Monday, September 22, 2008

Chronic Constipation Medication: Often, The First Line Of Defense


A person that consistently (for more than two weeks) has difficulty in passing stool or who does not pass stool for this period of time more than thrice in a week is said to suffer from chronic constipation. Fortunately, you can choose from a number of options that will help to treat this condition and choosing chronic constipation medications is one option that is most often chosen.

Prevent The Problem From Occurring

The right chronic constipation diets can help prevent the problem from occurring in the first place. Such a diet also ensures that you don’t put on too much body weight and so helps to also prevent occurrence of chronic constipation.

Perhaps the best chronic constipation medication for your condition is malt soup extract that does not smell nice, but will mix with everything and will provide excellent results. Senokot is another chronic constipation medication option that is really a laxative that stimulates your bowels and is much the same as using another laxative which is Bisacodyl.

Miralax is another suitable chronic constipation medication that is tasteless as well as an osmotic laxative containing polyethylene glycol. By taking Miralax for two weeks or less you can expect to notice results including having a softer stool. However, to ensure that the stool remains soft it may also become necessary to give this and other chronic constipation medications for a longer period of time – say, for between four and six months.

Parents often make a common mistake in treating a child’s chronic constipation by discontinuing the chronic constipation medication once the child starts to pass stool. The risk is that if the chronic constipation medication is discontinued at the wrong time it could lead to relapse and so, it is better to consider the medication as a long term solution rather than an intermediate one.

Milk of magnesia is another common chronic constipation medication and this osmotic laxative that contains some magnesium hydroxide is quite effective for treating children. It is also wrong to assume that a ‘magic pill’ is available that will help solve all chronic constipation cases because often the best cures happen to be natural remedies.

As far as chronic constipation medication goes using Amitiza which is a medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and which helps to soften the patient’s stool by increasing amount of water in the bowels can be taken twice in a day along with your meals to get the desired results.

Cephula, Duphalac, Chronulac, Enulose and Constulose are prescription chronic constipation medications that help to draw some water into the bowels to soften up as well as loosen the stool. Miralax as well as Glycolax are also osmotic laxatives that ensure that water remains in the patient’s stool thereby softening up the stool and facilitating elimination.

Pediatric Chronic Constipation: Many Causes, Including GI Physiology


The causes of pediatric chronic constipation are many and may involve, among other things, complex interactions in the child’s GI physiology as well as type of foods ingested as too expectations of the parents. Though most cases of pediatric chronic constipation tend to be functional it is nevertheless essential that organic etiology be ruled out at the very outset.

Difficulty In Passing Stool

Constipation leads to having difficulties in passing stool; fortunately, a number of different options present them in regard to treating this condition. Chronic constipation medication is one option that should be considered and a good example of such medications is malt soup extract that though it comes with an odor that is unpleasant can still provide suitable results.

Pediatric chronic constipation may not be quite as common as ordinary constipation amongst children but it is nevertheless a problem that needs to be addressed seriously. In fact, toddlers that are no more than twenty-two months old will start to suffer from constipation and in addition, the symptoms are even noticed when the child is younger than six months old. There is however no gender indisposition in regard to pediatric chronic constipation cases though boys in pre-puberty age are more likely to suffer from the disease than girls.

Once the child has passed puberty, girls will then become thrice as likely to suffer from pediatric chronic constipation as compared to boys; and, parents with constipation problems are more likely to pass on the disease to their children as compared to parents that don’t have a constipation problem.

Pediatric chronic constipation also affects children that are overweight and in fact obesity as well as functional constipation is common reasons for this condition. The sad truth is that pediatric chronic constipation amongst overweight children impairs the quality of their lives and much literature has also been written that spell out the ill effects of being obese.

Obesity is without a doubt, a major concern amongst US children and adolescents and even in many other developed nations. If the child’s BMI index has a score of more than eighty-five percentile there is big risk of the child becoming a victim of pediatric chronic constipation.

