Constipation: Fatigue, Nausea, and Other Side Effects

What Causes Constipation?

Sometimes the timing of the onset of constipation makes it easier to identify the cause. For instance, eating a lot of cheese or gluten-heavy foods may create temporary constipation, just because of the nature of how large quantities of those foods are processed by the digestive tract. More often than not, though, the cause is either not obvious or a combination of factors. Below are some of the most common causes of constipation:

• Dietary Fiber: Perhaps the most common culprit of constipation is a lack of fiber in one’s diet. Otherwise known as “roughage,” fiber is a food element derived from plants that isn’t broken down by the digestive system, yet it serves a series of valuable functions in maintaining bowel regularity and stool softness. Without sufficient fiber, stools tend to be harder and more difficult to pass.
• Dehydration: A factor that is closely related to dietary fiber is fluid intake. Just as a lack of fiber can lead to constipation, so can a lack of fluids, especially water. The primary reason for this is that the colon (large intestine) is responsible for absorbing water from digested food as it passes through. The colon tends to absorb the same amount of water regardless of how much you drink, so dehydration results in harder, dryer stools.
• Lifestyle Changes: The digestive system is surprisingly responsive to a variety of changes in daily habits; traveling, added stress, and changes in exercise habits are just a few examples of life circumstances that can indirectly lead to constipation. For example, these circumstances often see us eating different, less healthy foods as well as eating at different times of day.
• Exercise: Exercise is an important part of overall health and digestive health more specifically because physical activity actually helps food move more quickly through the intestines. Lack of physical activity, by contrast, causes it to move more slowly and therefore the colon has more time to absorb water.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): IBS is a group of symptoms that tend to present together in a predictable way, and one of the classic symptoms of IBS is constipation.
• Resisting the Urge: Many people don’t realize that constipation can also be brought on by suppressing the “urge” to have a bowel movement. When circumstances (being busy or temporarily not having access to a toilet for instance) make it difficult to go for hours or all day, the stool sits in your colon and the water is continually absorbed until it gets drier and harder.
• Laxatives: Though it may seem counterintuitive, overuse of laxatives can actually cause constipation. While laxatives can be used to promote the passage of hardened stools, using them too often can essentially make your body dependent on them for normal bowel movements.
• Hypothyroidism: The thyroid is a gland that secretes hormones that are important in the regulation of metabolism. When someone has hypothyroidism, too little of these hormones are released into the body. One of the results is an overall slowdown in bowel motility that can promote constipation.

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