Lock
Description:
Lock is acute or a chronicity at which the act of defecation happens less often than usual. The lock – a relative concept for each person, however exists definition according to which it is necessary to consider a lock lack of defecation at the adult within 3 days, and at the child of 4 days.
Classification of a chair by Bristol
Lock reasons:
The lock usually arises if the patient does not receive a sufficient exercise stress, does not consume enough liquid, take place a delay of visit of a toilet when there are desires to defecation, or at observance of a diet poor in cellulose. Some people have an abuse of such food stuffs as milk, cheese, yogurt, can lead to a lock. Locks at children often occurs when they constrain defecation for various reasons, for example, when they are not ready for schooling to a toilet yet.
Other, less common causes of locks include:
- a proctal crack (a gap or a crack in mucous an anus);
- chronic renal failure;
- depression;
- a hypercalcemia (abnormally high level of calcium in blood);
- a hypothyroidism (the lowered function of a thyroid gland);
- syndrome of the angry intestines.
Less often the chronic lock can be a symptom of cancer of rectum, diabetes, a divertuculosis, poisoning with lead or Parkinson's diseases (at adults).
The stress, travel and changes in habits of food can promote locks also.
The lock can also be side effect of use of the following medicines:
- aluminum salts in antacids;
- antihistaminic drugs;
- antipsychotic drugs;
- aspirin;
- belladonna (atropine source; the drug used for removal of spasms and expansion of pupils);
- beta-blockers (the drugs used for stabilization of irregular heartbeat, decrease in high arterial pressure and reduction of a stethalgia);
- blockers of calcium channels (medicines for treatment of high blood pressure, a stethalgia, some types of arrhythmia and a stroke);
- diuretics (drugs which promote formation and urine secretion);
- iron preparations or calcium;
- drugs (drugs with potential risk of accustoming which kill pain and cause changes of mood);
- tricyclic antidepressants (the medicine taken for treatment of chronic pain and a depression).
The child suffering from a lock can feel headaches, weight in a stomach or to feel pain during defecation. Newborn children behave uneasily and cry.
On appointment it is necessary to address if:
- the newborn child suffers from a lock;
- if the child of 3 and more days had no chair (except the children who are on artificial feeding);
- if vomiting joined symptoms of a lock;
- in the presence of blood in a chair, fevers silt of abdominal pains.
The doctor can palpatorno define an intestinal intussusceptum in an abdominal cavity or conduct rectal examination.
Other diagnostic procedures include use of a barium enema with the subsequent X-ray a research which shows intestinal "block"; laboratory blood tests and a calla regarding internal bleeding or other symptoms of a general disease, and also a rektoromanoskopiya (a research of sigmoid area of a large intestine by means of a flexible tube).
Lock symptoms:
The lock can arise at any age, however meets more often at people who accustom themselves to go to a toilet not when it is necessary and when it is convenient. Locks are observed at the children attending kindergarten or school. They can hesitate to ask permission to leave in a toilet therefore disease only worsens.
Though the lock seldom is followed by serious complications, it can lead to the following:
- ruptures of a mucous membrane in the field of an anus (especially at children) that can lead to bleedings and development of a proctal crack;
- impassability of intestines;
- chronic lock;
- hemorrhoids;
- hernias;
- spastic colitis;
- dependence on laxative.
Treatment of the Lock:
The lock, as a rule, is a temporary problem. The patient has to know that it is necessary to drink enough water every day, to regularly carry out physical exercises and there are products with the high content of soluble and insoluble fibers. Soluble fibers include pectin; insoluble fibers include bran from grain, such as wheat and oats. Fresh fruit and vegetables contain as soluble and insoluble fibers. Dietary consumption of cellulose should be increased gradually, along with increase in water consumption, for obtaining soft effect.
It is recommended to children:
1. To small children - 60-120 ml of fruit juice (grapes, a pear, apple, cherry, prunes) twice a day.
2. Products with the high content of cellulose (for example, peas, haricot, apricots, plums, peaches, pears, plums and spinach) twice a day are necessary for more senior children.
If changes in a diet are not enough for elimination of locks, within several days it is possible to use a purgative. Drugs which soften a chair and add volume (for example, bran) works more slowly, but it is safer, than salt or grass purgatives on the basis of Senna or a buckthorn which can do harm to the nervous device and a mucous membrane of a large intestine. The patient who feels abdominal pains, nausea or vomiting should not give laxative. Laxative drugs should not be used during the long period as dependence can develop.
The enema with warm water or oil can unbar even a heavy and persistent current. However without instructions of the doctor you should not use such enemas.
The castor oil accepted inside can be applied at a persistent lock. Its action consists in irritation of a wall of intestines.
It is possible to apply an aromatherapy to treatment of locks: oil of rosemary or a thyme are used. Six drops of the specified aromatic oils dilute with almond or olive oil and is used for massage of a stomach.
Also various grass treatments can be useful in treatment of locks. Some herbs, including a camomile (MatricariaRecutita), a dandelion (Taraxacummongolicum) and a burdock (ArctiumLappa), work as stimulators of digestive and secretory systems.
