Everyone has been constipated once in a while, but how many of us have ever bothered to find out the cause and magnitude of damage it can cause especially if it persists?

Constipation is a condition in which there is difficulty in emptying the bowels, usually associated with hardened stool, according to Stanley Ngarukiye, a public health consultant at Mount Kenya.

Cause of constipation

Though not usually serious, constipation can be a concern and according to experts, it can be caused by different factors.

Diets that are low in fiber can cause constipation since fiber is important in maintaining a soft stool. Also when one eats lots of hard foods like cassava, sweet potatoes or yams, there is a possibility of them getting constipated, Ngarukiye explains.

He also adds that if the liver is sick, its ability to produce bile (an acid which facilitates digestion) is affected hence constipation.

"Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Conditions that trigger the imbalance of hormones may lead to constipation. For example diabetes or pregnancy can lead to change in hormones hence leading to constipation because of high levels of estrogen and progesterone,” Ngarukiye adds.

Claude Bimenyimana, a general practitioner, explains that diseases of the intestines can also cause constipation. Diseases such as hirschsprung, a disease of the large intestine, can cause severe constipation because the disease leads to absence of nerve cells that signal muscles in the large intestine to push stool toward the anus.

"Stress can also cause constipation, a certain amount of stress or anxiety represses the gastrocolic reflex, an unconscious action by the gastrointestinal tract that precedes a bowel movement,” Bimenyimana says.

In some cases, according to him, certain medications also cause constipation. Narcotic pain medications such as codeine and antidepressants such as amitriptyline can cause constipation.

Consequences of constipation

Bimenyimana explains that it’s rare for one to have serious constipation consequences that calls for operation unless if it involves diseases of the intestines.

Chronic constipation removes the thinning of the large intestine, also removes mucosal membrane which causes flat lesions and polyps that eventually transform into colon cancer.

Straining while passing stool leads to enlarged internal hemorrhoids and anorectal nerve damage which causes incomplete emptying and in the end makes stools larger hence worsening the situation.

Dealing with constipation

Isaac Bikorimana, a nutritionist at Kibagabaga Hospital, explains that in most cases constipation comes as a result of poor nutrition and this can come as a result of consumption of particular foods that are hard to digest.

"One can resort to consumption of enough amounts of water daily; one can also try warm liquids especially in the morning. And to boost diet, one can try and eat fruits and vegetables; this will soften up the stomach,” Bikorimana says.

Bimenyimana advises one to exercise as this can help speed things up. "Exercise helps by decreasing the time it takes food to move through the intestine,” he adds.

According to research done by Mayo Clinic, one can also use stool softeners to help deal with constipation. Stool softeners such as Colace and Surfak moisten the stool by drawing water from the intestines.

One can also choose to take medications that draw water into the intestines and speed up the movement of stool.

One can always try out means to prevent constipation and as advised by experts, you should resort to other means like surgery as an option if you have tried other treatments and failed, or if the constipation has become chronic.