Another worrying aspect to pediatric chronic constipation is that it can lead to physical hurting which will even impede the child’s normal ability to cope with everyday situations. A child that is suffering from pediatric chronic constipation will not be able ‘to go’ and this will lead him or her to withdraw from the company of others; worse still, they will be hesitant in talking about their problems with others (including parents) and this will cause them much unnecessary anguish.

Some Simple Ways To Affect Chronic Constipation Cure

Whenever a person is unable, over a few days and even weeks, to eliminate fecal waste they are said to suffer from chronic constipation. Diet is a major chronic constipation cause because when people eat the wrong foods such as low fiber foods or refined foods; constipation is a natural consequence that over time turns into a chronic condition. Another common cause for chronic constipation is not getting enough exercise and even being too stressed as well as dehydrated will all contributes to the problem.

Biofeed Therapy


Biofeed therapy is a good enough method to treat pediatric chronic constipation. In adults, the chronic constipation cure can be as simple as consuming plenty of liquids such as water, fruit juices and even fruits or it could be a simple chronic constipation cure such as exercising regularly, especially in the early morning hours which will help to get the bowel moving once more.

You can also affect chronic constipation cure by consuming foods that are rich in fiber; though, this must be accompanied by plenty of water which will help dissolve the fibrous content that otherwise would harden and become hard to eliminate.

You will also need to avoid eating fatty foods; foods that contain plenty of sugar or which are devoid of fiber must also be avoided. The basic chronic constipation cure is of course to consume foods with plenty of fiber which is essential to enhancing movement of the bowels as it adds bulk to your stool and this in turn facilitates easier elimination of waste.

Some people even turn to taking colon cleansers as their chronic constipation cure and the reason why this option is widely used is because it is the fastest method of relieving chronic constipation.

Another suitable chronic constipation cure is drinking milk of magnesia that is a wonderful laxative that is far superior to any medicine. Water is also a superior option; especially, when consumed in the proper amounts – all through the day. These are superior to taking any medicines because of the fact that medicines may be OK as far as a chronic constipation cure goes; but, it is easy to get hooked on them and that in turn means that you will make a habit of taking medicines which is not a desirable thing at all.

Iron supplements are a good chronic constipation cure as they help to maintain better health. In case of medicines and even iron supplements, it is advisable to consult a doctor who will recommend the proper dosage while also addressing factors such as your emotional state and your ability to handle the recommended chronic constipation cure.

A Few Common Causes

Chronic Constipation Cause:

To enjoy vitality in health it is always necessary that you are able to regularly eliminate waste from the body because failure to do so can lead to constipation, which if it occurs regularly for more than two weeks, can become a chronic problem. To help you avoid chronic constipation requires taking important steps such as monitoring triggers and doing your best to avoid these triggers from becoming a chronic constipation cause.

Reduce Stress Levels

When it concerns finding chronic constipation cure your best bet is to reduce stress levels because stress is a major chronic constipation cause. Even chronic dehydrations is a major reason why people suffer from chronic constipation and this is why drinking copious amounts of water each day can help prevent the condition from arising.

Unfortunately, there are so many chronic constipation causes to learn about that you would be hard pressed to keep track of all of them. Nevertheless, it pays to understand the different chronic constipation causes and then you will need to work to remedy them. People that travel long distances or who sit for long periods of time like when working before a computer for hours on end are likely to suffer from constipation, which can then turn chronic.

A person that is under tremendous stress for a week or more or who eats under emotional stress can also become a victim of chronic constipation. Even insomnia is considered a chronic constipation cause and the same goes for eating of red meat; especially, when you eat such meat for more than once in a week.

Another possible chronic constipation cause is eating flour products (refined) more than once in a week because these foods contain something that is like glue which can impede proper bowel movement. Cheese too has been cited as a possible chronic constipation cause; especially, when consumed more than once in any given week.

Fried foods as well as foods loaded with refined sugar are also cited as chronic constipation causes; refined sugar makes the person hold his or her food in the colon for longer than is necessary and this causes putrefaction that in turn leads to too much gas as well as bloating – thereby causing constipation, and even chronic constipation.

There are also some foods that are a natural recipe for chronic constipation with red meat being the main culprit – because it is not easily digestible. Consuming foods with high fiber content and not also drinking adequate amounts of water too are common chronic constipation causes because your body needs water to break down the fiber which otherwise would turn hard and dry and therefore becomes difficult to eliminate.

