Q: Good morning Dr Ketch. Please, I have an anal fissure that has refused to go. I’ve changed my diet by taking foods high in fibre. Please, what do I do?

A: Constipation occurs when faeces passes too slowly down the digestive tract causing the stool to become hard and brittle. It leads to a situation where a person has less than 3 bowel movements per week. The classic symptoms are straining to pass stool, having the feeling of incomplete emptying after a poo and sometimes having to press down on your abdomen to help emptying. Sometimes, constipated people also insert a finger into their rectum to help the process along. Constipation becomes chronic when it persists for weeks on end.

Constipation may be due to blockages in the rectum, diseases like Diabetes Mellitus etc. However, they could be due to lifestyle issues like not drinking enough water, not eating…