Getting The Right Diagnosis
Gastroenterology is a complex topic and one that covers many different conditions and disorders affecting gut health. Certain symptoms may be a result of an underlying medical condition that requires further treatment and diagnosis. To ensure you get the right treatment for your symptoms, speak to a healthcare professional about your gastrointestinal health.
Natural Constipation Remedies To Empty Your Bowels
The Risks Of Probiotics For Constipation And Bloating
There are a few risks associated with probiotics for constipation and bloating. The most common is that they can cause abdominal pain and cramping. Probiotics can also cause bloating and gas. In very rare cases, probiotics have been linked to serious gastrointestinal problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease.
If you experience any of these side effects, stop taking probiotics and see your doctor.
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What Causes Bloating And Constipation
Before deciding what to take for constipation and bloating, you need to find out what causes bloating and constipation in your body. While taking medicine for bloating and constipation can provide bloating and constipation relief, it may not treat the reason for these. To avoid chronic constipation and bloating that can become severe, you must address the source of the problem.
Bloating and constipation can be caused by different reasons, each may need a completely different treatment. The tables below show the most common causes of bloating and constipation. We also included the suggested bloating and constipation treatment.
See if these common causes of bloating and constipation apply to you. You can also click on the links to the topics you wish to learn more about.
Important: chronic constipation and bloating may also be caused by an underlying medical condition. If after reading these causes of bloating and constipation you are unsure what is causing your bloating and constipation issues, we highly suggest that you consult your doctor.
What Investigations Are Required For This Patient
Physical examination should include a digital rectal examination.4 Lesions causing pencil-thin stools are usually very distal and palpable on a digital rectal examination. In a recent position statement, the American Gastroenterological Association strongly recommended that patients without other symptoms or signs undergo only a complete blood count and that metabolic tests are not required.4 Furthermore, a colonoscopy should not be performed in patients without alarm features unless age-appropriate colon cancer screening has not been performed .5
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Ways To Reduce Wind Flatulence And Bloating
You can reduce wind and bloating naturally or with over-the-counter medications. If you suspect a food intolerance, try eliminating gluten and dairy products from your diet and see if your symptoms improve. If not, try eliminating other food groups and see if this makes a difference. Avoid foods that cause excessive gas, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and prunes. A food diary can help you to keep track. Some foods contain carbohydrates that can’t be absorbed by the intestines. This undigested food passes into the colon where it is broken down by bacteria which causes gas.
Gentle exercise can also help to move trapped wind, as well as sipping on peppermint tea which can help to relieve pain, reduce bloating, and soothe spasms in the gut.
Bloated Stomach After Eating
The festive period is a common time to experience bloating, for obvious gluttonous reasons. But this can happen at any time of the year.
However, what you eat, as well as how much, can be equally to blame for your bloated belly.
For example, food intolerances can stimulate bacteria breakdown that produces gas and inflammation of the gut.
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How Is Constipation Treated
Self-care
Most cases of mild to moderate constipation can be managed by you at home. Self-care starts by taking an inventory of what you eat and drink and then making changes.
Some recommendations to help relieve your constipation include:
- Drink two to four extra glasses of water a day. Avoid caffeine-containing drinks and alcohol, which can cause dehydration.
- Add fruits, vegetables whole grains and other high-fiber foods to your diet. Eat fewer high-fat foods, like meat, eggs and cheese.
- Eat prunes and/or bran cereal.
- Keep a food diary and single out foods that constipate you.
- Get moving, exercise.
- Check how you sit on the toilet. Raising your feet, leaning back or squatting may make having a bowel movement easier.
- Add an over-the-counter supplemental fiber to your diet .
- If needed, take a very mild over-the-counter stool softener or laxative . Mineral oil enemas, like Fleet®, and stimulant laxatives, like bisacodyl or senna , are other options. There are many laxative choices. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for help in making a choice. Do not use laxatives for more than two weeks without calling your doctor. Overuse of laxatives can worsen your symptoms.
- Do not read, use your phone or other devices while trying to move your bowels.
Medication/supplement review
Surgery
How Does Constipation Happen
Constipation happens because your colon absorbs too much water from waste , which dries out the stool making it hard in consistency and difficult to push out of the body.
