6 symptoms of chronic constipation

Today, we are going to check together the symptoms of chronic constipation.

For years, many US physicians have defined constipation as irregular or infrequent bowel movements. But we have now come to recognize that that is not the only criteria for defining a you having constipation.

We have now come to recognize that there are at least six common symptoms that patients present with.

Symptoms to recognize chronic constipation

1. You have to strain excessively to have a bowel movement
2. You pass very hard pellet-like stools
3. You have to use digital maneuvers to either take stool or support your opening areas to facilitate the bowel movement.
4. You have this constant feeling that you need to, although you have had a bowel movement, you feel incompletely empty.
5. You feel there’s a blockage in the anal region
6. You are having less than three bowel movements a week.

Any of these six symptoms means a patient has constipation.

And usually, most physicians and experts would use two of these six as a reason to call them chronic constipation. So these I think are the common symptoms that most patients with constipation have.

What symptoms should you be worried about?

Here are the symptoms you should be worried about and call your doctor.

You should get really worried if :

1. these symptoms have suddenly come on, rather than if you have had it for months to years,
2. in addition to these symptoms, you are having pain, particularly at nighttime,
3. you see a drop of blood either when you wipe or when you see blood in the pan,
4. you actually feel that there is something growing or some mass or some bulge in your bottom end or in your belly, I think that is a cause for concern,
5. you are waking up at night, with gas and bloating and distension, that then you should be concerned about this symptom,
6. if you’re losing weight with constipation.

So these are all some of the concerns or alarming features.

Particularly you need to pay attention if you have started a new drug or a new treatment. you may become constipated.

Let’s say you may have high blood pressure you have gone to the doctor doctors made a good diagnosis, have treated you with a good medicine, your blood pressure has come down but now you have developed a new symptom.

So, you need to be aware and tuned into this possibility that drugs and medications can cause constipation which is a common problem.

Or you have developed a new condition like your thyroid gland is not working or diabetes is happening so those are all the things one needs to be aware of.