Causes of Constipation in Women
Constipation in Pregnancy — Accompanying Symptoms of Constipation — Hysteria — Diet — Hygiene — Cold Water— Enemas — Medicinal Treatment.
It is generally stated that women, as a class, suffer more from confined bowels and costiveness than men. I think, however, this is doubtful, at all events in large cities like this.
I give the treatment of the constipation of women for two principal reasons. Firstly, the fair sex have a great (I had almost written invincible) repugnance to seek advice for this ailment. I have often noticed this repugnance in young patients. They generally state, in answer to questions as to the state of their bowels, as a seeming matter of course, that their bowels are regular, when they are quite otherwise. This is curious, for the same patient will generally answer simply and sensibly any question as to her functional condition ; it can hardly be therefore from a feeling that the query is indelicate. Secondly, and consequently, they are very prone to the quacking of them- selves with purgatives.
Women often suffer from constipation during pregnancy, and when lying-in. Pregnancy in most cases constipates the bowels. A moderately constipated habit, therefore, during that period, should not be treated as an abnormal condition needing to be overcome by purgatives, but rather as the natural state of the bowels. The bowels may, however, be excessively constipated, and need treatment.
Constipation Symptoms in Women
The patient may suffer from headache, giddiness, heaviness and fulness of the head ; anxiety, or sleeplessness; from gastric derangement, evidenced by depraved appetite, distressing nausea, vomiting, feeling of distention of the abdomen, flatulence heartburn and risings, waterbrash, pains in the hypochondria (under the short ribs), and an inability to take sufficient food, as though the stomach were too soon full ; want of appetite, feverishness, nervousness, with irritable and uncertain temper.
Constipation is one of the symptoms of hysteria, a disease peculiar to women;* however, I have no intention of attempting in these pages to give the treatment of hysteria. The most common and leading characteristics of hysteria, the attacks of nervous exaltation, of sobbing, choking, and fainting — are well known ; they are popularly known as a ” fit of hysterics.
It is important to consider the causes that predispose women to be affected with constipation, for on a knowledge of them depends, to a great extent, the chances of the removal of the ailment The almost universal cause, with the women of the upper and middle classes of society, is insufficient regular, healthful, physical exercise. Carriage-riding has not a good influence on the bowels, and has even a constipating one on many persons. Dancing is, is a fad of health-giving exercise ; it is, however, rather the contrary when it is only indulged in, as is usually the case, late at night, or in the early hours in the morning — at a time when the system is least capable of vital reaction; or in, a crowded ball-room, with a number of lights and their attendant great heat. The treatment should be directed, in the first place, to the removal of those conditions that favor the state under consideration.
Constipation Remedies for Women
To guard against constipation, strict attention must be paid to the hygiene. The patient should pay attention to diet, avoid coffee and tea, and all heating condiments, — as pepper, curry, etc., aU which are likely to disarrange the stomach. See also the remarks on Diet and Hygiene. The rules there laid down, apply both to men and women.
Irregular walking exercise should be taken. This should be taken, if possible, out of doors; if the weather, however, be unfavorable, the patient may walk briskly up and down a gallery (or any large room) with the windows open, dressed as though in the open air. The exercise taken should fall short of that which causes fatigue. All light household occupations are advantageous ; dusting ornaments, picture-frames, etc., with the long light feather-brushes in common use, is a good exercise, and has a beneficial influence on the abdominal walls and the contained viscera.
Those who are constipated should drink a tumbler full of fresh cold water every morning, on rising. If the digestion be weak, the water should be drunk slowly (in sips).
In those rare (if recent) cases, where the bowels resist the action of the appropriate remedy, an enema of cold or tepid water may be administered. Enemas should not, however, be often used, as they have a constipating influence on the bowels, although less so than purgatives. Their habitual employment seems to destroy the tone of the lining mucous membrane of the rectum. Cases are introduced in the present work that show in a marked degree the deleterious influence of enemata.
Bryonia alba is a good remedy in cases characterized by loss of appetite, excessive thirst, and a desire for things which are uneatable. The last-mentioned is a very noticeable symptom in numerous cases of pregnancy, and it may be, and often is, associated with a confined habit of the bowels. One to three drops of the tincture * in a half-wine glass full of water is a good dose for an adult. It should be repeated every four hours ; three or four times, if necessary.
Nvx vomica is another capital remedy in these
I believe the best preparations in ordinary cases to be the lower dilutions, from the third decimal up to the sixth decimal. Patients who are used to the higher potencies do, however, find their use efficacious.
Constipation Treatment of Old
Patients of decided irritable disposition, and who are troubled by ineffectual urgings to stool, will, as a rule, find relief from its use. A similar dose to that which I have already recommended for Bryonia is generally sufficient. It may be repeated morning, noon, and night. In some cases it is a good plan to take one dose every evening for a week.
Opium is recommended in cases in which the bowel feels as though it were closed, and where the patient experiences no desire for stool. I must say, however, that I have sometimes been disappointed in the use of this remedy for constipation ; preparations of Alumina have done better service in these cases in my hands. (of course this is illegal these days)
A good remedy in many cases, for constipation, is Sulphur. This medicine is to be given in trituration, or in tincture. I have obtained equally good — it has seemed to me even better— effects, in a number of cases, from a watery solution of the Sulphurous add gas Sidphwr is generally said to be indicated in cases similar to those requiring the Nvjx vomica, I consider, however, the best indication for Sulphur to be the coexistence of piles with the constipation. Sulphur generally requires to be taken for some time to produce its good effects, e.^., two or three weeks. A grain of the second trituration, or a drop of the solution of Sulphurous add in a little water, may be taken thrice daily.
