Urgent Care VS Emergency Care – Going for Constipation
Constipation occurs when one has fewer than three bowel movements a week. In most cases, it is easy to treat, but when severity kicks, one may need to head to a hospital. Bloating, vomiting and severe abdominal pain may indicate a bowel obstruction. Severe bloating may also be a sign of fecal impaction which is the inability to pass gas through the rectum. Bloody stools with severe abdominal pains indicate possible strangulated obstruction of the intestine. These conditions are solved via surgical means which makes them true emergencies.
Constipation emanates from a few factors such as the change in diet, insufficient fiber in food, infrequent bowel movements, not drinking enough water, gastrointestinal tract issues, insufficient exercise and certain diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal injuries. It happens when the colon absorbs too much water hence the waste becomes too hard making it hard to pass easily.
If your stool is hard and you are having a hard time in the bathroom while defecating, you might be suffering from constipation. Laxatives and stool softeners can help you get past this issue for some time, but if it persists, you should see a doctor. You could also change your diet and include more fiber and water and perhaps a little exercise. Fiber can be obtained from fruits, legumes, vegetables while exercising will help move your bowels. If the condition doesn’t improve, the physician will have to come in. So how do you choose where to rush?
We all know that fecal matter is waste and if it stays longer in the colon things only get worse. If left unresolved it could turn fatal and dangerous. If the only symptoms include a little bloating, it means that the constipation is in its initial stages. The urgent care center will administer you, take an examination, then give a treatment plan to help ease the bloating.
Fecal impaction, on the other hand, requires acute attention that can only be handled at the emergency room. The emergency room doctor will use an abdominal examination, ultrasounds, and X-ray among other tests to confirm the presence of a blockage and its size and location. Once the results are out, and the blockage is confirmed, several methods may be used to help clear the blockage. Methods include manual removal, laxatives, irrigation and in extreme cases surgery. However, your doctor will choose the best invasive method for you.
A bowel obstruction, on the other hand, is when either your small intestines or colon becomes blocked. According to experts, a full obstruction requires urgent treatment. Full obstruction is caused by prolonged constipation which leads to hard, dry stool staying for too long in your rectum. The abdominal pains come from bowels stretching which could lead to bowel perforations in extreme cases. When it comes to bowel obstruction, a patient needs to be rushed immediately to an emergency room. Treatment begins when a tube is passed down the nose to suck out everything to decompress the bowel. Such treatments are too complex for the urgent care clinics to handle.
While constipation is next to harmless, the condition should be handled in its initial stages as it is more affordable to handle at that stage. The problem comes in when one tries too much to excrete the waste and sometimes ends up bruising the walls of the anus. Passing more hard stool via the bruises may be too painful to handle. You will rush to an urgent care clinic for a prescription and a simple exam which only takes a few minutes of your time but if you feel you need more attention an emergency room will suit you perfectly. None the less, if you suffer from severe bloating, abdominal pain and discomfort, nausea or vomiting, anorexia, fever, confusion, dehydration, rapid heart rate and unexplained weight loss; do not let the disease persist. Eventually, the symptoms cannot be ignored due to their severity. Rush to the emergency room; it will save your life.
Even after recovery, constipation can reoccur depending on the kind of lifestyle one lives. If you fall back to minimal fiber in your diet, taking minimal water and less exercise, the condition may resurface. Your primary healthcare provider may guide you through the necessary diets, lifestyle, and checkups on the intestinal states after treatment.
We all know how talking about constipation can be frustrating and embarrassing. Just like diarrhea. You probably don’t feel like discussing it with anyone. Most people take over the counter drugs to ease the bloating and pain without knowledge that the condition can escalate to critical levels. If you do feel that the symptoms are intolerable, be sure to visit your closest emergency room. Don’t wait until it is too late. Come to Frontline ER to receive immediate treatment. Our staff strives to provide the very best so that you can recuperate faster.
