Constipation is a relatively common condition marked by an abnormally low number of bowel movements. While many people think they need to have a bowel movement every day, constipation is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements in a period of seven days. Constipation has a number of potential causes, but nutritional deficiency is not typically one of them.
Nutritional Deficiencies
A nutritional deficiency occurs when your body doesn’t get enough nutrients to maintain a given aspect of your normal function and health. Specific symptoms of deficiency vary with the nutrient in question. For example, a protein deficiency can lead to liver enlargement, developmental delays and a form of swelling called edema. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone formation disorders called osteomalacia and rickets. A vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to nerve damage in the hands and feet. Potential symptoms of a general deficiency, also called malnutrition, include chronic diarrhea, edema, anemia, weight loss, brittle nails, dry skin, changes in mental status, delayed wound healing, and a neck growth called a goiter that's related to the thyroid gland.
Understanding Constipation
When you eat, your food gets digested for its nutrient content, and the remainder passes to your large intestine, or colon. The water content of food remnants is then absorbed through your colon walls, and feces, or stool, forms as the remnants solidify. Contractions in the muscles of your colon push your feces to your rectum for elimination in a bowel movement. In people with constipation, excessive water removal or sluggish muscle contractions lead to abnormally slow feces progress through the colon. In addition, this slow progress can trigger abnormal feces drying and hardening.
Potential Constipation Causes
Constipation is a symptom of other problems and not a separate disorder, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Potential underlying constipation causes include lack of adequate fiber in your diet, dehydration, milk consumption, ignoring normal urges to move your bowels, delaying bowel movements, insufficient physical activity, aging, overuse or abuse of laxative products, and pregnancy. Additional potential causes include hemorrhoids, spinal cord injuries, anal fissures, intestinal blockages, irritable bowel syndrome, use of medications such as antidepressants and diuretics, and the presence of health problems such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and thyroid disease.
Determining Causes
MayoClinic.com identifies potential causes of constipation that are more rare, such as autoimmune disease, colorectal cancer, hormonal imbalances and a congenital childhood condition that leads to a reduced number of nerve cells in the colon. Methods used to determine the source of constipation include taking a medical history, having a rectal examination, ordering anorectal function tests and a colorectal transit study, and visually examining the colon through either a sigmoidoscopy or a colonoscopy. Consult your doctor for more information on constipation causes and the potential consequences of nutritional deficiencies.
