Getting Tested To Find Out Why You Are Constipated
There are many possible causes of constipation. And if you are suffering from chronic constipation it is best to see a doctor. The cause may be serious or it may be benign. But the only way to know for certain is to confer with your doctor and have him run various tests.
There are a number of things that your physician will need to know, however, before he can start to run tests on you. He or his nurse will probably give you an interview to get a preliminary clue as to what might be the cause of the problem. He will want to know things like how often you had bowel movements before your constipation started and how often you have bowel movements now.
Other things will be of interest to him as well. He will want to know information about your typical diet, any recent dietary changes, types and frequency of exercises you may do, how much water you drink, whether you have been diagnosed with any disease, if you have blood in your stools, and if you are currently taking any kinds of medication.
Probably the first test that your doctor will want you to take is something called the colorectal transit study test. The purpose is to show how well food moves through the colon. It does this by having the patient take capsules that contain ingredients that show up well on an xray.
Patients go through a relatively simple procedure. The exam will be executed over a period of days but, for the most part, lasting less than 7 days. Each day, multiple times, an xray of the patient's digestive system is taken. At the end of the test the doctor will have a detailed record of how well food is making it through his intestines. He will also be able to clearly note any blockages that show up.
An additional exam which physicians can sometimes provide for someone who has been putting up with constipation is an anorectal manometry test. The purpose of this test is to determine how well the muscles of the anal canal functions. Many times constipation is brought on due to lazy or injured bowel muscles.
As an example, if an individual has recently gone through colon surgery or some other surgery in the bowel area or digestive system, it is very possible that some muscles or nerves could have been damaged also. This test can rule in or rule out the condition of the muscles being the cause of bowel movement problems.
This test will now always reveal the underlying health problem. Fortunately, there are many other types of tests that can help to diagnose the problem. Your doctor will be the best judge as to which tests you will need. None of the tests are pain inducing, however, although some do take a bit of time to complete. But many people have found that getting tested resolved intestinal problems that they have had for years but had no idea of the cause.
There are a number of things that your physician will need to know, however, before he can start to run tests on you. He or his nurse will probably give you an interview to get a preliminary clue as to what might be the cause of the problem. He will want to know things like how often you had bowel movements before your constipation started and how often you have bowel movements now.
Other things will be of interest to him as well. He will want to know information about your typical diet, any recent dietary changes, types and frequency of exercises you may do, how much water you drink, whether you have been diagnosed with any disease, if you have blood in your stools, and if you are currently taking any kinds of medication.
Probably the first test that your doctor will want you to take is something called the colorectal transit study test. The purpose is to show how well food moves through the colon. It does this by having the patient take capsules that contain ingredients that show up well on an xray.
Patients go through a relatively simple procedure. The exam will be executed over a period of days but, for the most part, lasting less than 7 days. Each day, multiple times, an xray of the patient's digestive system is taken. At the end of the test the doctor will have a detailed record of how well food is making it through his intestines. He will also be able to clearly note any blockages that show up.
An additional exam which physicians can sometimes provide for someone who has been putting up with constipation is an anorectal manometry test. The purpose of this test is to determine how well the muscles of the anal canal functions. Many times constipation is brought on due to lazy or injured bowel muscles.
As an example, if an individual has recently gone through colon surgery or some other surgery in the bowel area or digestive system, it is very possible that some muscles or nerves could have been damaged also. This test can rule in or rule out the condition of the muscles being the cause of bowel movement problems.
This test will now always reveal the underlying health problem. Fortunately, there are many other types of tests that can help to diagnose the problem. Your doctor will be the best judge as to which tests you will need. None of the tests are pain inducing, however, although some do take a bit of time to complete. But many people have found that getting tested resolved intestinal problems that they have had for years but had no idea of the cause.