Constipation during Pregnancy and Homoeopathy | HDS

Introduction – 

1. At least 50% pregnant women suffer from constipation.
2. It refers to infrequent or difficult bowel movements.
3. Usually less than 3 per week.

Why in Pregnancy ? – Progesterone relaxes the GIT muscles and causes sluggish bowel movements. Increased level of progesterone during pregnancy accentuates constipation.

Causes – 

1. Weight of the baby adding pressure and stress to anal veins.
2. Constipation leading to haemorrhoids.
3. Lack of nutrition.
4. Low fibre diet.
5. Dehydration.
6. Sitting for long time.
7. Drugs (iron tonics).

Clinical Features – 

1. Infrequent bowel movements.
2. Difficult unsatisfactory stool.
3. Painful defecation.
4. Bleeding per rectum.
5. Burning at anus during and after passing stool.

On examination – Internal haemorrhoids are painless, external are painful.

Prevention –

1. Regular exercise (supervised by a doctor).

2. Adequate water intake.

3. High fibre diet.

4. Sitz bath.

Role of Homoeopathy – 

Scope – Excellent.

Totality – Type of stool, Character of pain, Bleeding or not, Modalities.

Homoeopathic Therapeutics – 

No urging – Opium, Alumina, Bryonia.

Ineffectual Urge – Nux Vom, Sulphur, Lycopodium.

1. Nux Vom – Good for today’s day and age, everyone is used to stimulants and sedentary lifestyle. Frequent ineffectual urging, incomplete and unsatisfactory feeling as if parts remained unexpelled. Constriction of rectum. Irregular peristaltic action, hence frequent ineffectual desire or passing but small quantities at each attempt. Absence of all desire for defecation is a contra- indication. Alternate constipation and diarrhoea after abuse of purgatives. Urging to stool felt throughout abdomen. Haemorrhoids – Itching, blind haemorrhoids, very painful with ineffectual urge to urinate.
2. Sulphur – Useful remedy to begin the treatment with constipation. Frequent , unsuccessful desire. Stool – hard, knotty, insufficient. Redness around the anus with itching. Ineffectual desire with sensation of heat, fullness and discomfort in rectum. Hemorrhoids – oozing, bleeding.
3. Lycopodium – Pathogenesis – Atony, failure of digestive powers. Inactive intestinal canal , ineffectual urging. Stool – hard, difficult, small, incomplete. Constipation due to constriction of rectum. Haemorrhoids – very painful to touch, aching.
4. Opium – Pathogenesis – Intestinal paresis, muscular atony. Faeces become impacted and are passed in little, hard, dry, black balls. No urge. Obstinate constipation. Faeces protrude and recedes. Requires artificial removal at times. Spasmodic retention of faeces in small intestine. Stools involuntary, black, offensive. Violent pain in rectum as if pressed.
5. Alumina – Sluggish functions, heaviness and numbness. Pathogenesis – Dryness and inactivity of rectum. No urge at all. Soft stools are expelled with great difficulty. Stool – dry, hard and knotty or soft consistency. Rectum sore, dry, inflamed, bleeding, itching and burning at anus. Great straining. Constipation in women of very sedentary habit. Evacuation preceded by painful urging long before stool and then straining at stool. Concomitant – muscles of bladder paretic , must strain.
6. Bryonia – Pathogenesis – Dryness of mucus membrane and atony. Stool – large, dry, brown as if burnt, seems too large. Stool passed with a great deal of difficulty. No urge at all. Worse in morning, in hot weather, after being heated, from cold drinks, every spell of hot weather. Sensitive epigastrium and feeling of a stone in stomach with excessive thirst.

Worked By – Dr. Nazia Ansari (BHMS)