To back up a bit, as food normally moves through the digestive tract, nutrients are absorbed. The partially digested food that remains moves from the small intestine to the large intestine, also called the colon. The colon absorbs water from this waste, which creates a solid matter called stool. If you have constipation, food may move too slowly through the digestive tract. This gives the colon more time too much time to absorb water from the waste. The stool becomes dry, hard, and difficult to push out.
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What You Need To Know About The Stomach Liver Gallbladder And Pancreas
To learn why you’re experiencing bloating, indigestion, constipation, and acid reflux, you need to know how the stomach, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas work together. Let’s start with the stomach. The stomach breaks down nutrients, absorbs minerals, and kills off harmful microbes. But to do its job correctly, it needs to be very acidic.
Your stomach should have a pH of between 1 and 3. Keep in mind that the lower your pH level, the more acidic your stomach is. A pH level of 1 is highly acidic. If your stomach is more alkaline, meaning not acidic, then you can’t break down protein, absorb minerals, and kill off microbes. This will create numerous gastrointestinal and digestive issues.
One huge issue that many people have because of too little stomach acid is reduced bile. Stomach acid activates the gallbladder’s ability to release bile. Bile is a fluid that’s essential for the gastrointestinal tract because it helps you break down fats.
This is important for two reasons. One, it helps extract fat-soluble vitamins so your body can use them. Without this, you can become deficient in many micronutrients. Two, it helps you absorb healthy fatty acids in the small intestine. Fatty acids basically make up all of your cells.
The last piece of the puzzle is the pancreas. When it comes to digestion, the pancreas’ primary function is to create enzymes. Enzymes help to break down food. The pancreas produces a wide range of enzymes to break down different types of food.
Colon Cancer Screening With Constipation: Is It Possible
In other instances, colonoscopy is performed to investigate symptoms other than constipation. In this case, patients might be experiencing temporary constipation and are worried about how this will affect the findings.
As mentioned, colonoscopy with constipation is still possible but extra precaution is advised to ensure proper preparations, especially when it comes to the bowel prep.
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Follow Up With Your Doctor As Directed:
Write down your questions so you remember to ask them during your visits.
The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
When To See A Doctor For Constipation
Most individuals have experienced some form of constipation in their lifetime. While constipation can go away on its own, it is helpful to know what can ease the discomfort of this common ailment. If home remedies for constipation or OTC products do not produce a bowel movement, an individual may need to seek medical attention. Untreated constipation can lead to an impacted bowel.
Constipation may be a symptom of a greater health concern, consult your doctor or healthcare professional if you have not had a bowel movement within a two- to three-week period of time. Furthermore, medical assistance may be needed if you are experiencing severe abdominal pain or concerning blood in the constipated stool. Ask your doctor about recommended home remedies for constipation and prevention of constipation in the future.
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Fiber Is Not Always The Answer
If adding fiber to your diet in the form of food orsupplements makes you more bloated and blocked than before, there are a numberof potential reasons. For example, in slow transit constipation, a conditionwhere the bowel does not move things quickly through, fiber sits in your gut andcan make you feel worse.
Long story short: If fiber makes you worse, dont just addmore. See your doctor.
Constipation: Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is a normal consistency for a bowel movement?
Bowel movements should be soft and formed. They should pass easily like toothpaste flowing out of a tube.
Q. How often should I move my bowels?
The standard time frame for normal bowel movement frequency ranges from as many as three bowel movements per day to as few as three bowel movements per week. This is a wide range. Our program usually gives patients suffering from constipation a rescue drug to use if no bowel movement has occurred in 3 days time. The colon draws water from stool, the longer stool sits in the colon, the harder the stool becomes. What is more important is whether you are comfortable with your bowel movement frequency or whether there has been a significant change from your typical bowel movement frequency.
Q. What self help things can I do if I suffer from constipation?
Body position can help you to move your bowels. While sitting on the toilet, placing your feet on a small step stool can position the rectum at an angle which makes it easier to pass stool. Bowels like a routine, so eating the same amounts around the same time of day helps to regulate the bowels. Bowels also like regular exercise to keep them moving. Eat a fiber rich diet . Plenty of decaffeinated fluid also helps to keep bowel movements soft.
