The bowel is a term used to describe the small and large intestines. It is a long, tube-shaped organ that is responsible for processing our food; the small intestine extracts nutrients, while waste matter continues on to the large intestine, which holds and then expels it as stools, whilst also absorbing water from the waste.
‘Bowel problems’ are the range of difficulties experienced in a person’s normal, daily bowel function, for example constipation, diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome. Each individual has a different ‘normal’ pattern, but when this normal pattern varies, bowel problems may be experienced.
Constipation
Constipation is a common health problem that affects a person’s ability to make normal bowel movements. People who are constipated may have:
- infrequent bowel movements
- stools (faeces) that are hard and difficult to pass
- excessive straining when trying to pass stools
- pain when passing stools.
Eating, drinking and exercise stimulates the passage of waste matter through the large intestine, so a poor diet and/or a lack of exercise is often the main cause of constipation. However, constipation may also be caused by hormonal or anatomical factors, such as impairment of muscle relaxation, or could be an unfortunate side effect of a patient’s medication.
Although constipation may be embarrassing or a nuisance, in most cases it is unlikely to cause serious problems. But if symptoms are severe, it may make you feel unwell, nauseous or lethargic, and it can make older people confused and restless. Constipation may also make bladder emptying difficult, or become so urgent that incontinence results.
