Constipation. IBS , ODS and Fecal Incontinence are included among the functional bowel disorders, and have a significant personal, healthcare, and social impact, affecting the quality of life of the patients who suffer from them. Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. It occurs when a person has difficulty emptying the large bowel.
Constipation is a broad term used by both patients and doctors, with variable meaning. Constipation can happen for many reasons, such as when stool passes through the colon too slowly. The slower the food moves through the digestive tract, the more water the colon will absorb and the harder the feces will become. Sometimes, constipation results from a blockage in the large intestine. In this case, a person will need urgent medical attention. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is characterized by the presence of recurrent abdominal pain associated with bowel habit changes, whether in the form of constipation or diarrhea or combining both. The symptoms vary in severity and duration from person to person. However, they last at least three months for at least three days per month. ODS (Obstructed defecation Syndrome) is difficulty in evacuation or emptying the rectum which may occur even with frequent visits to the toilet and even with passing soft motions. The conditions that can create the symptom are sometimes grouped together as defecation disorders. Its symptoms can also overlap with symptoms of incontinence. Again constipation and fecal incontinence are 2 forms of evacuatory dysfunction that cause significant morbidity across ages and populations. Both are end symptoms of a range of etiologies that are often linked. Fecal Incontinence is an inability to control bowel movement, causing stool (feces) to leak unexpectedly from the rectum.
