Constipation & Bowel Health
Question: What could it mean if you occasionally
bleed after a large bowel movement?
Answer: Many different things can cause what you
describe, and most of the time it's not a sign of a serious illness. Causes may
include
- Hemorrhoids--swollen blood vessels near the anus and in the lower
rectum.
- Anal fissures--tearing in the lining of the anus.
- Infections.
- Ulcers or ulcerative colitis.
- Diverticular disease--pockets in the colon that may occasionally
bleed.
- Problems with the blood vessels of the bowel.
Hemorrhoids and anal fissures
are the most common causes of bleeding with bowel movements. Very large bowel
movements may lead to excessive straining as well as excessive pressure in the
rectum. Very hard stools can make this worse. All of these things may make
hemorrhoids worse or cause an anal fissure.
Taking a stool softener like
Colace may help to reduce the stress caused by large, hard bowel movements.
Other common remedies to help reduce the pain of hemorrhoids and anal fissures
include using sitz baths and Epsom salts.
Occasionally, anal fissures may
have to do with other problems. You should contact your doctor if you're still
worried about your bleeding or if you have any of these symptoms:
- Heavy bleeding.
- Fissures that don't heal.
- Fevers.
- Chills.
- Pain in your abdomen.
Question: What is Constipation?
Answer: Constipation is a relative
term. There is wide variability is what is considered normal patterns of bowel
elimination. While some healthy people may have consistently soft or near runny
stools others may have consistently hard firm stools but no difficulty in
passing them.
When the stool is hard, infrequent, and requires significant effort to pass,
the person has constipation. Constipation may cause discomfort with passage of
stools, and passage of large caliber stools may tear the mucosal membrane of
the anus, especially in children, causing bleeding and the possibility of an
anal fissure.
Constipation can be caused by changes in diet, decrease in physical activity,
lack of toilet facilities, behavior and psychological problems, dehydration,
diseases of the bowel, neurological diseases, congenital diseases, medications,
and many other causes.
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