Functional Constipation
Accumulating evidence indicates that greater dietary fiber intakes reduce risk for functional constipation.
Wikipedia
Functional constipation, known as chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), is constipation that does not have a physical (anatomical) or physiological (hormonal or other body chemistry) cause. It may have a neurological psychological or psychosomatic cause. A person with functional constipation may be healthy, yet has difficulty defecating.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Chronic idiopathic constipation is similar to constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C); however, people with CIC do not have other symptoms of IBS, such as abdominal pain. Diagnosing CIC can be difficult as other syndromes must be ruled out as there is no physiological cause for CIC. Doctors will typically look for other symptoms, such as blood in stool, weight loss, low blood count, or other symptoms.
To be considered functional constipation, symptoms must be present at least a fourth of the time. Possible causes are:
- Anismus
- Descending perineum syndrome
- Other inability or unwillingness to control the external anal sphincter, which normally is under voluntary control
- A poor diet
- An unwillingness to defecate
- Nervous reactions, including prolonged and/or chronic stress and anxiety, that close the internal anal sphincter, a muscle that is not under voluntary control
- Deeper psychosomatic disorders which sometimes affect digestion and the absorption of water in the colon
Research
A 2014 meta-analysis of three small trials evaluating probiotics showed a slight improvement in management of chronic idiopathic constipation, but well-designed studies are necessary to know the true efficacy of probiotics in treating this condition.
Children with functional constipation often claim to lack the sensation of the urge to defecate, and may be conditioned to avoid doing so due to a previous painful experience.One retrospective study showed that these children did indeed have the urge to defecate using colonic manometry, and suggested behavioral modification as a treatment for functional constipation.
Articles/Studies
Butyric acid in functional constipation
Risk Factors
Prevention/Treatment
Chronic constipation is a common gastrointestinal disorder that effects an estimated 12% to 30% of general population worldwide. Descurainia sophia L. known commonly as flixweed acts as first-line medical treatment for constipation in Iranian traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of this remedy for treating functional constipation by standard assessments. The Rome III criteria for functional constipation were the basis for diagnosis. All participants underwent a 4-week treatment. The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving ≥3 complete spontaneous bowel movements per week. Secondary outcome measures included Patient Assessment of Constipation–Symptom items, Bristol Stool Form Scale, numbers of laxatives/week used by patients, and reported adverse effects. Thirty-five patients completed the program with no important adverse effect. Fifty-four (4%) patients had ≥3 complete spontaneous bowel movements per week. Descurainia sophia is safe and effective in the treatment of chronic functional constipation.
The effect of probiotics on functional constipation in adults.
Arctiin alleviates functional constipation by enhancing intestinal motility.