Hyderabad: A doctor from Hyderabad explained the risks associated with constipation after a man collapsed in the bathroom.
He suggested that it should not be seen as a minor issue.
Hyderabad man collapsed due to constipation
On the morning of Sunday, September 14, a man whose name is mentioned as Reddy in the post shared by the doctor on X, collapsed in the bathroom.
When Reddy’s wife rushed in, she found him unresponsive and lying on the floor. Although he regained consciousness, he looked confused and frightened.
Following the incident, the family members took him to the hospital.
Hyderabad doctor’s observation
The doctor in the post wrote, ‘After listening carefully to his history, I learned that Mr. Reddy had been straining to pass stool. Moments later, he felt dizzy, lost vision, and fainted. This pointed to a condition we call defecation syncope: Fainting during or immediately after passing stool.’
He added that it occurs because straining activates a reflex that slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure, briefly cutting blood supply to the brain.
He has often observed it in middle-aged and older adults, people with constipation who strain frequently, patients with heart disease, irregular rhythms or narrow arteries and those on medicines that reduce blood pressure.
Answering the question of whether it is fatal, the Hyderabad doctor explained that most patients recover within a minute or two, but there are risks. A fall can cause a head injury, and rarely, the heart may pause long enough to cause cardiac arrest. That’s why it should never be dismissed as a ‘simple faint.’
Take-home messages for public
As per the Hyderabad doctor, fainting during or after passing stool (defecation syncope) is not always harmless.
He also suggested preventing constipation with healthy eating, hydration, and activity.
‘If you faint, consult a doctor. Heart and neurological causes must be ruled out’, he added.
