“Being constipated is go to the toilet less than three times a weekand have hard, dry or difficult to pass stools.” This is how William Berrebi, gastroenterologist and hepatologist, author of the book Flat stomach mission – The nutritional and sports microbiotic method – A tailor-made solution for each case, published by Marabout, defines constipation. Are you suffering from it, are you wondering how to act and who to consult? The doctor answers all the practical questions surrounding this digestive disorder.
What are the symptoms of constipation?
According to the doctor, constipation can be isolated and cause no symptoms other than not having enough bowel movements. But it can also have daily consequences: “you may feel discomfort or even abdominal pain. There may also be bloatingflatulence, because the accumulation of stools traps gas in the stomach. There may even be diarrhea, a direct result of constipation. We call this “false diarrhea of the constipated person”. caused by hypersecretion of the mucous membrane.”
Another symptom reported by people who suffer from constipation is blood in the stool. On this subject, the gastroenterologist warns : “this manifestation is not normal, and it may not be due to hemorrhoidscontrary to what patients may think”. In other words, if this happens to you, it is important to talk to your doctor. “And beyond 40 or 45 years, it is absolutely necessary to check colonoscopyas part of colorectal cancer screening, when blood is found in the stools”, he specifies.
What are the types of constipation?
It exists two types of constipation : one called “transit” and one called “terminal”. Transit is defined by the overall stagnation of stools in the colon. It can fill with 80 centimeters to 1 meter of feces. Terminal constipation, also called evacuation, is different: the colonic transit time is normal, the difficulty is when evacuating them.
What are the causes of constipation?
There constipation can be “functional”, that is to say that it is not linked to a specific cause. The person may lack dietary fiber, not hydrate enough, or not do enough physical activity. It can also be linked to holding back, “It’s a fairly classic mechanism: we’re afraid to go there in the workplace and, as a result, disrupts the sphincter systemleading to constipation”, notes the doctor.
In the case of evacuation constipation, mechanical factors can explain it: a plastic cause, such as a rectocele for example. Or even a coordination problem, which we call anism. This is when the anus and rectum don’t sync up properly, the person pushes and rather than opening, the anus closes.
In the list of causes of constipation, William Berrebi also notes the possibility of a “discomfort” in passing: a polyp or a tumor. This can result from an endocrine type problem, “Hypothyroidism is a common cause of constipation.” Hypercalcemia is also part of it. He notes that diabetes can also cause constipation, but that in most cases, it is mainly gastroparesis that is associated with it, when the stomach does not empty properly. There intestinal dysbiosisthe cause of constipationcan also be explained by Parkinson’s disease.
How to treat constipation?
To combat constipation, the first step is to opt for dietary measures. “We advise patients to move more, to fight against a sedentary lifestyle. It is also necessary to increase the volume of water consumed, by increasing to 2 liters per day, and by choosing mineral waters rich in magnesium which has laxative properties. The one I generally recommend is Alvina, which has a magnesium level twice as high as Rozana. It’s a water that was given to people returning from the colonies in the past, to purify their digestive tract.” He also notes that he prescribes his patients to eat more fiber, vegetables, whole fruits, legumes, whole grains.
“At the same time, I always check that my patients do not take toxic substances such as senna, buckthorn, aloe vera, rhubarb which help with bowel movements but which weaken the colon,” he notes. In addition, he prescribes psyllium, which is a prebiotic, which acts as a “light” laxative, its contents swell in the stools. He can also combine a macrogol, a mixture of water and salt which helps to evacuate. In the case of terminal constipation, he may prescribe a purgative, in the form of suppositories to be used occasionally.