Constipation consists of the situation in which a person has less than three bowel movements a week, with hard and dry stools, difficult to evacuate that can even be painful. This situation can also be accompanied by a sensation of incomplete evacuation, bloating, discomfort and abdominal pain.

According to data from the Fundación Española del Aparato Digestivo, it affects between 12 and 20% of the Spanish population, being more frequent in women and the elderly.

What could cause constipation?

A good starting point is to differentiate between the two types of constipation that can be suffered:

• Acute or occasional constipation: that which occurs punctually and which can be due to multiple transitory causes (changes in diet or routine, travel, specific pharmacological treatments, etc.).
• Chronic constipation: that constipation that lasts more than 3 months and can be due to multiple causes. Likewise, it can be classified as:
  • Functional or primary: due to functional alterations at the intestinal level.
  • Secondary: it derives from other metabolic or neurological diseases or is a consequence of the side effect of other drugs that the patient takes and that can cause constipation.

Therefore, the most frequent causes of constipation are the following:

• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Diet with low fiber content, causing an insufficient volume of stool.
• Emotional situations such as stress: Stress can affect our body in many ways, even causing constipation and imbalances in our intestinal transit.
• Changing routine or travel (known as traveler’s constipation).
• Pregnancy. As a consequence of hormonal changes, changes in lifestyle (more sedentary lifestyle, change of diet, etc.) or due to the pressure exerted by the uterus on the intestine in the third trimester, they can cause alterations in intestinal transit.
• Secondary diseases at the intestinal, metabolic or neurological level.
• Short or long-term pharmacological treatments.

How could I prevent/avoid constipation?

First of all, you should know that having a healthy lifestyle is essential to avoid or prevent constipation.

• Eat a variety of foods, including foods rich in fiber. A diet rich in fiber can help maintain the normal rhythm of your intestinal transit. In addition, it increases the size of the stool and changes its consistency, making it softer, making it easier to pass.
• Hydrate yourself well by drinking enough water.
• Get moving! Try to do physical activity every day. You don’t need to make great efforts, walking counts, and if you can do it at a brisk pace, even better!
• Try to establish schedules for going to the bathroom, especially after a meal. Part of the constipation may be our fault for not spending enough time going to the bathroom… It is true that you cannot always plan a specific time to go to the bathroom, but if you try to get your body used to going at specific times (in the morning, before going to bed), it may gradually adjust to following those schedules.

If these hygienic and dietary measures are not enough, it is time to consult a healthcare professional (pharmacist/doctor) and ask for professional advice. They will be able to advise you on whether you should resort to pharmacological treatment (oral or rectal laxatives) and will inform you how to do so.