What causes colon pain?

The human digestive system is very complex and large because it contains many different organs, each of which performs different functions. The intestines are an important digestive channel, mainly consisting of the large intestine and the small intestine. The small intestine is mainly located above the digestive system and the large intestine is located below the small intestine, so the large intestine is relatively close to the anus. But what is the cause of colon pain?

1. Primary factors

1. Dietary factors: Some people eat too little, eat too refined and fine food, and lack fiber and water in the food, which cannot form a certain amount of stimulation to the intestines. The intestinal peristalsis is slow, and food residues cannot be pushed into the rectum in time. The retention time in the intestine is prolonged, and too much water is absorbed, making the stool dry. The fecal residue that enters the rectum is small in amount and cannot form enough pressure to stimulate the nerve receptor cells to produce a defecation reflex, causing constipation.

2. Insufficient power for defecation. Defecation requires not only relaxation of the anal sphincter and upward and outward pulling of the levator ani muscles, but also the descent of the diaphragm, contraction of the abdominal muscles, and holding of breath to push the stool out. The elderly, the weak, the bedridden due to long-term illness, the postpartum period, etc., may suffer from insufficient defecation power due to weakened contraction of the diaphragm, abdominal muscles, and anal sphincter, and reduced abdominal pressure, resulting in incomplete defecation, residual feces, and constipation. Therefore, constipation is more common in the elderly.

3. Delaying defecation. Some people treat defecation as unimportant and can be done sooner or later, and ignore the habit of regular bowel movements; or because of busy work, emotional stress, travel, etc., they delay defecation, causing feces that have reached the rectum to return to the colon; or because of anal diseases such as anal fissures and hemorrhoids, fear of pain, fear of bleeding, and dare not defecate, they delay the interval between bowel movements. This may cause the nerve cells on the rectal wall to become less responsive to the pressure generated by feces entering the rectum, causing feces to stay in the rectum for a longer time without causing the feeling of defecation, resulting in habitual constipation.

4. Excessive water loss: Heavy sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss and fever can all cause water loss, compensatory causes of dry stools.

(II) Secondary factors

1. Organic obstruction: When the intestine is narrowed or compressed outside the intestine, such as benign and malignant tumors of the intestine, intestinal stenosis caused by chronic inflammation, rectal spasm and stenosis caused by megacolon, intestinal adhesions after surgery, partial intestinal obstruction, or huge tumors in the abdominal cavity, such as ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, as well as pregnancy, ascites compressing the large intestine, etc., the controllable feces are hindered from passing, and stay in the intestine for too long, forming constipation. In recent years, a new type of constipation has been discovered through technical examinations such as defecation radiography, anorectal manometry, colon transit time measurement, and pelvic floor electromyography, called outlet obstruction constipation (or pelvic floor muscle dysfunction). It is characterized by the presence of obstructive factors at the pelvic floor outlet during defecation, some of which can be eliminated or relieved by surgery. Exit obstruction constipation is not introduced here. Professionals can go to Exit Obstruction Constipation for more information.

2. Colorectal diseases such as allergic colitis, diverticulitis, Hirschsprung's disease and other diseases can cause colorectal spasms and movement disorders, resulting in poor stool passage and constipation.

3. Drug effects: Taking calcium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, atropine, propantheline, morphine, phenelzine, bismuth carbonate, etc., and metal poisoning such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and phosphorus can cause constipation.

Long-term abuse of laxatives reduces the responsiveness of the intestinal wall nerve receptor cells. Even if there is enough feces in the intestine, normal peristalsis and defecation reflex cannot occur, thus leading to stubborn constipation.

4. Mental factors: Strong mental stimulation, panic, emotional tension, sadness, anxiety or high concentration on a certain task will make the urge to defecate disappear and cause constipation.

In addition, nervous system disorders, endocrine disorders, vitamin deficiency, etc. can also cause constipation.

(III) TCM’s understanding of constipation

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that constipation is mainly caused by internal accumulation of dryness and heat, stagnation of Qi, lack of body fluid, and deficiency and coldness of the spleen and kidneys.

1. Internal accumulation of dryness and heat. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that overeating spicy and greasy foods, and taking too many warm and nourishing foods can cause excessive yang to burn yin. After a fever, residual heat lingers in the stomach and intestines, consuming body fluids. Or damp heat flows into the large intestine, causing dryness and heat in the intestines, damaging body fluids and causing constipation. This type of constipation is also called heat constipation.

2. Qi stagnation. Emotional discomfort, worry, anxiety, prolonged sitting, and long-term bed rest can cause Qi stagnation, which leads to dysfunction of the large intestine and retention of waste, resulting in constipation, the so-called "Qi stagnation and inability to move." The stool is not dry, but it is difficult to excrete, which is the characteristic of this type, so it is also called qi constipation.

3. Insufficiency of body fluid due to long-term illness, postpartum period, physical weakness in old age, deficiency of both Qi and blood; internal injury to the spleen and stomach, low water intake, insufficient source of body fluid, excessive sweating and diarrhea during illness that damages Yin, etc. If Qi is deficient, the large intestine will be unable to function. If blood is deficient and body fluid is deficient, the large intestine will lose moisture and nourishment, causing the intestine to become dry and difficult to defecate, which is called deficiency constipation.

4. Spleen and kidney deficiency and coldness due to old age and long-term illness, kidney yang is deficient, and the yang qi cannot circulate, so yin evil condenses; or there is insufficient spleen yang, and it is attacked by cold, which leads to spleen and kidney yang decline, and lack of warming power, so cold condenses and qi stagnates, the intestines are weak, and defecation is difficult, which is called cold constipation.