1. Constipation In Children
Hard stool, infrequent bowel movement in Children are very common
Symptoms:
Hard Stool
Bowel movement every 2nd or 3rd day
Bloating/Gas
Abdominal Pain while passing stool
Causes:
- Fear of passing stool
- Less fibers in Diet
- Drinking less or infrequent water
- Milk allergy
- Certain pain medicines or antidepressant medicines
- Rarely low thyroid hormone
Treatment/Solution:
1. Make sure child is not afraid of passing stool.
These happen while starting toilet training or when child starts school. Child avoid going to toilet and hold stool, which cause stool to get dry and hard.
- Make a habit to make child sit on toilet for 10 minutes in the morning and evening. Once they stat passing stool at a regular time fear will go away.
2. Add more fibers in diet / Make child Eat at least two fruits and vegetables in a day
These include banana, apples, green vegetables, whole grains like roti and bread. Taking 2 prunes a day really helps.
3. Ask child to drink more water
Keep eye on how much water your child drink. 5 year old should drink atleast 5 glass of water a day.
4. Try changing milk or stopping milk for couple of days and see if that helps
5. Make sure child is active and doing enough exercise
Activity helps to relieve constipation. Play with child such as hide and sick, or tag or dancing. Now a days when outdoor games are becoming less and less and TV has made life sedentary, exercise is needed in form of free play.
5. If child is taking medicines which can cause constipation, stop medicines if not needed or try taking fiber tablets to avoid constipation
6. If constipation is associated with obesity and concentration problem, check child's thyroid hormone level with your physician.
More information can be found on following link by mayo clinic on constipation in children.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation-in-children/symptoms-causes/syc-20354242
2. Costipation in Adults
Two type of constipation in adult. Acute which can be due to bowel obstruction and chronic. Here we will discuss only on chronic constipation.
Symptoms;
- Straining while passing stool,
- difficulty in passing stool
- irregular/infrequent bowel movement.
long term non-treated constipation can cause following side effect
-Piles/ hemorrhoids - due to straining
-Anal Fissure- as hard stool rub and damage anal mucosa
Causes:
- Sedentary Life style
- Drinking less water
- Less fibers in Diet
- Obesity
- Drinking coffee and soda
- Pregnancy
- low thyroid hormone
- Antidepressant, codeine or opioid pain medicines
Solution:
1. Avoid coffee/ excessive black tea and sodas
2. Try changing or stopping milk
2. Drink plenty of water - 8 to 10 glass a day
3. Eat more fibers in Diet: fruits, vegetables, prune and prune juice helps
4. Exercise regularly- walk 20- 30 minutes a day
6. Use Castor oil coated rice, wheat and lentils rather than dry lentils
7. Reduce weight, check thyroid hormone and get treatment if you have hypothyroidism
8. Use fiber tablets and stool softner in case you also have anal fissure or piles
Hard stool, infrequent bowel movement in Children are very common
Symptoms:
Hard Stool
Bowel movement every 2nd or 3rd day
Bloating/Gas
Abdominal Pain while passing stool
Causes:
- Fear of passing stool
- Less fibers in Diet
- Drinking less or infrequent water
- Milk allergy
- Certain pain medicines or antidepressant medicines
- Rarely low thyroid hormone
Treatment/Solution:
1. Make sure child is not afraid of passing stool.
These happen while starting toilet training or when child starts school. Child avoid going to toilet and hold stool, which cause stool to get dry and hard.
- Make a habit to make child sit on toilet for 10 minutes in the morning and evening. Once they stat passing stool at a regular time fear will go away.
2. Add more fibers in diet / Make child Eat at least two fruits and vegetables in a day
These include banana, apples, green vegetables, whole grains like roti and bread. Taking 2 prunes a day really helps.
3. Ask child to drink more water
Keep eye on how much water your child drink. 5 year old should drink atleast 5 glass of water a day.
4. Try changing milk or stopping milk for couple of days and see if that helps
5. Make sure child is active and doing enough exercise
Activity helps to relieve constipation. Play with child such as hide and sick, or tag or dancing. Now a days when outdoor games are becoming less and less and TV has made life sedentary, exercise is needed in form of free play.
5. If child is taking medicines which can cause constipation, stop medicines if not needed or try taking fiber tablets to avoid constipation
6. If constipation is associated with obesity and concentration problem, check child's thyroid hormone level with your physician.
More information can be found on following link by mayo clinic on constipation in children.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation-in-children/symptoms-causes/syc-20354242
2. Costipation in Adults
Two type of constipation in adult. Acute which can be due to bowel obstruction and chronic. Here we will discuss only on chronic constipation.
Symptoms;
- Straining while passing stool,
- difficulty in passing stool
- irregular/infrequent bowel movement.
long term non-treated constipation can cause following side effect
-Piles/ hemorrhoids - due to straining
-Anal Fissure- as hard stool rub and damage anal mucosa
Causes:
- Sedentary Life style
- Drinking less water
- Less fibers in Diet
- Obesity
- Drinking coffee and soda
- Pregnancy
- low thyroid hormone
- Antidepressant, codeine or opioid pain medicines
Solution:
1. Avoid coffee/ excessive black tea and sodas
2. Try changing or stopping milk
2. Drink plenty of water - 8 to 10 glass a day
3. Eat more fibers in Diet: fruits, vegetables, prune and prune juice helps
4. Exercise regularly- walk 20- 30 minutes a day
6. Use Castor oil coated rice, wheat and lentils rather than dry lentils
7. Reduce weight, check thyroid hormone and get treatment if you have hypothyroidism
8. Use fiber tablets and stool softner in case you also have anal fissure or piles
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