What to take for constipation?

Have you not been able to go to the toilet properly for days? If you want to know what you can do in these situations, we are going to tell you what to take for constipation. Although for years constipation was treated as an illness or a serious symptom to be tackled with excessive use of enemas and purgatives, nowadays it is treated with far less invasive remedies that can regulate and care for the bowel.

At Farmaciasdirect we offer all kinds of medicines to help resolve this type of intestinal upset. You will find products such as enemas, laxatives and suppositories to help ease bowel transit without needing to see your specialist urgently.

What to take for constipation? 

If you have not been going to the toilet properly for a while and need a little help, you should know that there are medicines that help to clear the bowel and encourage intestinal transit. There are some medicines for constipation that are quite well known, so if you want to know what to take for constipation:

• Micralax microenemas. This medicine acts as a laxative and comes in an enema format for rectal use, suitable for adults and children aged 12 and over.
• Plantaben. A medicine presented in sachets with a laxative action, using the husks of Plantago Ovata seeds as its active ingredient, a plant capable of normalising intestinal transit.

It is also important not to overuse laxatives, as you can develop a tolerance to them. It is best not to take them unless a specialist advises it. Now that you know what to take for constipation, let us take a closer look at this condition, which is so common in society.

What is constipation?

Although the term constipation is often used when a person feels they are having difficulty with bowel movements, which is subjective and difficult to define for each individual, the truth is that we can and should set out an objective and specific definition. It is considered constipation when a person has a bowel movement fewer than 2 times a week, or passes less than 50 grams a day. It is a problem that causes very dry and very hard stools, as they usually remain retained in the rectum or colon for a long time, without the affected person being able to pass them easily. It is a complication that affects a great many people, and is particularly common among older adults. It is also often underdiagnosed, creating the risk of more serious and even severe complications developing. There are also cases of people who, despite passing stools at a frequency considered normal, say they suffer from some of the other symptoms typical of constipation, such as a bloated abdomen, the feeling of not having fully emptied the bowel, or intestinal-type pain.

Causes of constipation

There are many causes that can trigger this disorder, although modern lifestyles usually mean that the main ones are always the same. On the one hand, simple chronic constipation is usually caused by a diet that is not varied or healthy enough, in which the person does not get enough fibre and therefore has additional difficulty passing stools regularly. Other cases are caused by other illnesses such as thyroid disorders or diabetes, which often also lead to this type of problem. In addition, some medicines can cause constipation as a side effect. This is common among those used to treat depression, certain heart conditions and pain in general.

How can constipation be prevented?

Infrequent bowel movements, as well as small amounts or difficulty passing stools, should not be underestimated, as they are symptoms with a major negative impact on quality of life for those affected. It is not usually a problem that puts the person’s life at risk, but it is certainly a very uncomfortable one and may indicate a more serious condition. To prevent these symptoms from appearing, or to treat them when they do, there are two main pillars to focus on: diet and physical activity.

1. Diet should include an adequate amount of fibre. To achieve this, it is necessary to include foods such as vegetables and fruit, as well as pulses. Cereals are also suitable, but only when eaten in their wholegrain form, and some nuts such as walnuts are also very helpful. On the other hand, foods high in fat such as eggs, meat and cheese, processed foods, white cereals and pasta, as well as fast food, should be avoided.
2. Physical activity, meanwhile, is also very important. An excessively sedentary lifestyle causes a loss of strength in the abdominal muscles and in the muscles that support bowel movement. Maintaining good physical condition and high activity levels helps to prevent constipation, which is why it often appears in people who are forced to spend many days or hours in bed, or sitting in a chair.

Bibliography

Calvo, M. D. M. P. (2016). Constipation in adults. Revista Médica de Costa Rica y Centroamérica, 73(620), 611-615.