Constipation Treatment

Constipation Treatment

Constipation treatment is not difficult but does require some changes in lifestyle. The majority of individuals who seek treatment of constipation should first start with home measures. Not all cases of constipation need to be treated by a physician.
Simple changes in life style can help ease symptoms and relieve constipation. The first thing to do is add fiber to the diet. All adults should eat at least 25-30 grs of dietary fiber a day. Fiber can help increase bulk and moisturize stools. Foods that are high in fiber include beans, legumes, whole grains, fruits and a variety of vegetables. Dietry fiber should be eaten on  regular basis and often the results appear in a few days. One should avoid too much processed foods like meat, cheese and dairy products. Remember, tinned fruits and vegetables have been processed and are not the same as eating fresh products.
Some type of exercise is recommended to avoid constipation. This does not mean that everyone has to jog- simply walking 20-30 minutes twice a day is adequate. Going to the bathroom is not considered exercise. It is well known that regular exercise can help stimulate intestinal muscles to become active.

Fluid intake is vital in preventing constipation. Fluids help soften the stools and prevent straining. Bowel movements should not be hurried. People should set asides time to have a peaceful bowel movement and urges to go to the bathroom should not be ignored.

For chronic constipation treatment, there are many laxatives on the market. For short term use, there is no harm in taking laxatives but these drugs should not be used continuously. The available laxatives include stimulants like Dulcolax, lubricants like mineral oil, stool softeners like Colace, fiber supplements like Metamucil, osmotic like sorbitol and saline laxatives like milk of magnesia. It really does not matter which laxative one uses. The choice is strictly personal.

As long as the laxative is used for a short time, they do not harm. However, different individuals do respond differently to any of these drugs and in most cases it is a trial and error process. Today, there are some potent laxatives which can be used to treat people with severe constipation in people who have diabetic neuropathy and in irritable bowel syndrome. Chronic constipation treatment can also be undertaken with chloride channel activators like Amitiza which requires a prescription. Individuals who have an underlying disorder like hemorrhoids or anal stenosis need surgical treatment at the same time.

For constipation during pregnancy, one should avoid laxatives and place more emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In extremely rare cases, treatment of constipation involves surgery. However, surgery is never the first treatment and should only be undertaken if all other methods of treating constipation have failed. Surgery involves removing most of the colon but the results are not great. In fact, most people end up having more diarrhea which is worse than having constipation. For the majority of individuals, constipation treatment is successful by eating right, drinking lots of water and being active.

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