In order to effectively solve your constipation problems, you should first identify what type of constipation you have, as different types of constipation treatment options have different focuses. Constipation can be divided into several conditions, and the causes of each type of constipation are different.
I. Depending on the cause Constipation can be divided into the following categories.
Secondary constipation also known as organic constipation, that is, constipation secondary to various intestinal and extraintestinal diseases, such as intestinal tumors, anal and perianal diseases, various causes of obstruction, intestinal adhesions, metabolic and endocrine diseases, systemic diseases, neurological or psychiatric diseases, etc. can cause constipation.
Primary constipation is also known as functional constipation or idiopathic constipation. It refers to constipation caused by poor dietary habits, poor bowel habits, colonic dysfunction and laxative abuse.
Second, according to the pathophysiological changes of constipation can be divided into the following categories.
Colonic transmission dysfunction (slow transmission constipation), also known as colonic weakness. As if the car engine malfunction, the car can not run normally, the colon lacks power, causing the intestinal contents to pass slowly, the rectal filling speed is slowed, resulting in reduced responsiveness of the rectum, or even sluggish; large intestine contraction is weak, the feces in the intestinal tract stay longer, the water in the feces is excessively absorbed, resulting in dry feces, which aggravates the difficulty of defecation. Constipation of this type occurs mostly in young or middle-aged women, and is characterized by a reduced number of bowel movements, a lack of bowel movement, and hard stools, thus highlighting the difficulty of defecation.
Outlet obstruction type of constipation A malfunctioning reservoir gate affects the ability to release flood water. Similarly, although the colonic motility is normal while transmitting stool, abnormal sensory function of the rectal wall, reduced or absent anorectal inhibition reflex, and impaired coordination of movements during defecation can also lead to obstruction of stool discharge during defecation, i.e., outlet obstruction. This is often characterized by straining to defecate, a feeling of incomplete defecation or a feeling of falling, low defecation volume, or even a lack of bowel movement.
Mixed constipation, i.e., a combination of colonic transmission dysfunction and outlet obstruction, the patient has the characteristics of the above two types of constipation at the same time.
Third, according to the severity of constipation can be divided into the following degrees.
Mild The symptoms are relatively mild, do not affect life, do not need medication, and can be improved by general treatment.
Moderate Between mild and severe.
Severe Constipation symptoms persist and are exceptionally painful, seriously affecting life, requiring medication or even suddenly ineffective after medication.
In addition, what we often call habitual constipation refers to constipation caused by a combination of various reasons such as poor living habits and poor dietary habits over a long period of time, i.e. primary constipation as we mentioned earlier. It usually occurs gradually and has a long duration, and the cause is mostly unclear. It may be related to dietary habits such as insufficient intake of food and food fiber, insufficient water intake, etc. It may also be related to the habit of suppressing bowel movement, insufficient exercise, low muscle strength of the abdominal muscle and anal sphincter, and long-term fatigue.
Persistent constipation, on the other hand, is a condition in which difficulty in defecation gradually develops at different ages due to congenital abnormalities in the anatomy of the colon and rectum. Intractable constipation often suggests that there are obvious organic changes in the colon and rectum, and is a type of constipation in which non-surgical treatment is not effective and drug therapy is not effective.
It is generally considered chronic constipation if the duration of the disease exceeds two years.
Chinese medicine on the classification of constipation Chinese medicine according to the etiology, clinical manifestations, stool properties, constipation is divided into real constipation, virtual constipation, wind constipation, cold constipation 4 major categories.
Actual constipation, like to eat spicy and thick, fried wine food, mostly caused by heat accumulation in the stomach and intestines; or because of depressed thinking, sedentary less moving, or fall, surgery, or phlegm and dampness turbid accumulation and other causes of qi stagnation and become actual constipation. It is divided into two types of treatment: heat constipation and gas constipation.
Void constipation Old age and weakness, or after illness, after childbirth, or exhaustion of the home resulting in deficiency of qi, blood, yin and fluid loss formed by deficiency constipation; divided into qi deficiency, blood deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency 4 types of constipation treatment.
Wind constipation wind constipation disease, by the wind fighting the lung, transmitted in the large intestine, so the transmission and transformation of difficult, or have wind disease also have more secret, or intestines and stomach by the wind, dry dry and secret, and for wind constipation.
Cold secret Yang and yin deficiency, or addicted to cold and cold, more for cold secret.