Reasons for Constipation

Prior to treating constipation yourself it's important to find out if your constipation is an underlying problem for a more serious health disorder. Acute constipation (constipation that is recent) should be checked by your health care provider. Chronic constipation (long duration) that is known why its happening can be treated with proper medical guidance.

Medications: Medications are often overlooked as the culprit for constipation. There are many types of medications that can lead to constipation such as narcotic pain medications, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, calcium channel blocking medications and iron supplements. It's important that you report all the medications you are taking to your health care provider to eliminate medications being the source of constipation.

Diet: many people do not need a completely healthy diet, these diets lack the proper amount of fiber. To increase your intake of fiber makes sure to consume vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Hormonal Disorders: Hormones can cause constipation and this is why it's important to have a medical workup to ensure there are no underlying reasons. When the body produces too much parathyroid hormone it increases the calcium levels in the blood resulting in constipation. For women that have estrogen and progesterone levels that are high may suffer from constipation.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Pelvic floor dysfunction is a condition where the muscles that surround the rectum are not working efficiently. Reasons to why these muscles fail to work can fall under known and sometimes from the often use of laxatives or enemas. When the pelvic floor muscles fail the passing of stole becomes a struggle for some people.

Lifestyle Changes: While diet can fall under lifestyle changes altering the way we move our bowels, it's important to recognize other factors too. Pregnancy, depression, and physical abuse can lead to constipation. These reasons have been linked to constipation and can be treated based on the cause which is altering someone's bowels movements.

Diseases and Disorders: Irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes and scleroderma are just a few disorders and diseases that can affect bowel movements. These types of disorders and diseases needed to be treated by a health care provider to ensure you are able to move your bowels properly. Due to certain types of diseases and disorders causing constipation it's important to have proper medical care to ensure your constipation is not being cause by a disorder or disease.

Constipation can be treated by the used of over the counter medications, prescription medications, enemas or by treating the underlying cause to what is causing constipation. Prior to trying any remedies for constipation it's important to follow up with your health care provider.

Sources:

Medicine.Net: Constipation

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Constipation

Digestive Facts: What Causes Constipation