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Treating constipation

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Lifestyle changes and medications are among the ways to tackle uncomfortable constipation.

Treating constipation at home

Sometimes constipation can be treated effectively at home. Here are some ways:
• Follow a fibre-rich diet to help relieve and prevent constipation.
• If your child has rectal pain because she is unable to have a bowel movement, try adding 60 ml of baking soda to a warm bath. The baking soda and the warmth may help relax the anal sphincter (muscular valves that normally keep the stool inside the rectum) and thus help pass the stool.
• Bulking agents such as bran and psyllium are not laxatives, but work by increasing the volume of stool and making it easier to pass. These products are safe to use and regular use renders them more effective. Always drink plenty of water when taking bulking agents.

Medication for constipation

Irritant laxatives (e.g. Senna) work by irritating the lining of the bowel, which speeds up the passage of faeces. Regular use is not recommended, as it decreases tone and sensation in the large bowel, causing laxative dependence. Take with water. Bulk laxatives like Fybogel work by increasing the fibre content of the stool.

Other agents such as Movicol increase the fluid content. They soften the stool, making it easier to defecate.
Your doctor may recommend a laxative or stool softener if improvements in diet and toilet habits do not ease the constipation. Do not use liquid paraffin or any other laxative for more than two weeks without consulting your doctor.

Do not give laxatives or enemas to your child without talking to your health professional first. Children should not need an enema or a laxative to have a bowel movement.

Reviewed by Dr Saville Furman, MBChB MFGP (SA). Family Physician, Part time lecturer in family medicine and primary care at UCT, Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Groote Schuur hospital, Cape Town.


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