Treatment and Prevention
Constipation can be treated medically, but lifestyle changes are often very
important. The following practices can both treat and prevent constipation:
- avoid medications with constipating effects
- do physical exercise to stimulate the movement of waste through your intestines
- drink at least eight glasses of fluid - water is best - each day
- eat a diet that's high in bulk and low in processed foods
- increase dietary fiber to 1 ounce per day by eating whole grains,
especially flaxseed, fruits, and vegetables (these add bulk to stools, making
them easier to pass)
- schedule regular times for bowel movements to condition your body (after
breakfast, for instance)
- use prune juice, stewed prunes, or figs to soften hard stools (but increase
the amount slowly to reduce gas)
Medications are usually brought in if changing diet and habits don't work.
Laxatives should be used sparingly as needed, to a maximum of once or twice
a week.
- Bulk-forming laxatives adds bulk to the stool, stimulating defecation.
- Others act by coating the feces with oil, preventing water from being absorbed
by the intestine.
- Some laxatives are irritants that cause the lining of the intestine to contract,
helping to push out the stool.
- Some laxatives work by pulling water back into the colon to ease transit.
Enemas and fecal softeners can be used to increase the amount of water in your
stool, causing it to become soft. This is useful if you can't or shouldn't be
straining. This happens if you have anal fissures or rectal prolapse. They too
can create dependence, so be careful.