Treatment and Prevention of Constipation
It's easy to laugh at this word but it's not so funny when you suffer from it and many people do.
Common causes of constipation include; inactivity, lack of adequate fluids, use of pain medications and inadequate fiber in the diet.
If you are blessed with good health, the ability to eat and drink what you want and can exercise, then prevention involves lots of fluid, some natural sources of fiber like fresh fruits and vegetables and maybe a little prune juice.
For others, constipation is far more difficult to treat and prevent. First of all, sick people don't want or can't eat. They may not have an appetite or they may be taking narcotic pain medication which is very constipating. They may have nausea which prevents them from ingesting adequate fluids. Still others may suffer from immobility which always poses a challenge to keep the bowels going when the body doesn't.
These patients could benefit from a bowel management program. A bowel management program includes the use of medication. It is almost impossible to prevent and manage chronic constipation without the use of medications.
A common medication regime includes daily meds which are designed to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">prevent</span> the problem in the first place. Examples of these would be a daily dose of a stool softener, such as 100-250mg of Doss or Colace used along with 1 to 2 tablets of a medication such as, Sennakot either each AM or, for high risks individuals, each AM and PM. These medications do two things: The Colace, or stool softener, signals the colon not to absorb so much water which makes the stool easier to pass. The second medication, Senna, (or other natural, vegetable laxative) stimulates the passage of food through the GI tract. Both of these medications are designed to use every day in a dose which is prescribed by your health care provider to prevent constipation. If they fail, additional medications may be needed.
If a person goes longer than 3 to 7 days, depending on how much they are eating and other variables, it may be necessary to use additional medications which are more powerful and actually treat constipation. An example of this type of medication is, Milk of Magnesia (per package directions). Many people choose to use suppositories but it is always better to treat constipation with the, "top down" concept. If the patient can swallow, oral medications are usually better, easier and safer to give than rectal suppositories.
Any patient who is taking narcotic pain medications should expect constipation and should ask their doctor about the use of the medications mentioned in this article. As with any medications, patients should check with their health care provider before treatment.
