constipation relief
from diet to medication
constipation relief
from diet to medication
Quite likely, your doctor will begin by talking to you about your lifestyle and diet. If you can solve your problem by changing your habits, this is the best solution, as it is completely natural.
But your doctor may also prescribe a laxative.
Laxatives are substances that should make your bowel movements easier and more regular.
Three kinds of effect help to achieve this goal:
- Increasing the volume of stool
- Making the stool softer and wetter
- Activating the muscles of the colon and rectum
Different laxatives work by different combinations of these three effects.
Available laxatives have different mechanisms of action.
The mode of action of the most commonly used laxatives are:
- Bulk-forming laxatives:
These contain insoluble fibre that may help to correct a lack of fibre in the diet. They make the stool volume larger and a bit wetter and softer, too. - Osmotic laxatives:
These substances have a stronger water-absorbing action that increases the water content in the stool. Some of them (e.g. macrogol, a synthetic polymer) have a purely physical effect, like a sponge. Others, including lactulose, also have a prebiotic effect: they stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon. - Stimulant laxatives:
These agents increase the muscular contractions of the colon and rectum. They should only be used for short periods.