty stools united by mucus threads. Burning hemorrhoids. Prolapse, diarrhea; stools of brown fluid, mixed with undigested substance, very fetid, sour odor. Smarting, sore anus, itching. Lump stool, conjoined with threads of mucus. Varices of the rectum.

Calcaria Carbonica

Crawling and constriction in rectum. Stool large and hard; whitish, watery, sour. Prolapse ani, and burning, stinging hemorrhoids. Diarrhea of undigested, food, fetid, with ravenous appetite. Children’s diarrhea. Constipation; stool at first hard, then pasty, then liquid.

Bryonia Alba

Constipation: stools hard, dry, as if burnt; seem too large. Stools brown, thick, bloody; worse in morning, from moving, in hot weather, after being heated, from cold drinks, every spell of hot weather.

Lycopodium Clavatum

Diarrhea. Inactive intestinal canal. Ineffectual urging. Stool hard, difficult, small, incomplete. Hemorrhoids; very painful to touch, aching.

Nux Vomica

Constipation. Frequent ineffectual urging, incomplete and unsatisfactory; feeling as if part remained un expelled. Rectal constriction. Irregular, peristaltic action; hence frequent ineffectual desire, or passing but small quantities at each attempt. Alternate constipation and diarrhea-after abuse of purgatives. Urging to stool felt throughout abdomen. Itching, blind hemorrhoids, with ineffectual urging to stool; very painful; after drastic drugs. Diarrhea after a debauch; worse, morning. Frequent small evacuations. Scanty stool, with much urging. Dysentery: stools relieve pains for a time. Constant uneasiness in rectum.

Absence of all desire for defecation is a contra-indication.

Ratanhia Peruviana

Aches, as if full of broken glass. Anus aches and burns for hours after stool, constricted. Dry heat at anus, with sudden knife-like stitches. Stools must be forced with great effort, protrusion of hemorrhoids. Anal fissures, with great constriction, burning fire, as do the hemorrhoids; temporarily relieved by cold water. Fetid, thin diarrhea; stools burn; burning pains before and after stools. Oozing at anus.

Silicia Tera

Feels paralyzed. Anal fistula. Fissures and hemorrhoids, painful, with spasm of sphincter. Stool comes down with difficulty; when partly expelled, recedes again. Great straining; rectum stings; closes upon stool. Feces remain a long time in rectum. Constipation always before and during menses; with irritable sphincter ani. Diarrhea of cadaverous odor.

Lachesis Mutus

Constipated. Offensive stool. Anus feels tight, as if nothing could go through it. Pain darting up the rectum every time be sneezes or coughs. Hemorrhage from bowels like charred straw, black particles. Hemorrhoids protrude, become constricted, purplish. Stitches in them on sneezing or coughing. Constant urging in rectum, not for stool.

Sulpher

Itching and burning of anus; piles dependent upon abdominal plethora. Frequent, unsuccessful desire; hard, knotty, insufficient. Child afraid on account of pain. Redness around the anus, with itching. Morning diarrhea, painless, drives out of bed, with prolapsus recti. Hemorrhoids, oozing and belching.

Zincum Metallicum

Hard, small, constipated stool. Cholera infantum, with tenesmus; green mucous discharges. Sudden cessation of diarrhea, followed by cerebral symptoms.

P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).

For proper consultation and treatment, please visit our clinic.

None of above-mentioned medicine(s) is/are the full/complete treatment but just hints for treatment; every patient has his/her own constitutional medicine.