Irregular Bowel Movements

Irregular bowel movements in most cases can be corrected through foods, herbs and nutritional supplements. If you're experiencing bowel movements that are irregular, they may be attributed to a number of digestive conditions causing these irregularities.

Prolonged constipation, which I would consider an irregular bowel movement, can lead to bowel impaction, and/or complete obstruction of the bowels. The causes of bowel movement irregularities, such as constipation, may be caused by many things. These can include, changes in the diet, hormonal changes. side effects of medications, illnesses, the onset of digestive disorders, anatomical abnormalities, sedentary lifestyle.

A cause of irregular bowel movements that most people fail to realize is the practice of bowel suppression. This is the intentional delaying of a bowel movement due to a person not wanting to use a public restroom or interrupt their activities at the time. This can be harmful to the bowel and lead to constipation.

The over-use or abuse of stimulant laxatives, over the counter or prescribed by a doctor, can also cause bowel movements that are irregular. Stimulant laxatives speed up the passage of stool by irritating the lining of the intestines. Now that is something we all need, an irritated intestine. It is highly recommended that stimulant laxatives not be used regularly. The overuse of these stimulant laxatives decreases tone and sensation in the large intestine. This continued irritation of the bowel may cause you to become laxative-dependent. Then you have to use the laxative all the time in order to have a bowel movement, not just when you are constipated.

Diarrhea

A form of irregular bowel movements is diarrhea. It commonly results from gastroenteritis, which is caused by viral infections, parasites or bacterial toxins. If diarrhea is severe, it can also be a symptom of more serious diseases. These diseases are dysentery, cholera, or botulism. Severe diarrhea can also be an indication of a chronic syndrome such as Crohn's disease or severe mushroom poisoning syndromes. If you are lactose intolerant it can have diarrhea if you consume diary products. 

Frequent passage of loose watery stools are most often the result of intestinal infection, but rarely as a result of adverse reaction to foods or disaccharide intolerance.

The most common treatment for diarrhea is with anti motility agents. Motility in most cases is an unfamiliar word to people. It is used primarily to describe the contraction of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. So the agents used to treat diarrhea are call antimotility agents.

Stool

Constipation normal means hard stools, difficulty passing stools (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement. The extreme of the constipation spectrum is fecal impaction. This is a condition in which stool hardens in the rectum and prevents the passage of any stool. The simple solution for this problem is consuming proper amounts of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber helps maintain a stool that is bulky and soft. It is generally considered better to have a soft stool rather than hard, compacted bowel movements.

For many people, constipation. simply means irregular bowel movements or infrequent stools. For many, however, constipation means hard stools, difficulty passing stools (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement.

Logically, it's essential to see a doctor whenever experiencing irregular bowel movements to rule out the possibility the irregularity is being caused by a serious digestive disorder.