Severe constipation is not a new phenomenon. Almost every one of us might have had an experience of it; either directly (you are yourself a victim) or indirectly (you might have attended to someone who is closer to you).

Signs and Symptoms of Severe Constipation

Because it is a common condition, it is generally overlooked or rather left untreated; out of ignorance. Because of this, severe constipation develops and may pose a great threat to your health. Basically, severe constipation is a digestive system disorder in which, the bowel movements are often fewer (up to three times a week); the stool- which is normally hard, dry and small sized, is usually a tasking obligation to pass it out; and above all, bloating, cramping and straining may characterise the process of passing out stool (feces). As a matter of fact, a patient has always the urge to visit a toilet but upon doing so, the amount of stool, if any, is too small and does not correspond to the urge he or she had!

In general, severe constipation is an indication of another underlying problem. It could be a symptom of a nutritional problem such as malnutrition related diseases or it could be that you are suffering from a dietary problem. It could be that you are not taking proper diet. Either your food could be improperly cooked or it could be just that your foodstuffs are becoming too hard for your digestive system to handle.

Sometimes, it may be very serious to an extent that the patient cannot do anything, let alone walking around. The throbbing sensational feelings in your abdomen can be very painful making it difficult to walk around.

Prevention and Treatment of Severe Constipation

As mentioned earlier, severe constipation could be an indication of some other serious conditions. As such, treating only the symptoms could not be so helpful if the underlying problem is not dealt with properly. In as much as we appreciate the various methods of treating constipation, a patient should seek a medical advice because not all the treatment methods could be helpful. You just need diagnosis to establish which method of treatment best suits you.

However, besides treatment, a surest way to deal with the problem once and for all is to resort to preventive measures. For instance, severe constipation can be avoided if we feed on proper diets and lessen our sedentary lifestyles. Try as much as you can to avoid fatty foods. Instead, take a lot of fibrous foods. Ensure that your diet is rich in major nutrients. Ready-made processed foods are normally low in nutritional values and the fibres may be completely gone. In addition, taking a lot of fluids after your meals can help reduce severe constipation since chronic dehydration is avoided. Ideally you are advised to take about ten glasses of water.

Exercising not only helps the intestines in getting the required oxygen to facilitate digestion, but also ensures that it functions smoothly. Severe constipation can be avoided if we control our abuse of laxatives. All in all, seek long term solutions when dealing with this condition.

Self Management of Severe Constipation

Fecal impaction (difficulty in passing out stool or gas); otherwise called obstipation can be a cause of severe constipation. Knowing the root cause of constipation can help you in deciding which treatment to use. Obstipation can be eased by taking oral laxatives or enemas. Mineral oil enema plays a crucial role in lubricating the stool.

You can do the enemas yourself to help in easing of passing out of stool and therefore relieving severe constipation. All you need is an enema bag, lubricant and waterproof pads. However, always consult your health care provider before embarking on enemas or even any other self based treatment of constipation. As with mineral oil enema, fleet oil; which is readily available in pharmacies, helps in softening and lubricating- thus relieving fecal impaction.

Using the enema bag, apply pressure so as to allow water to move to the colon and soften and lubricate the digestive wastes there. Another form of enema is Milk and molasses enema. Severe constipation can be well managed only if you understand and appreciate signs and symptoms.