The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Reporter

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

MANY people shy away from talking about digestive health issues, especially when it involves infrequent bowel movements. Instead of discussing the problem with a qualified medical professional they suffer in silence, or find their own remedies.

Dr Gemma Rolle, a gastroenterologist, stressed the importance of seeking immediate attention when constipation becomes a problem because it has the potential to reduce the quality of one’s life.

She was the speaker during the Doctor’s Hospital distinguished lecture series “Listen to Your Gut”, last month. During the lecture Dr Rolle focused on common digestive health issues, and how they can be managed. She said constipation is a common complaint.

Constipation occurs when bowel movements become difficult or less frequent. The normal length of time between bowel movements ranges widely from person to person. Some people have bowel movements three times a day, others, only one or two times a week.

“Some people do not like to have bowel movements outside of their homes. The best time to have a bowel movement is first thing in the morning. When you get up you probably need to allow yourself more time to eat your breakfast, read the paper, and watch the news. Try to have your bowel movements at that time. That is the best time to do so. Some people cannot have their bowel movements at work, at the gym or wherever else they want to go. But when you are ready to go it may not occur because you have trained your bowels not to go at the time it wants to move.”

Dr Rolle said constipation affects one in three adults and one third of seniors.

“Most commonly persons complain about having infrequent bowels. You can consider yourself constipated (if you experience) two of these symptoms: straining to pass stool, passing lumpy or hard stools, having manual maneuvers to facilitate evacuation, having a sense of incomplete evacuation, or sensation of anorectal obstruction or blockade,” Dr Rolle said.

There are a range of issues that commonly cause constipation, including, psychological conditions, anorexia, severe depression, mechanical obstruction, for instance masses, stricture, prior surgery and some medications.

“Not having frequent bowel movements may reduce the quality of life especially in our Bahamian community. We need to have our bowel movements and when we have those tight bowels it maybe a problem. Some people like to have a bowel movement after every meal, some like to have a bowel movement everyday, which is not necessary. But it can reduce your quality of life because you might miss work, you cannot function at work because everything boils down to when your last bowel movement occurred.

“It can also be a significant economic burden for instance rushing to the emergency room because you have not had your bowel movement for the day. It can also become an economic burden because you have to purchase over the counter medication to relieve yourself,” said Dr Rolle.

When a person comes to Dr Rolle and their complaint is constipation, she finds out what is most distressing.

“I always want to know what is so distressing so that we can perhaps get to the bottom of why they are having constipation, and address them. The most distressing part can be the sudden or recent change, infrequency, straining, hard stools, unsatisfied defecation, bloating or muscle pain,” she said.

Any changes in the frequency of bowels is cause for concern. However, sometimes the answer to the issues are simple for instance incorporating more water and fibre into a daily diet as well as taking stool softeners with various pain killers can go a long way.