Parents Must Be On Their Toes Looking For Warning Signs

Chronic Constipation Children:

There are several signs that when present in your child should lead you to suspect you’re your child is suffering from chronic constipation in children. Among these signs is the fact that the child is not moving his or her bowels more than thrice in a week and consistently for a few weeks, and more. In addition, the child is passing hard and dry as well as very large stool and passing of stool is especially difficult for the child. If these signs continue for over two weeks then it is a sure case of chronic constipation in children.

It is always a good idea to be informed about different chronic constipation causes because by understanding the common triggers you will be in a better position to take remedial action.

Several Reasons

There are several reasons why chronic constipation in children occurs and foremost among the many reasons is the fact that child is not drinking enough liquids – is it water, milk or even fruit juices. Secondly, chronic constipation in children can occur because of not consuming a healthy diet – especially a diet that in fact contains too little of fiber.

A diet consisting of high quantities of fat as well as too much of refined sugar will certainly not provide the desired amount of fiber and this in turn will lead to chronic constipation in children. However, this condition can also occur when you start to switch your baby from breast milk to consuming cow milk, and after changing your baby’s food from baby food to solids.

It is also very usual that chronic constipation in children causes the child to start to ignore his or her urge to move the bowels and the reason for this is that the child is loathe to interrupt their play or take time out to use the restroom. This avoidance of moving the bowels causes the stool to build up in the child’s lower bowel and then the stool also turns very hard and becomes bigger.

Chronic constipation in children can cause considerable distress and pain to the child in moving of his or her bowels and this in turn makes the child want to avoid moving the bowels. In order to prevent and treat chronic constipation in children parents must ensure that the child is given a proper diet and is made to drink plenty of fluids. In addition, you need to train the child to move the bowels; you can also give them laxatives and beginning a reward program to goad the child into using the toilet too can help.

Very Little Bowel Movement Over A Long Period Of Time

Chronic Constipation

There are three different categories in which to divide constipation: the length of time it takes to treat the condition; short-term reasons such as medication, diet, travel and surgery as well as other causes; medium term reasons such as low-fiber diet and lack of exercise as well as too little consumption of liquids, and there is also old age, laxative abuse, pregnancy as well as too much consumption of caffeine and alcohol that cause constipation. Finally there is chronic constipation which is a long term condition and it occurs because a person’s GI tract has serious disorders or because of occurrence of other chronic ailments.

Malfunctioning GI Tract

Among problems associated with a person’s GI tract you can include disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, colonic inertia, obstructions in the intestines, and anorectal dysfunction. In addition, there are also other problems that can cause disorders in the GI tract including fissures, tumors and fistulae and even hemorrhoids.

In case the GI tract is free from obstructions (structural) then the treatment of chronic constipation is not a major issue. It may only require educating the patient about importance of consuming highly fibrous foods and drinking plenty of liquids as well as refraining from consuming substances that can dehydrate the person.

When chronic constipation is more serious the treatment will require taking strong laxative and among the many options open to you in this regard, Biofeedback is one that you will do well to try. Sometimes, however a patient may need to undergo surgery; especially when other forms of chronic constipation treatment have failed to resolve the problem even after four months of the treatment.

The common forms of surgery to treat chronic constipation including abdominal colectomy, ileoanal pouch and ileorectomy – all of which can provide considerable relief to the patient. However, chronic constipation can also be caused by neurological disorders, problems in the endocrine as well as metabolic problems, and even strokes, diabetes as well as Parkinson’s disease are known to cause chronic constipation.

Chronic constipation is a condition in which a person continues to feel constipated for quite a few months – which means that he or she will not normally experience having bowel movements of more than thrice in a week. Chronic constipation children occurs when a child has fewer than three bowel movements in a week and when stools are especially hard and dry as well as very large, and in addition, the child will also experiences difficulty in passing stool.

It is safe to say that whenever a person experiences fewer than three bowel movements in a week for a few months that the condition is chronic constipation.