Treatment of constipation: medication, laxatives, diet - diet, fluids

If there is blood in the stool, prolonged constipation, pain or unusual symptoms, it is necessary to seek professional help from a doctor.

The basis of the treatment of constipation is the correct determination of the cause of its occurrence. However, the treatment of chronic constipation always belongs to the hands of a doctor. The therapy consists in determining and eliminating the cause of its occurrence.

Conservative therapy for constipation includes a change in eating habits, lifestyle, increased fiber intake, sufficient fluid intake and increased physical activity during the day.

If spasticity predominates in the intestinal tract of an individual, water-soluble fibre is recommended. Conversely, if hypotonic intestinal tract predominates, water-insoluble fibre is appropriate.

Supportive treatment is the use of prebiotics and probiotics to promote digestive health, digestion and intestinal peristalsis.

Pharmacotherapy of obstipation includes prokinetics to improve the passage through the gastrointestinal tract and to relieve the cramps present. Spasmolytics are indicated, especially in the spastic form of obstipation.

In the short term, laxatives with different mechanisms of action (osmotic, irritant, swelling...) may be indicated.

• Osmotic laxatives retain water in the intestinal tract and cause watery stools.
• Irritant laxatives act by directly irritating the nerve endings of the intestinal tract wall.
• Swelling laxatives swell simultaneously with fluid intake in the intestine. They swell and stimulate peristalsis by stretching the intestinal wall.

In medical treatment, the type of laxative and its use should be individually recommended by the doctor, especially because of the possible risk of subsequent complications.

Surgical treatment is the last resort. It is necessary in the unavoidable case of mechanical obstruction of the intestinal tract. It is also chosen and in patients where there is no prospect of improvement with conservative and pharmacological treatment.

This includes, for example, analplasty or colostomy (colonic diversion).