It’s absolutely normal to experience constipation once in a while, but if the bloating and other discomforts that accompany the problem become chronic, your quality of life is noticeably worse.
The Gain Wellness Center team treats patients who encounter a range of digestive issues and pursue finding the root cause of the problem before they create a completely customized treatment plan. Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia combines an integrative approach, years of experience and expertise, and an open and caring attitude as they build their relationship with you.
What are the symptoms of constipation — aside from the obvious one?
Besides having infrequent bowel movements for an extended period of time, chronic constipation symptoms also include:
- Passing fewer than three stools per week
- Difficulty passing stools
- Stools that are hard
- A blocked feeling in your rectum
- Bloating
- Straining when going to the bathroom
- The sensation that your bowel movement was incomplete
Once you’re chronically constipated, you’re also at risk for other problems, such as hemorrhoids or a fecal impaction, when an amount of stool cannot be expelled and gets stuck in your intestine. Tiny anal tears can also develop if you strain a lot to pass a larger stool.
A more serious outcome of chronic constipation is rectal prolapse, where a small portion of the anus protrudes from the rectum as a result of straining to have a bowel movement.
For these reasons, it’s best to seek professional treatment when you realize you’re suffering from chronic constipation.
Constipation also point to several digestive conditions
The Gain Wellness Center team also treats people suffering from chronic constipation who live with digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and leaky gut syndrome, which occurs when your intestinal lining is more porous than it should be. This sets you up for toxins and bacteria to be admitted into your bloodstream.
Treating your chronic constipation
If you’re diagnosed with chronic constipation, your provider first looks at your lifestyle, since lack of exercise, a poor diet lacking in fiber, and ineffective stress management all contribute to the problem. They also test you for food sensitivities, which can be a factor.
Through our complete wellness evaluation, we also determine whether your constipation is related to other more subtle causes, such as a hormonal imbalance or toxicity on the cellular level. Once we are armed with the facts about every aspect of your health, we can learn where your constipation problem originates, and treat you in a way that truly addresses the problem, rather than prescribing laxatives or a similar “band-aid” approach.
There’s no reason you should continue living with the discomfort and life-altering consequences of chronic constipation. Call our office at (858) 524-3821 to arrange a complimentary consultation or reach out to us online.
Author Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, DC, AFMCP Dr. Mandeep Walia-Bhatia, DC, AFMCP, is the founder of Gain Wellness Center in San Diego, California. At the wellness center, one of Dr. Walia’s, greatest goals, as a health care provider, is to provide her practice members with alternative, but healthy and safe choices that will enhance their health and well-being. She likes to motivate and educate her practice members to take charge of their health by providing them with evidence-based information so that they can make informed decisions regarding their own personal health and take control of their health. Dr. Walia was born in India and raised in Canada before moving to San Diego. She attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada for her Master of Science degree with specialties in Biology and Physiology. She had various publications in research articles during her time at McMaster University funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. She has three kids and enjoys cooking, hiking and going to the beach with her family.