Constipation and it’s  effects: How It Makes Anorectal Diseases More Complicate?

 What is constipation?

Constipation is a condition interpreted by people in different ways. But roughly it can be said that a person can be said to suffer from constipation when he/she has three or less than three bowel movements in a week, and/or has hard stools, difficult to pass.  Chronic constipation results in infrequent bowel movements or having a hard time in passing stools for many weeks and/or a feeling of incomplete evacuation even after passing stool. The stool is usually small, dry, and hard which makes the stool difficult to pass and it may be painful.

Constipation occurs when too much of water from the stool is being absorbed by the colon hence, the stool is dried up and causes difficulty in passing out.  Normally, food travels from small to large intestine (colon), which absorbs water. Then it is expelled out. In constipation, the movement of food through the large intestine occurs slowly and this gives the colon more time to absorb water, resulting in hard and dried up stools.

Self medication for constipation often results in chronic constipation. A prolonged use of laxatives damage the ‘hustral folds’ of the intestine making it difficult for the stool to pass through normally resulting in drug dependency.

Constipation can be for a short period of time or last longer. If the symptoms last for more than three months, then it is as considered chronic constipation. It can affect any age group and the treatment for chronic constipation depends on the cause.

How it causes piles/hemorrhoids:

When a patient is constipated, there is an urge to push harder. The straining leads to swelling of the veins around the anus and rectum. These swollen veins are known as hemorrhoids or piles.  Additionally, if a person sits for a long period of time or strains a lot with constipation or diarrhea, hemorrhoids may develop. Sitting for a long period of time in the toilet can put more pressure on the veins around the anus. Causing a delay to go to the toilet may worsen constipation and exacerbate hemorrhoid. The hemorrhoids can either be external or internal.

 How it causes fissures:

When a patient strains and passes hard stools, it may cause the nearby tissue around the anus to tear. The tears are usually small but may extend up to the internal sphincter which is a circular ring of smooth muscle.  When an anal fissure develops, the internal sphincter muscle goes into spasm which may lead to more tears and more pain while passing stool.  The pressure in the anal sphincters that control the anus may be the cause of the fissures.

The manifestations of anal fissures can cause constipation to worsen. The fear of pain while defecation may further deteriorate the situation.   The pain that occurs from anal fissures causes people from choosing not to have a bowel movement which leads to chronic constipation.

There are more chances of getting anal fissures if you had one earlier. Anal fissures can be painful during bowel movement; cause burning, itchiness and bleeding.

For better diagnosis and treatment, consult the best proctologist in India to receive the best fissure treatment in India and best piles treatment in India at Shreyas Ano Rectal Hospital and Research Center (www.proctocure.com).