Lazy bowel syndrome

Lazy bowel syndrome is a pathological condition based on a violation of the motor-evacuation function of the colon, weakening of its peristalsis or a decrease in the sensitivity of the rectal mucosa to the presence of feces inside, which causes chronic constipation.

Epidemiology

Nowadays, there is an increase in the incidence of lazy bowel syndrome - in different countries, its prevalence fluctuates between 4-27%, and it is growing not only in Europe, but also in Asia, where this disease used to be quite rare (due to cultural peculiarities of nutrition in this region). According to the results of a 2011 meta-analysis (based on social studies) on different continents, it was found that the prevalence of chronic constipation is within 12-17%. And related Asian studies, which were conducted in China, South Korea, and Indonesia, showed that the syndrome is common in 15-23% of women and about 11% of men. Statistical information from countries such as the United States on this matter shows figures within 15%.

It should be taken into account that recently the incidence of lazy bowel syndrome has become comparable to other diseases in the population. Sometimes it even exceeds the incidence of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and bronchial asthma. But at the same time, such a syndrome is still perceived as a rare and mild disease.

It should be noted that chronic constipation is observed 3 times more often in women, and the figure increases with age.

The trend also continues with regard to the age of patients – the prevalence of the disease increases to 50% in people over 65 years of age, and by the end of life to as much as 74%.

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Causes lazy bowel syndrome

There are several causes of lazy bowel syndrome. Among them:

• Sedentary work – lack of physical activity leads to impaired blood circulation in the pelvis;
• Ignoring the urge to defecate has a negative effect on the digestive system. Therefore, you should try to visit the toilet immediately when the urge arises;
• Pregnancy – as the uterus grows, the load on the organs located in the abdominal cavity increases, which complicates the process of defecation;
• Violation of the diet - long fasts and diets are very harmful to the intestines. In addition, pastries and buns, confectionery, smoked meats, salted fish and cheese cause stool disorders;
• Age – in older people, the process of synthesis of digestive enzymes is disrupted;
• Frequent stress often causes problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• Abuse of laxatives.
• Eating disorders, particularly anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

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Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of the disease is associated with the development of disorders in the regulation of the intestines - more specifically, with a failure of its motor function, which leads to alternating constipation with diarrhea. During constipation, such disorders cause a decrease in the functional activity of the intestines, especially the sigmoid colon (megacolon).

Due to the slowing down of the transit process, additional absorption of water by the intestines is observed, due to which the volume of feces decreases and its density increases. Dry hard feces are eventually evacuated from the intestines with great difficulty.

This is why the pathophysiology of lazy bowel is associated either with the fact that the volume of feces entering the rectum becomes significantly smaller, or with a disruption of the defecation process, in which the removal of feces is difficult. The volume of feces in the rectum decreases due to a disruption of its motility, the occurrence of mechanical obstruction, or due to a decrease in the size of the total volume of intestinal contents (this is observed during fasting).

The motor skills of the intestine itself (its propulsive movements with coordination, as well as tone) are disrupted due to various diseases (problems with the spinal cord, as well as the brain, with organs in the abdominal cavity, disruption of the endocrine system).

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Symptoms lazy bowel syndrome

Symptoms of lazy bowel syndrome include:

• regular headache;
• poor appetite;
• a feeling of drowsiness, constant apathy and severe fatigue;
• skin rash;
• nervousness;
• bloating and heaviness in the stomach;
• infrequent passage of dry, hard stools (less than three times a week)
• difficulty with bowel movements or no bowel movements at all.

Complications and consequences

What is the danger of lazy bowel syndrome? Large accumulation of fecal matter can lead to intoxication of the entire body. Constipation can lead to hemorrhoids and neurasthenia.

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Diagnostics lazy bowel syndrome

To diagnose the syndrome, the doctor needs to examine the patient's abdomen and find out what complaints he has. In addition, a rectal examination is performed using a digital rectal examination - to determine the tone of the anal sphincter.

Tests

To diagnose the disease, doctors conduct the following laboratory tests:

• Analysis of feces, blood, and urine is carried out;
• They do a blood test for calcium, thyroid hormones and electrolytes.

