Chronic Constipation in Women

Chronic constipation affects one in six adults in their lifetime, so doctors have spent a great amount of time researching the causes and similarities between people that are affected by the conditionand those that are not. A study performed by D M Preston and J E Lennard-Jones from St. Mark’s Hospital in London (published in the journal Gut) investigates what the cause of chronic constipation may be for a series of 64 women who cam e in complaining of constipation (chronic variety).

Patients vs Control Group in Chronic Constipation Evaluation

The study was performed based on questionnaires filled out by a patient group of 64 women who complained of bowel disorders and constipation problems. A control group was formed by obtaining the same information for healthy women with no bowel complaints that were matched in age to the patient group. In each group, 40 women were also asked to keep a detailed journal of all food eaten for seven days. The mean age of all women is about 30 years old.

The control group and subjects were asked a series of questions including how old they were when they first remember a bowel problem or when they first saw a doctor for constipation treatment. Most women saw doctor for relief of constipation prior to the end of their teens. Many were dealing with the onset of constipation prior to the age of 5.

Chronic Constipation Treatments by Subjects

Many of the patients relied on some form of a laxative to induce the ability to have a bowel movement. Eight of the patients interviewed had already undergone a colectomy due to their severe chronic constipation problems. 42 of the subjects could only have a bowel movement with the help of an oral laxative, three had to use enemas and three had to defer to evacuant suppositories. These women also felt that their symptoms continued to worsen over time. The patients tried many types of laxatives over time with their effectiveness decreasing to the point of not working. In some cases, large doses of stimulant laxatives were necessary for a bowel movement.

Physically, the patients appeared to be healthy with only some instances of bloating and no excess gas. Changes such as melanosis coli (from the overuse of a natural laxative) were rarely noted in the patient group. Even though the study was done in 1986, the questions raised here are still relevant today. Gastroenterolists do not have the ability to diagnose and treat the causes of chronic constipation even today – relying on short-term laxative solutions instead of holistic whole body solutions.

Can Natural Supplements Provide Natural Constipation Relief?

The women in this study were greatly impacted by their condition by losing work time and even losing their job as a direct cause of chronic constipation. Finding a natural constipation relief may be dependent on utilizing several different forms of supplementation to address the nutritional deficiencies that may cause chronic constipation. When looking for the right supplement that can provide relief to constipation over the long term, the most important elements are osmotic to help bring hydration to the colon, probiotics to help rebalance the gut, and fiber for bulk and prebiotic effect.