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What causes constipation? And how is constipation medically defined? Get the basics on this common gastrointestinal complaint here....
Constipation is defined differently by different people. Learn to identify signs and symptoms of constipation and know when to ask for medical help....
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Q: Causes of constipation
asked by: DoctorQuestion on August 31st, 2009
so for the last year and a half i have been suffering from severe lower rt sided abdominal pain. when i first saw the doctor he sent me for an ultrasound to see if it was cysts or an appendix attack. it showed bilateral ovarian cysts. 3mnths later a followup ultrasound was done because i was still having lots of pain it showed the cyst were no longer there. gyno could find no reasons for my pain and just put me on pain killers. for the last 6mnths i have now been having bowel problems with severe pain and ended up in er on 2 occasions due to constipation. the second visit the doc ordered a ct due to my severe pain and nausea along with the constipation. i was told it was normal for an appendix again. as of late im still having lower right pain, along with bouts of consitpation pain now under my belly button, and also on occasion when i urinate or try to defecate i get severe stabbing pain in the rt had side causing me to stop.


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Dr. Goce Aleksovski , MD
replied on September 8th, 2009
Digestive and Bowel Disorders Answer A7219


Given the data you provided (severe lower right abdominal pain sometimes related to urination and defecation, bouts of constipation pain), you might be experiencing gasses related to constipation. In constipation, the feces passage is slowed and the food decomposes further. This increases the amount of gasses in the bowels. The gasses might inflate the bowels, thus causing pain, if not released.


Constipation might be caused by an inadequate diet low in diet fibers that give the biggest part of the volume to the feces. Without them there simply is not enough feces to start the reflex of defecation. The pain might intensify during defecation or urination, because, in these cases, the abdominal pressure increases and more pressure is put on the bowels, too.


Bad eating habits, as well as stress might cause constipation. Pathological conditions in the anal area might cause pain during defecation. This might lead to reduced defecation and subsequently to constipation.


You might want to visit your family doctor for a physical examination and laboratory tests. You might be referred to a specialist for internal diseases (particularly eneterologist). Visual diagnostic methods (colonoscopy, for example) might be recommended to detect the cause of this condition.


The doctors might also want to rule out the presence of colitis (inflammation of the colon), which is usually presented with blood in the stool. The blood might only be spots, which you might have missed.
If only constipation is diagnosed, your doctor might recommend taking more food rich in dietary fibers. An enema might be recommended for regular defecation, which would also release the gasses.




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