Patients Experience With the Gastrointestinal Disorder Constipation - Term Paper Example

Patient’s experience with the gastrointestinal disorder constipation Patient’s experience with the gastrointestinal disorder constipation Perhaps the most common chronic gastrointestinal disorder that many people are suffering from is constipation. Constipation came from the Latin word constipare that meant “to press crowd together” (Medical News Today, 2009).  Medelixion medical dictionary defined its modern meaning as “A condition in which bowel movements are infrequent or incomplete”. Constipation also goes with other names such as the euphemism costiveness and irregularity (Medical News Today, 2009).  Constipation is a common disorder and it is hardly a symptom of a much more serious disease or sickness. It is a condition where a patient suffers discomfort in emptying their bowels (defecation) and may include abdominal pain and loss of appetite (Rogers, 2011). The disorder typically occurs when the water from the food that the patient ate is absorbed too much by the colon. When the colon absorbs too much water from the food, it will dry up the bowel and consequently result to its slow movement in the digestive tract and thus the constipation disorder. Patients who are suffering from constipation may feel severe pain in the excretion of their bowels especially when the feces are very hard. In extreme cases, it is not only the feces that cannot pass out of the rectum but also the gas that makes the disorder an obstipation (Medical News Today, 2009) In most cases, constipation is caused by the colon’s too much absorption of water from the food. In the case of children however, many of the children’s constipation is caused by functional or idiopathic problem (if the disorder cannot be explained by anatomical or physiological abnormalities) which is more psychological than biological. Unlike in adults whose disorder is primarily caused by their unhealthy eating patterns and lifestyle and mainly physiological in origin, the contributing factors that causes constipation in children can include psychological issues, difficulty in their toilet training and even heredity (Rogers, 2011). In addition to children, old people are also prone to constipation. It is because age related changes in the patient’s body can affect the gastrointestinal tract that would hamper their regular bowel movement though studies were not conclusive that older people are more likely to be affected by constipation than younger people (Woodward, 2012). The report of Medical News Today hypothesized that the reduction of the speed of an old patient’s metabolism may be the reason why older people get constipated which is typically a result of a sedentary lifestyle (2009). The contributing factors however which studies found to be more conclusive are the side effects of medication (of which laxative, a medicine taken by patients to induce bowel movement can also cause constipation when taken habitually) which older patients maintain, change in diet, dehydration and psychological issue (Ross, 1998 cited in Woodward, 2012). For the majority of the patients who are suffering from constipation, experts identified the primary causes as; 1. The patients diet is lacking in adequate quantities of fiber Eating excessive meats and foods with high concentration of sugar does not only get an individual fat, it also makes a patient constipated. It is attributed to the absence of fiber in the colon that facilitates easy bowel movement. When a patient eats high fiber food such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, they absorb the fibers in it which helps them in their digestion. Eating more fiber should not be however proposed as a cure but a way of preventing constipation. Patients who are already suffering from constipation will still be prescribed to take laxatives to cure the disorder and then change their eating habits to prevent them from being constipated again. 2. The patient is sedentary Patients who are sedentary and without any physical activity have an increased risk of being constipated according to many experts. Many experts posit that the lack of physical activity makes an individuals’ metabolism slow which consequently affects their bowel movement. Conversely, patients who engage in exercise will have a higher metabolism rate which help facilitates a good bowel movement. Effect of constipation to the patient’s social life and the financial effect of the disorder Constipation is not as life threatening like other diseases or disorders but it is very inconvenient and could be very painful to the patient. Emptying a bowel, which should have been a normal physiological function to most people become a struggle to patients who are suffering from constipation. Sometimes, the pain can be unbearable especially to children who are being traumatized by constipation due to the pain associated with it. Constipation interferes with a person’s social life because the irregularity and painful bowel movement of constipation affects the general well being of the patient because constipation puts them in pain every time a patient defecates. Moreso on the financial aspect of the patient because constipation costs unnecessary medical bills that could have been spent somewhere else had the patient had an ideal eating habit and healthy lifestyle that prevented the disorder. It is not only the medical cost, but also the opportunity cost, or the loss of income that was inadvertently spent every time the patient goes to the physician. Fortunately, constipation is not life threatening or lethal. A change of lifestyle can already cure the disorder. The recommended change of lifestyle is not that difficult because it only entails eating more fiberous food such as fruits, vegetable and grains coupled with engaging in some form of exercise such as sport to increase the patient’s metabolism and prevent future disorder. The best way to motivate a patient to change his or her eating habit and have some form of exercise is through the expectancy theory. Expectancy theory states that people will generally act in a certain way because they believe that there is a direct correlation between their efforts and expected results (Value based management, 2012). If the patient will be made to understand that eating more fiber and exercising will remove the pain in their bowel movements, they will be motivated to adopt the new lifestyle to avoid the pain when they defecate. But we have to be realistic in setting our goal. Changing a lifestyle cannot be implemented drastically because sudden changes in the patient’s diet may not be that effective. Sudden change in diet may work for the time being but ultimately, the patient will revert to his or her old eating habit. What is more effective and long-term is to change the patient’s diet gradually. Say for example in cases where the patient does not eat fruit and vegetables, we can gradually add a single serving of fruit and a small serving of vegetable. Before doing this, we have to do an interview with the patient to determine which fruit and vegetable is most palatable to him or her. Then we can gradually start from there until the patient is already accustomed to eating fruits and vegetables. We can also suggest physical exercise. If the patient is totally sedentary, we can start by walking. We can suggest walking in the park or mall whichever is more preferable to the patient then gradually adding the activity by suggesting sports or more physical activity to the patient. When the patient begins to feel relief from constipation, we can reinforce our motivation theory and inform the patient that the change in diet and physical exercise is working. Having this understanding that diet and exercise is directly correlated to relieving him or her from constipation will make the patient commit to change his/her diet and engage in physical activity. References Rogers, June (2012). Assessment, prevention and treatment of constipation in children. Nursing Standard 26 (29): 46-52. ISSN: 0029-6570 Medical News Today (May 13, 2009. What Is Constipation? What Causes Constipation? Retrieved at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150322.php Value Based Management.net (2012). Motivation and Vroom’s Expectancy Theory. Retrieved at http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_vroom_expectancy_theory.html Woodward, Sue (2012). Assessment and management of constipation in older people. Nursing Older People, 24 (5): 21-6. ISSN: 1472-0795 PMID: 22792697 Read More