Constipation is the irregularity and difficulty experienced while evacuation of bowels and the feces turn hard and get difficult to expel. Constipation can be classified based on the condition into the following types:

Atonic Constipation

Atonic constipation is experienced when the muscle tension of the colon, pelvic floor or the abdominal walls get tight or reduced. The various factors leading to atonic constipation are as follows:

Personal habits like inactive lifestyle combined with irregular or unbalanced meal, diet missing necessary fibers, delaying bowel movement, excessive use of laxatives leading to a lazy colon. The colon does not react to various triggers like eating and the accumulation of stool in the rectum. The patient lacks the urge to defecate even though the colon is filled with stool.

In older people the rectal muscles get loose and this results in constipation.

The pelvic floor muscles get loose in women who just delivered a baby. This is the reason why women experience constipation after the pregnancy period ends.

Failing to control diabetes or congenital disorders damages the nerves of the intestine giving way to constipation.

A change in lifestyle or at times a surgery can help overcome Atonic constipation.

Spastic Constipation

Some particular foods and medicines and also stress trigger colonic spasms leading to a condition known as Spastic constipation. It can also occur due to certain neurological disorders. The symptoms for spastic constipation are as follows:

Constipation followed by abdominal cramps and an irritable bowel point towards spastic constipation.

Bloating and irregular diarrhea too result due to spastic constipation.

Spastic constipation can be treated by avoiding stress and low-FODMAP diet.

Obstructive Constipation

Any kind of obstruction or blockage in the stool passage results in obstructive constipation. It is usually caused due to tumors and cystic fibrosis.

Usually after an abdominal surgery, scars develop in the abdomen. The scars that develop outside the intestine are known as adhesions and those formed inside the intestine are strictures. Both adhesions and strictures are also considered a major cause for obstructive constipation.

Anal muscles do not relax easily if there is some kind of damage to the pelvic nerves giving way to obstructive constipation.

For most cases of obstructive constipation, surgery is considered as the only option.