Causes of long-term constipation

Constipation is something that most people have experienced, and many people suffer from long-term constipation due to various reasons. Long-term constipation can cause great harm to the body. The most common consequence is that it causes internal heat, which is what many people usually call "getting angry". Getting angry can cause great harm to a person, and many people have experienced this. In addition, there are many dangers of long-term constipation.

Long-term constipation is painful for everyone. Just imagine, if we only eat without defecating every day, what will our body become? At that time, our body can be said to be a "garbage dump", and many diseases will follow.

So, let’s talk about the causes of long-term constipation.

Frequent constipation, also known as habitual constipation or functional constipation, refers to long-term chronic functional constipation, which is more common in the elderly. It means having bowel movements less than 3 times a week or often having difficulty in defecation.

Causes of long-term constipation

Psychological factors

Emotional tension, sadness and anxiety, high concentration on a certain task, or strong mental stimulation such as panic can lead to cortical and autonomic nervous system disorders and are the main causes of constipation.

Slow gastrointestinal motility

Lack of B vitamins, hypothyroidism, endocrine disorders, nutritional deficiencies, etc. can affect the entire gastrointestinal motility, causing food to pass slowly and resulting in constipation.

Hypermotility of the bowel

When the parasympathetic nerves that promote intestinal hypermotility are abnormally excited, it can lead to abnormal intestinal movements and spastic contractions, which can cause alternating constipation or diarrhea, and the discharge of hard stools like sheep dung that are cut by the spasmodic colon.

Insufficient intestinal stimulation

If you eat too little or the food does not contain enough fiber and water, the intestines will not be stimulated enough to cause reflex peristalsis of the colon and rectum. As a result, food residues stay in the intestines for too long, the water is fully absorbed, and the stool becomes dry and difficult to excrete. Most of the popular spiritual diets in the West are high in nutrients but lack fiber. The amount consumed at one time is very small, so constipation can easily occur due to insufficient stimulation of the intestines.

Lack of motivation to defecate

The surgery damages the anal muscles. The elderly, frail, long-term illness or postpartum women may suffer from weakened contraction of the diaphragm, abdominal muscles and levator ani muscles, resulting in a lack of motivation for defecation, difficulty in excreting feces and constipation.

Reduced irritability of the intestinal wall

After diarrhea, the nerve receptor cells in the intestinal wall often reduce defecation activity in response to stress, causing constipation in order to fight diarrhea and maintain normal physiology. Long-term use of stimulant laxatives can also reduce the irritability of the intestinal wall, leading to worsening constipation.

There are many reasons for long-term constipation, which are generally manifested as: long-term constipation caused by psychological factors, long-term constipation caused by poor gastrointestinal function, long-term constipation caused by lack of defecation motivation, etc. These are the main reasons for a person's long-term constipation. Of course, there are many other reasons that cause a person to suffer from long-term constipation, and there are some other reasons that we don't know. No matter what the cause of long-term constipation is, it is best for our patients to receive timely treatment.