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Constipation is an uncomfortable condition where you don’t pass a bowel movement for several days, or the stool is hard and challenging to pass. If you’re suffering from constipation and need help, Jack Husney, MD, offers personalized care and treatment in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. Dr. Husney provides a range of lifestyle changes and medications to help you loosen your bowel movements and become more regular, relieving your painful symptoms. Call the New York City office today to schedule an appointment or request a consultation on the website.
Constipation Q & A
What causes constipation?
Constipation happens when you don’t pass a bowel movement as often as usual. When you’re constipated, the stool is often hard and difficult to push out of your body.
There are various causes of constipation, ranging from mild to major medical problems. The most common reasons for constipation often include not eating enough fiber, not drinking enough fluids, and not exercising enough.
A combination of all three of these issues often leads to intermittent constipation. Still, there are other potential reasons as well, including:
- Certain medications like pain relievers
- Medical problems like diabetes
- Inflammation in the bowel
- Tumors or polyps
Constipation may be chronic, meaning you have it all the time, or acute, which is when it happens suddenly. In most cases of mild-to-moderate constipation, you can relieve symptoms with lifestyle changes and home remedies.
What are the symptoms of constipation?
The most significant symptom of constipation is the inability to have a bowel movement, even when you feel like you have to go. However, there are many other symptoms related to the condition, including the following:
- Dry or lumpy bowel movements
- Pain with bowel movements
- Bloating or a lot of gas
- Abdominal distension
- Abdominal pain
- Blood in your stool
Having fewer than three bowel movements per week usually indicates some form of constipation. You may have no symptoms except the inability to go to the bathroom, or your symptoms could be severe and highly uncomfortable.
If constipation continues despite home treatments and your symptoms get worse, it’s essential you seek help right away.
How is constipation treated?
Dr. Husney treats constipation based on your symptoms, fluid intake, exercise routine, and the underlying cause of the problem.
You can treat constipation at home by simply making some minor changes to your lifestyle. Drinking at least eight glasses of water daily and exercising regularly are great ways to reduce constipation.
One of the best steps to relieve constipation is eating more unprocessed foods that contain fiber. Eating foods rich in fiber helps the waste in your body move faster through your bowels, preventing a backup of stool and constipation.
If lifestyle measures alone aren’t enough to relieve constipation, Dr. Husney provides medications to relieve your symptoms and diagnostic tests to determine the cause and the proper treatment.
Call Jack Husney, MD today to schedule an appointment for constipation or request a consultation on the website.