Don't Ignore Rectal Bleeding
Finding blood in places where it doesn’t belong, such as in your stool, can be alarming. Well, we suggest that you heed this alarm if it’s an ongoing issue and seek our help. Here’s why.
Why Am I So Constipated All the Time?
You envy those people who can set a clock to their bowel movements, as they don’t have to deal with the irregularity, bloating, and discomfort that plagues you. About 4 million people in the United States report frequent constipation, which accounts for the 2.5 million visits that are made to doctors’ offices each year for constipation — including our own here in Brooklyn.
As a gastroenterologist, Dr. Sam Weissman has a great deal of experience helping our patients to restore healthier, more comfortable bowel movements. The first step toward this goal is to figure out what's causing your constipation, and there are many possible culprits.
What happens when you’re constipated
We first want to spend a little time discussing what occurs in your digestive tract that leads to constipation. In short, there’s too little moisture in your stool because your colon has absorbed too much water from the waste. As a result, you’re left with hard, slow-moving stool that is uncomfortable to pass, not to mention the discomfort when it's backed up.
Defining constipation is tricky — it depends on your normal schedule. Some people have one or two bowel movements a day, so if they start to skip days, that’s constipation. Whatever your normal schedule, if your bowel movements become more sporadic and you’re finding it difficult to pass stool, this qualifies as constipation.
How lifestyle and diet influence constipation
If constipation is your only complaint, the odds are fairly good that the issue can be traced back to one of several lifestyle and diet factors, including:
Dehydration
Since constipation is defined by hard, dry stool, it makes sense that not drinking enough fluids can greatly impact the consistency and movement of your stools.
Lack of fiber
Fiber is incredibly important in helping stool to pass through your digestive system and clean out your colon. Your total dietary fiber intake should be around 25-35 grams per day, but most Americans only get 15 grams. And ideally, this intake needs to come from food, not supplements. For a list of high-fiber foods, click here.
Lack of movement
A sedentary lifestyle can also lead to constipation. When you move, your digestive system moves, so we recommend getting up and moving more if you want to improve the motility of your bowels.
Health issues that lead to constipation
While the lifestyle and diet factors we discussed above are often behind irregular bowel movements, there are some health issues that count constipation among their primary symptoms, such as:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Diverticulitis
- Stroke
- Colorectal cancer
As you can see, there are some serious health issues in this list, so ignoring ongoing constipation is never a good idea.
To get some answers about why you’re always constipated, it’s time to come see us. To get started, please call our Brighton Beach area office in Brooklyn, New York, at 609-793-9375 or request an appointment through this website.
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