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Instrumental diagnostics

Instrumental diagnostic procedures are also carried out:

• Irrigoscopy/colonoscopy.
• X-ray of the intestine with contrast to assess intestinal passage.
• Rectosigmoscopy.
• Anorectal manometry.
• Defecation proctography.
• Ultrasound of the thyroid gland, as well as abdominal organs.
• MRI of the spine.

Treatment lazy bowel syndrome

In the process of treating lazy bowel syndrome, suppositories are used, as well as enemas with a saline solution (2 teaspoons per 1 glass of water) or with the addition of olive oil. To get rid of fecal impaction, laxatives are also needed (mainly osmotic ones - which retain fluid in the intestines). In some cases, hardened feces must be removed using a probe or a finger (in a glove).

Vitamins

During the treatment, you should take vitamins - regular consumption of 400 mg of magnesium and 500 mg of vitamin C helps prevent constipation.

You can prepare a vitamin mixture - for this you will need dates, figs, as well as raisins, prunes and dried apricots (in equal parts). Pass all the ingredients through a meat grinder, then add 50 g of honey to the resulting mixture, as well as flax seeds and crushed peanuts, and then mix. The mixture should be taken 1 hour before meals, 1 tbsp.

Folk remedies

Since frequent use of laxatives can lead to complications, you should use folk remedies.

Rinsing with an enema (2 liters) with clean water. It should be remembered that this method is allowed to be used a maximum of four times a month.

Use of lean oil – in case of a sharp exacerbation, daily intake of 1 teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil helps well. In general, many recipes from natural products work very well for chronic constipation.

Fermented milk products – such as ryazhenka, sour milk and kefir. It is necessary to drink 1 glass before bed, with the addition of melted honey.

Eating fruits and vegetables as a laxative. These include cucumbers, pumpkin, cherry plums, plums, and beets. Including them in your diet will help prevent constipation. But remember that you shouldn't overuse them - it can have the opposite effect.

Drink 1 glass of kefir (with the addition of 10 g of vegetable oil, which must be thoroughly mixed) before bed.

Drink a glass of water with 1 tablespoon of honey dissolved in it in the morning on an empty stomach. But in this case there is a contraindication - this recipe should not be used if the patient has colitis or cholecystitis.

Carrot juice works very well and gently (it is recommended to give it to small children).

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Herbal treatment

Herbs can also be used to treat lazy bowel syndrome. There are several recipes for making decoctions based on different herbs.

Take equal amounts of the following ingredients: licorice root, elder flowers, fennel fruits, wild pansy herb, buckthorn bark and birch leaves. Take 1 tbsp of the mixture and pour 1 cup of boiling water over it, then boil for another 10 minutes. Cool the resulting decoction and strain. Drink it in large sips several times throughout the day.

Take 25 g of peppermint leaves, dill seeds, caraway seeds and valerian root. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 tbsp of the mixture and leave to infuse until cool. After that, strain the infusion and drink 1 cup twice a day.

Chop the dandelion root and pour 2 teaspoons of the mixture into 1 glass of cold water. Leave to infuse for 8 hours, then strain the drink. Drink four times a day before meals in a dosage of ¼ glass.

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 tbsp of elderberries, leave for 12 hours, then strain. Take the drink at night in a dosage of 1/3 cup.

Prevention

Lazy bowel syndrome can be prevented. To do this, you just need to follow some rules as a preventive measure:

• Play sports and generally try to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle;
• Your diet should include fruits and vegetables, as well as cereal dishes (the only thing you should exclude is semolina porridge);
• Do special exercises that help speed up metabolism;
• You need to eat every 3 hours, but in small portions. At the same time, you can't have snacks. The diet should include prunes, sauerkraut, fermented milk products, mushrooms and whole grain bread;
• Remove cocoa, rich soups, strong black tea, and red wine from your menu.
• Drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, especially during/after meals.
• Make it a habit to go to the toilet regularly at a certain time during the day, in the morning after waking up or after breakfast. This helps to develop a conditioned reflex of defecation.

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