Q. How much fiber should be in my diet? How much should I add at a time?
Q. Is there a difference whether I eat fiber or use a supplement?
Q. Do stool softeners really help?
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Causes Of Constipation After Colonoscopy
During the preparation for your colonoscopy, your colon needs to be emptied. This emptying process may cause a 1-2 days delay in your first bowel movement.
But a delayed bowel movement is different from constipation. With delayed bowel movement, you cant poop because of not enough colon contents to poop after colonoscopy.
But with Constipation, you cant poop after colonoscopy because your stool is hard, or you have a problem
With your colon motility.
A delay in your Bowel movement after colonoscopy for one or two days is common and is considered normal. this is because your colon needs to refill itself with fecal material again after colon prep.
But prolonged constipation with hard stool randy occurs, and it affects less than 2% of people undergoing colonoscopy .
constipation after colonoscopy can be due to:
How To Fix Bloating Indigestion Constipation And Acid Reflux
I recommend three things for these gastrointestinal issues. The very first thing you should do is use apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is highly acidic, which will help get your stomach pH level to between 1 and 3. The second thing I recommend is betaine hydrochloride. This is a natural acidifier. You can actually find both of these in the form of a single concentrated capsule for easy use. Use apple cider vinegar and betaine hydrochloride right before you eat to help acidify your stomach.
The last thing I recommend is purified bile salts. This helps to boost your bile if your body isn’t producing enough. As I mentioned earlier, bile is vital for breaking down food, so this will help with digestion issues and constipation.
Keep in mind that as you get older, your digestive system stops working optimally. Your stomach’s acidity diminishes, which makes digestion much more difficult. If you already have some of these digestive issues, give these tips a try and see how they work for you.
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What Causes You To Become Constipated
There are lots of reasons why you might feel constipated. It can be acute or chronic .
Constipation occurs when your digestion slows down for one reason or another, causing the stool to move too slowly through your digestive tract. Due to this very slow movement, the stool hardens and becomes almost impossible to pass.
Short term constipation is usually caused by:
- Changes in your diet – if your diet lacks fibre or its full of high-sugar, ultra-processed foods, this can reduce gut motility and result in constipation
- Changes in meal frequency this can be due to a busy schedule or traveling. Usually, when youre eating less frequently, youre more prone to constipation due to eating less fibre
- Medications certain medications can slow down digestion, such as diuretics, anti-hypertensive drugs, sedatives, opioids, and antidepressants
- Stress and hormonal changes stress and natural hormonal fluctuations may negatively impact gut motility
- Surgery or childbirth post-surgery or post-childbirth, you can experience short term constipation, often associated with sedatives and pain killers that are administered in these situations
If your constipation persists for several weeks, it becomes chronic. This can lead to a range of symptoms and it can severely affect your quality of life.
Chronic constipation usually results from an underlying medical condition or inadequacies in your diet. Here are the most common causes:
What Is A Bloated Stomach
A bloated stomach is first and foremost a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness in your belly. It may or may not be accompanied by a visibly distended abdomen. The feeling can range from mildly uncomfortable to intensely painful. It usually goes away after a while, but for some people, its a recurring problem. Digestive issues and hormone fluctuations can cause cyclical bloating. If your bloated stomach doesnt go away, you should seek medical care to determine the cause.
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Is It Normal To Have Severe Constipation After A Colonoscopy
I had a colonoscopy in mid-June. Since that procedure I have not been able to have a normal bowel movement. I have severe constipation more than relief. I can take 3 dosages of MiraLAx, Amitiza capsules 24 mg twice daily and Align and still have to strain to go. When I do get relief it is only pellets or diarrhea then the next day Im constipated again. Even in taking this much laxative I still have to take 2 Dulcolax tablets. What could this be and what should I do for help. I go sometimes 3 to 4 days without going anything.
Before your colonoscopy, tell your provider:
- If you are sensitive or allergic to any medicines, latex, tape oranesthesia medicines
- About all the medicines you take, including over-the-counter drugs, prescription medicines, vitamins, herbs and other supplements
- If you have a history of bleeding disorders
- If you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant