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LaxaColon:
DreamPharm herbal formula for constipation relief
"Intestinal discomfort - a Trojian horse so popularly overlooked."
Treatment and prevention of constipation
How Is Constipation Treated?
Although treatment depends on the cause, severity, and duration, in most cases dietary and lifestyle changes will help relieve symptoms and help prevent constipation.
Diet
A diet with enough fiber (20 to 35 grams each day) helps form
soft, bulky stool. A doctor or dietitian can help plan an appropriate
diet. High-fiber foods include beans; whole grains and bran cereals;
fresh fruits; and vegetables such as asparagus, brussels sprouts,
cabbage, and carrots. For people prone to constipation, limiting foods
that have little or no fiber such as ice cream, cheese, meat, and
processed foods is also important.
Lifestyle Changes
Other changes that can help treat and prevent constipation include
drinking enough water and other liquids such as fruit and vegetable
juices and clear soup, engaging in daily exercise, and reserving enough
time to have a bowel movement. In addition, the urge to have a bowel
movement should not be ignored.
Laxatives
Most people who are mildly constipated do not need laxatives.
However, for those who have made lifestyle changes and are still
constipated, doctors may recommend laxatives or enemas for a limited
time. These treatments can help retrain a chronically sluggish bowel.
For children, short-term treatment with laxatives, along with retraining
to establish regular bowel habits, also helps prevent constipation.
Doctors should determine when a patient needs a laxative and
which form is best. Laxatives taken by mouth are available in liquid,
tablet, gum, powder, and granule forms. They work in various ways:
Bulk-forming laxatives generally are considered the safest
but can interfere with absorption of some medicines. These laxatives,
also known as fiber supplements, are taken with water. They absorb water
in the intestine and make the stool softer. Brand names include
Metamucil=AE, Citrucel=AE, Konsyl=AE, and Serutan=AE.
Stimulants cause rhythmic muscle contractions in the
intestines. Brand names include Correctol=AE, Dulcolax=AE, Purge=AE,
Feen-A-Mint=AE, and Senokot=AE. Studies suggest that phenolphthalein, an
ingredient in some stimulant laxatives, might increase a person's risk
for cancer. The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a ban on all
over-the-counter products containing phenolphthalein. Most laxative
makers have replaced or plan to replace phenolphthalein with a safer
ingredient.
Stool softeners provide moisture to the stool and prevent
dehydration. These laxatives are often recommended after childbirth or
surgery. Products include Colace=AE, Dialose=AE, and Surfak=AE.
Lubricants grease the stool enabling it to move through the
intestine more easily. Mineral oil is the most common lubricant.
Saline laxatives act like a sponge to draw water into the
colon for easier passage of stool. Laxatives in this group include Milk
of Magnesia=AE, Citrate of Magnesia=AE, and Haley's M-O=AE.
People who are dependent on laxatives need to slowly stop using
the medications. A doctor can assist in this process. In most people,
this restores the colon's natural ability to contract.
Other Treatment
Treatment may be directed at a specific cause. For example, the
doctor may recommend discontinuing medication or performing surgery to
correct an anorectal problem such as rectal prolapse.
People with chronic constipation caused by anorectal dysfunction
can use biofeedback to retrain the muscles that control release of bowel
movements. Biofeedback involves using a sensor to monitor muscle
activity that at the same time can be displayed on a computer screen
allowing for an accurate assessment of body functions. A health care
professional uses this information to help the patient learn how to use
these muscles.
Surgical removal of the colon may be an option for people with
severe symptoms caused by colonic inertia. However, the benefits of this
surgery must be weighed against possible complications, which include
abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Can Constipation Be Serious? Sometimes constipation can lead to
complications. These complications include hemorrhoids caused by
straining to have a bowel movement or anal fissures (tears in the skin
around the anus) caused when hard stool stretches the sphincter muscle.
As a result, rectal bleeding may occur that appears as bright red
streaks on the surface of the stool. Treatment for hemorrhoids may
include warm tub baths, ice packs, and application of a cream to the
affected area. Treatment for anal fissure may include stretching the
sphincter muscle or surgical removal of tissue or skin in the affected
area.
