Many people are familiar with such a delicate problem as constipation. They try to keep silent about it even with the closest people. The first alarming bells that signal about impending pathology remain usually undetected. The reason for this is that not every adult person knows the symptoms that indicate this unpleasant GI disease, and also what constitutes constipation for health. So how do you determine if fecal constipation begins, and does not the physiological norm of emptying usual for this category of patients exist? Where is the threshold between normal acts of defecation and pathology? These questions are of interest to many, so you should know the opinions of specialists on this topic. First of all, it is necessary to determine what causes constipation may cause - stooling, which causes strong stiffening of stool. Specialists stand out the following factors:
- Sedentary lifestyle. Lack of motor activity( general hypodynamia) is the most common cause of constipation;
- Heart failure, endocrine and metabolic diseases, menopausal changes and so on. Compose at least 30% of the risk of this ailment;
- Some medicines, such as antidepressants, antispasmodics, anti-inflammatory non-steroidal and antihistamines, also cause such a syndrome;
- Stress and depressive conditions, especially when the patient is exposed to them constantly, are also capable of provoking such dysfunction of the digestive system as constipation.
The most complex forms of this ailment are associated with pathological processes occurring in the large intestine. These include diverticulosis, chronic intestinal spasms and the development of tumors.
ICD-10, supported by the World Health Organization, regards constipation as a disease. In the international classification, it is assigned code 59.0.but, at the same time, some health organizations, such as the American Gastroenterology Association, have a different opinion. They classify the pathological conditions associated with the hardening of stool in adult patients, to syndromes of any other gastrointestinal diseases. But despite this, ICD 10 provides complete information on the code 59.0, which includes constipation. Here are presented all the medicines and medical products necessary for the prevention or treatment of this pathology. But I want to warn that the self-medication of this disease is not strongly recommended. If the patient's medical history is marked with code 59.0 for the ICD( constipation), then first of all, he must fulfill all the requirements of a specialist so as not to cause irreparable harm to his digestive organs.
Constipation syndrome in an adult and its symptoms
Constipation of the gastrointestinal tract can be accompanied by a variety of symptoms that depend on the cause causing stiffness of stool. Information on pathologies associated with delayed stool output is reflected not only under code 59.0.The necessary data on constipation associated with irritable bowel syndrome can be found under code 58.9, which reflects IBS without diarrhea. But this does not mean that the patient, on the basis of a concomitant disease of symptoms, can independently diagnose and prescribe treatment. First and foremost signs of pathology suggest that you need to turn to a specialist to identify the underlying cause that triggered the emergence of pathology. Gastroenterologists distinguish several basic signs of constipation that require immediate treatment in the polyclinic:
- The patient's feces have acquired a dense, mostly solid consistency due to the lack of water in them;
- There are no urge to bowel movements and bowel movements for more than 3 days. Sometimes in an adult such a condition is a physiological norm. Constipation is also considered in the case when significant attempts are required to empty the bowels, which take more than a quarter of the time of the entire act of defecation;
- Emptying of the intestine is associated with painful sensations in the abdomen and anus area;
- The patient complains of bloating and a feeling of bursting in him.
In case of constipation in adults, symptoms of intoxication of the body also appear - irritability, appetite disappears, it is accompanied by a feeling of nausea and unpleasant taste in the mouth. Temperature can also increase. This is due to the fact that stools stagnant in connection with constipation release the decay products and toxic substances that are absorbed through the intestinal walls into the blood and poison the body.
Methods for diagnosing constipation
After a patient with negative signs of pathology has turned to a specialist with a question about what this means, the doctor will determine the necessary volume of diagnostic procedures that will be able to identify the cause that triggered the pathology. Most often, the examination of the patient and conducting general tests is not enough. It may be necessary to use instrumental diagnostic methods - colonoscopy and irrigoscopy. In the case when there is a suspicion of neurogenic or endocrine constipation, consultation of specialists of a narrow profile - an endocrinologist or a neurologist is also required. In order to effectively assess the tone of the intestinal wall, an X-ray diagnostic method is used. All this allows you to assign the most appropriate treatment of pathology. When conducting diagnostic studies to identify the cause of constipation in an adult patient, the specialist must take into account the following information:
- Studying the patient's mental status( habit of unusual posture or manner of defecation, possible disruption of consistency during meals, depression, and tetc.);
- Identification of individuals with a family history of constipation syndrome;
- Compliance of the disease with the Roman III criteria for diagnosis.
