Constipation: Myths and Misconceptions
In 2005, a group of senior gastroenterologists, writing in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, questioned a number of commonly held beliefs concerning the causes and treatment of chronic constipation. I … Continue reading
Constipation: a consequence of embarrassment, suspicion, intrusion and bad habits.
Human beings are social animals. We talk, eat, work, relax and sleep in public. The only things we tend to do in private is defaecate and have sex. We are … Continue reading
Any progress on constipation? Working it out with a pencil.
Of all aspects of bowel function, constipation must be the one that has shown least progress and most confusion. It goes with the territory. Although constipation can occur in … Continue reading
Auto-intoxication revisited: could our diet be promoting the bacteria that slow down the colon?
Constipation isn’t just about the difficulty in passing faeces; it can also make you feel unwell. People with constipation often complain of headache, bad breath, furred tongue, anorexia, flatulence, irritability … Continue reading
Diarrhoea and constipation: chaos, control and a possible explanation.
One of the most intriguing questions about IBS is why some people have diarrhoea most of the time, others have constipation and others seem to alternate between those two opposing … Continue reading
Taming the stubborn bowel; a constipated person’s guide to defaecation.
The colon is an obstinate beast. It likes to have its own way and will not work to your order. The more you try to bend it to your … Continue reading
Nothing in, nothing out: but is there more to constipation?
Doctors tend not to consider IBS a serious condition; that would be a mistake. Although most people seem to cope with the occasional inconvenience of it and live a normal … Continue reading
IBS: How can diarrhoea and constipation coexist in the same illness
This is one of the biggest mysteries of IBS. Alternating diarrhoea and constipation is a well known subset of IBS, but it is not always balanced. Many people with diarrhoea … Continue reading
Stool Gazing: A Definitive Guide.
In the nineteen sixties before the age of scans and blood tests for everything, medical students were drilled on in the arts of history taking and clinical examination. Xrays and … Continue reading
The meaning of constipation
So why do people get constipated? Is it all due to the diet; not enough fruit, vegetables or cereal fibre? Do they have a disease affecting the motility of the … Continue reading
The Sensitive Gut 