For anyone who has ever felt the urge to have a bowel movement to no avail, they know how uncomfortable and frustrating it can be. Not being able to have a productive bowel movement is something that every individual will experience in their lifetime at one point or another. In most cases, it can be a condition that is fleeting, and is rarely serious, but for some sufferers, it can be a chronic condition marked with pain and secondary consequences. There are many different definitions of constipation and ways in which it is diagnosed, and they vary between episodes as well as between people. Because each person has their own regulation for bowel elimination, having one clear way for it to be diagnosed in Los Angeles, and to know what the causes are can be difficult.
Constipation is when a person can not have an efficient bowel movement. When trying to move the bowels, they either have discomfort, experience a straining to pass stool, or they are unable to pass them all together. The severity of the constipation can vary each time you consider yourself constipated. For some, not having a daily bowel movement is troublesome, while still others can go for two to three days before they experience any kind of adverse effect. Each system is different and so too will be the the way that constipation is diagnosed.
What is Constipation in General Terms
Constipation is when a person’s colon does not have enough water to pass stool from it efficiently. When the colon absorbs too much fluid from the food we eat, it makes the feces hard and dry. When it becomes harder than average, it then becomes more difficult for the colon to move through the system and can cause discomfort for the individual. The overall underlying cause of constipation, therefore, is lack of enough fluid in the bowel for your system to operate optimally. The cause for the over-absorption by the colon is usually a slow digestive tract.
There are many reasons why a digestive tract will not function at the speed it should to keep a person regular. When an individual changes their daily routine in subtle ways it can have an effect on the overall functioning of their body systems. Not getting enough physical activity, sitting for long periods of time, or dehydration, can all lead to the digestive tract not properly moving the way that it should. Other conditions that can effect your system and lead to constipation being diagnosed in Los Angeles is pregnancy, lack of overall fluid intake, poor eating habits, destructive eating habits. travel, stress, pain mediations and high intake of certain foods such as dairy.
How is Constipation Diagnosed in Los Angeles?
The problem with how constipation is diagnosed is that it is highly specific to the individual. Because each individual has their own cycle of regularity what may be diagnosed as constipation in one individual may be regular and normal for another. While some people have one or more bowel movements a day, others can go for up to three days without being diagnosed with constipation. Being diagnosed with constipation is a combination between clinical definitions and the experience of the individual.
In medical terms, constipation is diagnosed as having a hard stool, or one that is uneasy to pass more than 25% of the time, not being able to completely evacuate the bowels when attempting a bowel movement, or having to strain to produce one more than a quarter of the time. If you are having a chronic, or acute episode, that is the way in which it will be diagnosed in Los Angeles. Again, because each individual’s system is different every person will be diagnosed differently according to their overall experience and symptom base.
When Should I Seek the Advice of a Clinician to be Diagnosed with Constipation
If your bowel movements are hard, or are causing you straining or pain, you should seek the consult of a colorectal specialist in Los Angeles. Although in most cases constipation will be something that can be treated with dietary changes and over the counter, or natural remedies, if it is a persistent problem, or one that is causing you significant trouble, the help of a professional is always advised.