All these methods and observations make it possible to accurately determine the root cause that provoked this ailment, and, accordingly, to prescribe the most appropriate treatment, which in the near future will lead the patient to full recovery.
Treatment of diseases with constipation in adults
In connection with the fact that the pathological syndrome of the gastrointestinal tract can lead not one but many reasons, the question of its treatment is not so simple. Therapy is usually conducted in several directions:
- First of all, a correction of the diet, and sometimes a complete change, is necessary. With constipation in adults, such a diet is necessary, in which there will be a sufficient amount of plant fiber( vegetables and fruits), as well as fermented milk products. In addition, patients should strengthen the drinking regime. The required amount of water per day should be at least 1.5 - 2 liters;
- A very effective "remedy" for constipation is an increase in motor activity. Especially it helps people who have a low-activity, "sedentary" lifestyle. Cross-country skiing, swimming, easy running or fast walking strengthen and tone up the peristalsis of the intestine;
- In some cases, specialists prescribe laxatives or cleansing and therapeutic enemas. But their application should be carried out against the background of the appropriate diet and increase in physical activity. It should also be noted that such treatment methods are not intended for long-term use. Otherwise, they will further weaken the intestinal peristalsis, which in turn will lead to an increase in constipation syndrome.
If the constipation of stool is spasmodic, acts of defecation can be alleviated by a relaxing massage of the abdomen, warm baths, and also by the use of sedatives or antispasmodics. Effectively eliminate the symptoms, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, can also "soft" laxatives, such as Forlax or Dufalac. These drugs can be used for a long time even during pregnancy, as they are not addictive. But in the case when it is revealed that the pathology is caused by any illness of the digestive tract, treatment measures based on medication intake should be appointed by a specialist in accordance with the code of illness according to the ICD 10 and be conducted under his supervision.
Forecasts for constipation
Many patients are interested in the question of what constitutes constipation for the general state of health and what is its danger. Experts note that, in addition to unpleasant sensations, it presents a danger to the patient by the fact that with constipations, especially those that are chronic, because of prolonged intestinal fecal matter, they begin to undergo a decay process, thereby releasing poisons. Toxic substances through the walls of the digestive organ are absorbed into the blood, than the patient's intoxication. In the absence of appropriate therapy, the pathology predictions will not be very comforting:
- Chronic constipation causes diseases such as hepatitis, bile duct pathologies, anal fissures and hemorrhoids. They can also provoke the appearance of malignant neoplasms in the rectum;
- In this pathology, caused by the presence in the diet of a patient of a large number of fast food and semi-finished products containing too much sugars, fats and animal proteins, as well as alcohol, the gallbladder and pancreas have to work with redoubled force. Also, constipation, due to these reasons, contribute to a gradual change of beneficial microflora in the intestine to a negative one.
Based on statistical data, it should also be noted that in patients with stool disorders, most often there is cancer of the rectum, as it is in it that stagnant fecal stagnation and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms occur.
Prevention of constipation
For any patient with such a dysfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, measures that are aimed at preventing the transition of pathology into a chronic form will be of great importance. In the case when acute infectious diseases become a prerequisite for the onset of constipation, when a gentle diet is used against a background of low mobility( bed rest), it contains practically no vegetable fibers, it can be prevented by increasing the drinking regime with fruit juices and compotes, and also by includingration of fermented milk products.
Also for adult patients, prevention of fecal stagnation and constipation requires the rejection of bad habits, in particular alcohol abuse, which disrupt intestinal motility and overeating at night. In addition, fat meals, semi-finished products, fast food and sweet fizzy drinks, especially cola, should be completely excluded from the diet, since all this negatively affects the digestive organs.
Preventive measures to prevent the occurrence of constipation will also increase physical activity. It is beneficial for the general condition of patients suffering from this pathology, water procedures, outdoor walks and morning exercises will affect. Do not forget about such preventive measure of this disease as control over the emotional state. This applies to those patients who suffer from neurogenic constipation. In order to learn to avoid the stress that provokes the development of bowel dysfunction, accompanied by the hardening of stool, any adult patient suffering from a neurogenic type of disease should develop an individual program for himself, which will help to achieve emotional balance in any situation.
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