The Correlation Between Diseases and Constipation

For many people constipation is something they cannot do anything about. It is merely a side effect of some other aspect of their life. Unfortunately there are a number of diseases that see the need for constipation relief as a side effect. Let's look at a few of them and why this happens.

Digestive Ailments

For most people, this would be common sense. Why wouldn't a problem somewhere along the line of the digestive system cause more side effects such as constipation?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a condition that is often called spastic colon by many people. The reason is because that is just what happens, the colon spasms periodically. IBS can be a confusing ailment that can lead to diarrhea one day and constipation the next. It is also usually coupled with discomfort as you search for constipation relief.

There are plenty of other digestive issues that could be leading to the problem as well. Among them are diverticulitis, diverticulosis, tumors, or any type of scar tissue on the colon or rectum. Any of these can make going to the bathroom painful. The body likes to avoid pain and may try to hold off on a bowel movement until it's less painful. This means waste that should be leaving is staying in the body longer than it should and can lead to constipation. Since the wall of the colon and rectum is sensitive, and likely damaged, these can also lead to blood in the stool.

Neurological Ailments

While you may think the brain is nowhere near the colon and rectum, it still has a lot to say about what happens in that area of the body. That means if you have a neurological disorder, where your brain is having a tough time communicating with the rest of your body, you may have a tougher time with constipation and be in desperate need of constipation relief.

It is the brain's job to send messages to your body to tell the muscles in your intestines and colon to contract and move waste out of the system. If the messages can't get there from your brain, your body may not know when to remove waste and cause a back up in the system.

This is commonly seen in those with neurological disorders from spinal cord injuries, stroke, Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

Metabolic Ailments

Other types of ailments that can impact your body's ability to have regular bowel movements are those that impact the metabolic or endocrine systems. Included in this list are thyroid conditions, Uremia, Diabetes and Hypercalcemia.

These ailments all impact the way the body processes nutrients or is able to supply the body with the nutrients it needs.

For those that alter the metabolism, they may cause food to move more slowly through your body, meaning that it will take longer for waste to make it's way out of your system, giving it time to harden up and leaving you in dire need of constipation relief.

Others of these ailments cause your body to need much more water than it may need normally. That water is pulled from the food items that are going to be your bowel movements. The more water that is pulled out, the drier your bowel movements will be and the more prone you are towards constipation.