Sometimes straining causes a small amount of intestinal lining to
push out from the anal opening. This condition is known as rectal
prolapse and may lead to secretion of mucus from the anus. Usually,
eliminating the cause of the prolapse such as straining or coughing is
the only treatment necessary. Severe or chronic prolapse requires
surgery to strengthen and tighten the anal sphincter muscle or to repair
the prolapsed lining.
Constipation may also cause hard stool to pack the intestine and
rectum so tightly that the normal pushing action of the colon is not
enough to expel the stool. This condition, called fecal impaction,
occurs most often in children and older adults. An impaction can be
softened with mineral oil taken by mouth and an enema. After softening
the impaction, the doctor may break up and remove part of the hardened
stool by inserting one or two fingers in the anus.
Points to Remember
Constipation affects almost everyone at one time or another.
Many people think they are constipated when, in fact, their
bowel movements are regular.
The most common causes of constipation are poor diet and lack of exercise.
Additional causes of constipation include medications,
irritable bowel syndrome, abuse of laxatives, and specific diseases.
A medical history and physical examination may be the only
diagnostic tests needed before the doctor suggests treatment.
In most cases, following these simple tips will help relieve
symptoms and prevent recurrence of constipation:
-Eat a well-balanced, high-fiber diet that includes beans, bran, whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
-Drink plenty of liquids.
-Exercise regularly.
-Set aside time after breakfast or dinner for undisturbed visits to the toilet.
-Do not ignore the urge to have a bowel movement.
-Understand that normal bowel habits vary.
-Whenever a significant or prolonged change in bowel habits occurs, check with a doctor.
-Most people with mild constipation do not need laxatives. However, doctors may recommend laxatives for a limited time for people with chronic constipation.
How to prevent constipation
1. Eat more fiber.
Fiber helps form soft, bulky stool. It is found in many vegetables,
fruits, and grains. Be sure to add fiber a little at a time, so your
body gets used to it slowly. Limit foods that have little or no fiber
such as ice cream, cheese, meat, snacks like chips and pizza, and
processed foods such as instant mashed potatoes or already-prepared
frozen dinners. The chart below shows you some high-fiber foods.
High-Fiber Foods
Fruit, Vegetables, Breads, Cereals, and Beans:
Apples
Peaches
Raspberries
Tangerines Acorn squash, raw
Broccoli, raw
Brussels sprouts, raw
Cabbage, raw
Carrots, raw
Cauliflower, raw
Spinach, cooked
Zucchini, raw Black-eyed peas, cooked
Kidney beans, cooked
Lima beans, cooked
Whole-grain cereal, cold (All-Bran, Total, Bran Flakes)
Whole-grain cereal, hot (oatmeal, Wheatena)
Whole-wheat or 7-grain bread
2. Drink plenty of water and other liquids such as fruit and vegetable juices and clear soup.
Liquid helps keep the stool soft and easy to pass, so it's important to
drink enough fluids. Try not to drink liquids with caffeine or alcohol
in them. Caffeine and alcohol tend to dry out your system.
3. Get enough exercise.
Regular exercise helps your system stay active and healthy. You don't
need to become a great athlete. A 20- to 30-minute walk every day may
help.
4. Allow yourself enough time to have a bowel movement.
Sometimes we feel so hurried that we don't pay attention to our body's
needs. Make sure you don't ignore the urge to have a bowel movement.
5. Use laxatives only if a doctor says you should.
Laxatives (LAHK-sa-tivz) are medicines that will make you pass a stool.
Most people who are mildly constipated do not need laxatives. However,
if you are doing all the right things and you are still constipated,
your doctor may recommend laxatives for a limited time.
Your doctor will tell you if you need a laxative and what type is best.
Laxatives come in many forms: liquid, chewing gum, pills, and powder
that you mix with water, for example.
6. Check with your doctor about any medicines you take.
Some medicines can cause constipation. They include calcium pills, pain
pills with codeine in them, some antacids, iron pills, diuretics (water
pills), and medicines for depression. If you take medicine for another
problem, be sure to ask your doctor about it.
Rerefence resources:
NIDDK National Digestive Disease Clearinghouse: constipation information
The American Gastroenterological Association: about constipation
National Institute on Age, Administration on Aging: What is constipation?
Colon cleansing, Laxative, an excellent herbal formula for constipation relief
Causes of Constipation
Diagnosis of Constipation
Treatment of Constipation
Constipation: Introduction
Constipation Link
Constipation Link 2
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