Persistent Issues In Proper Diagnosis Of Constipation
(Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only, and does not endorse or support any of the products mentioned. Moreover, readers should always seek the support of a qualified physician in making health-related choices. The author is a layman and certainly not a doctor and is only providing research obtained from other sources.)
Numerous statistical figures have quoted that the impact of constipation to be as low as 2% to as high as 30%. A large recent 2006 survey conducted by the famous pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim pinpoints the number to be at 12% worldwide. Even at 2% though, most people would agree that constipation seems to be a problem afflicting a broad segment of the population.
The uncertainty of survey results stems partly from the fact that defining constipation is difficult. For example, asked what a normal frequency for passage of stool is, the average person might reply anywhere from every day to every three days. Furthermore, many will complain about other types of symptoms associated with constipation, such as hard feces, or very slow expulsion when sitting on the toilet seat. Such variations confound the interpretation of statistics, giving rise to numbers as low as 2% and as high as 30%.
Diagnosis of disease is followed by the monumental goal of pinning down the primary cause in each patient. Diagnosis is easy if there are many other tell-tale signs, such as those found in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. In another subgroup, patients may suffer from nerve and muscle damage that are the culprits of constipation. But for a very large group, physicians will be unable to find a cause. In this large group, the condition is simply called “idiopathic constipation”.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient’s self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
Physician-prescribed constipation pharmaceuticals are another option. These include conventional laxatives as well as advanced chemicals that have specific effects on certain functions of the colonic tract. More recently, novel and interesting therapies such as biofeedback training have been investigated for efficacy in medical studies. The state of the art is expected to evolve quickly.
If you are intent on treatment for constipation, come check out our site. Additional resources supplied for constipation home remedies can be read here.
categories: herbal medicine,nutrition,supplements,weight loss,food,colon cancer,medical,womens issues,mens issues,general health
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment