In my previous articles, I already talked about acute abdominal complaints, the so-called acute abdominal symptoms, gastrointestinal bleeding and the importance of screening tests, the differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea and the treatment of reflux disease.
I described that gastrointestinal symptoms - like all symptoms and complaints - must be interpreted together with an overview of the human body as a whole, with the involvement of a specialist, because this is the only way we can get a meaningful diagnosis and proper examination.
In the following, we will talk about constipation, which is also very common, or obstipatio in medical terms, which symptom is not only unpleasant and can therefore lead to a significant deterioration in the quality of life, but can also be a sign of serious diseases.
It is a misconception that the amount of liquid that enters the gastrointestinal tract through the mouth is the largest part. Of course, this is the component that we can influence the most, but a total of 8-9 liters of liquid enters the gastrointestinal tract per day. Surprising, isn't it? But we are about to shed light on what it is all about. Let's assume the lucky situation that the daily intake reaches 2 liters. Added to this is the body's own fluid production. Saliva adds one and a half liters a day, gastric juice two and a half liters and the pancreas also adds another one and a half litres! Even bile secretion contributes half a liter to this amount. And 97-98% of this total of 8-9 liters of liquid is reabsorbed in the small and large intestine!
The system usually works wonderfully, although a decrease in fluid intake, reabsorption or excretion, even a small change of 1-2%, causes symptoms - in this case, diarrhea or constipation.
the previous one in our previous article , now we present the causes of constipation.
Please note that the frequency and consistency varies from individual to individual and depends on many factors. In the case of constipation as well, as in scientific thinking in general, we strive for a precise definition, there is a gastroenterological consensus on this, but to summarize briefly, we consider the condition when the frequency falls below the usual level causing complaints to be pathological.
However, before looking for a disease in the background of the symptom at all costs, it is worth knowing that
the complaint is often caused by the presence of one or more of the following three causes.
- Daily fluid intake is low
- Fiber intake decreases due to inadequate nutrition
- Sedentary lifestyle developed for some reason
It follows from what has been said above that in the event of a complaint of this nature (also) the reasons must be revealed, as the case may be
finding the underlying disease is the most important task.
Therefore, in the event of a long-standing or newly appearing complaint, we should definitely consult a specialist.
However, with some simple lifestyle precautions, we can do it ourselves to avoid this unpleasant symptom.
First of all, especially in the case of children and the elderly, pay attention to adequate fluid intake.
Secondly, let's take care of the necessary, beneficial fiber intake. In the table below, we list foods with a high fiber content, and we note that the fiber tables easily available on the Internet can help us with detailed data.
Foods providing a high fiber intake
- cereal bran (mainly wheat bran),
- foods made from these (muesli, bran bread)
- dry legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, yellow peas)
- oily seeds (walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower, poppy) and other seeds (flax, sesame)
- Brown rice
- vegetables (peas, corn, spinach, celery, cabbage)
- fruits
(Meat, fish, milk and milk products, eggs, oils, fats do not contain fiber at all)
Thirdly, let's move actively every day , choosing the right type of intense physical exercise, which can be swimming, cycling, running, light hiking or walking.
Author: Dr. György Temesszentandrasi
Cover image: Martin Büdenbender / Pixabay
