Constipation Treatment in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is constipation?
Constipation means opening your bowels less often than is normal for you, passing hard or lumpy stools, straining, or feeling that the bowel has only partly emptied. Bloating is a feeling of fullness or tightness in the tummy, sometimes with visible swelling, and it frequently travels alongside constipation because slow-moving stool gives gut bacteria more time to produce gas.
Everyday causes are the most common ones: too little fibre, too little fluid, long hours sitting, ignoring the urge to go, and changes in routine. Some medicines slow the bowel, including certain pain relievers, iron tablets, some antacids and some medicines for mood or blood pressure. An underactive thyroid, diabetes and low or high blood calcium can also play a part, which is why a short set of blood tests is sometimes useful.
This page is for adults. Parents looking for help with a child can find it on the paediatric gastroenterology page.
Who needs it
A consultation suits adults whose constipation or bloating has lasted several weeks, keeps returning, or has stopped responding to simple measures from the pharmacy. It also helps people who rely on laxatives most days and would like a plan they can sustain.
In the UAE, heat and sweating are a common and easily overlooked trigger. Many people lose more fluid than they realise, especially those working outdoors or moving between air-conditioned rooms and the summer heat. Long-haul travel, disrupted sleep and changes in meal times, including during Ramadan, often bring on a spell of constipation too.
Certain symptoms call for tests, usually a colonoscopy:
- Blood in the stool or black stools
- Unexplained weight loss
- A lasting change in bowel habit starting after about age 50
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- A family history of bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease
Where tummy pain linked to bowel movements is the main problem, the IBS treatment page may fit you better.
What happens
Your gastroenterologist asks how often you go, what your stools look like, how much you strain, what you eat and drink, how active you are and which medicines you take. A simple stool chart that runs from hard pellets to watery helps you describe the pattern precisely. An examination of the abdomen follows, and sometimes a gentle examination of the back passage, which can reveal piles, a tear or a weak push.
Most people start treatment straight away, adding tests only if warning signs appear. The plan usually builds in steps:
- Fibre, increased gradually. Oats, lentils, beans, vegetables, whole fruit and dates add bulk. Raising fibre slowly over a couple of weeks keeps extra wind to a minimum.
- Fluid throughout the day. Fibre works best with plenty of water, and more is needed in hot weather.
- A toilet routine. The bowel is most active after breakfast, so allowing unhurried time then, and responding promptly to the urge, helps.
- Posture. Resting your feet on a small stool so your knees sit higher than your hips straightens the angle of the lower bowel and makes emptying easier. This one change often reduces straining noticeably.
- Medicines by purpose. Options include bulk-forming agents, stool softeners, medicines that draw water into the bowel and, for short spells, stimulant laxatives. Your doctor matches the choice to your pattern and reviews it.
For bloating, eating slowly, limiting fizzy drinks, chewing gum and sugar-free sweets, and spacing meals evenly usually help. Some people are straining against a pelvic floor that tightens instead of relaxing. When this is suspected, specialist tests may be arranged, along with pelvic floor therapy.
Preparing for it
Keep a diary for a week or two before your visit: how often you open your bowels, stool type, meals, drinks and any bloating. Bring a list of every medicine and supplement you take, including laxatives and herbal remedies, and any recent blood tests or scan reports.
If a colonoscopy is advised, the bowel preparation and instructions are given to you in advance, and sedation options are explained on the anaesthesia for endoscopy and sedation for procedures pages.
Afterwards
Most people see steady improvement over a few weeks as fibre, fluid, routine and posture work together. Your gastroenterologist reviews progress and adjusts medicines, aiming for the simplest plan that keeps you comfortable. Tailored nutrition advice comes from the gastroenterologist, and a specialist dietetic plan can be arranged by referral. Straining over time can lead to piles, which are covered on the haemorrhoids treatment page.
Contact the hospital if constipation persists despite the plan, if you notice blood in the stool, or if you are losing weight without trying. Go to the emergency department straight away if you have severe tummy pain, a swollen, tight abdomen with vomiting, or you are passing neither stool nor wind.
Cost and insurance
Most UAE insurance plans cover gastroenterology consultations and routine blood tests. Colonoscopy usually needs pre-approval from your insurer. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
How often should I open my bowels?
Anywhere from three times a day to three times a week is within the normal range for adults. What matters most is a change from your own usual pattern, or stools that are hard and difficult to pass.
Why do I get constipated in the UAE summer?
Heat and sweating draw fluid from the body, and the bowel absorbs more water from stool to compensate, leaving it harder and slower to pass. Drinking steadily through the day and eating fibre-rich food usually helps.
What are the risks of taking laxatives for a long time?
The main risks of long-term laxative use are cramping, bloating, diarrhoea, dehydration and changes in blood salts, particularly with frequent stimulant laxatives. Some laxatives are safe for longer use under medical supervision, so ask your gastroenterologist to review which one suits you rather than increasing doses on your own.
Do I need a colonoscopy for constipation?
Most people with constipation need no colonoscopy, because simple measures and medicines settle their symptoms. A colonoscopy is advised when there are warning signs such as blood in the stool, weight loss, anaemia, a family history of bowel cancer, or a new change in bowel habit later in life.
Does using a footstool on the toilet really help?
Raising your feet on a small stool so your knees sit above your hips straightens the lower bowel and helps many people empty with less straining. It is inexpensive, safe and worth trying alongside fibre and fluid.
Why does more fibre sometimes make bloating worse?
Increasing fibre quickly gives gut bacteria more to ferment, which produces extra gas for a while. Raising fibre gradually over a couple of weeks, with plenty of water, lets the gut adjust and usually eases the bloating.
Can constipation be caused by a thyroid problem?
An underactive thyroid slows many body processes, including bowel movement, and is one of the medical causes of constipation. A simple blood test checks thyroid function, and treating it often improves bowel habit.
Is constipation treatment covered by insurance?
Most UAE insurance plans cover gastroenterology consultations and routine blood tests for constipation, while colonoscopy usually needs pre-approval. Confirm your cover with Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah on 06 599 7777.
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