Constipation
Constipation is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon and interferes with the normal life of many people. In the treatment of this disease, laxatives are most often used. Laxatives are recommended when a person does not have regular bowel movements (at least three times a week). Moreover, drug treatment is prescribed in cases where a person’s stool is harder than usual and the patient experiences pain during bowel movements.
Constipation can be associated with insufficient fluid intake during the day, which leads to dehydration. Additionally, signs of constipation can include lack of activity and changes in diet. A patient’s individual drug therapy can cause constipation, resulting in irregular bowel movements. At the same time, different types of laxatives are selected for each case, including bulk, osmotic, stimulant, and surfactant. The mechanism that allows one to normalize the mode of bowel movement is increased motility (peristalsis), and restoration of the natural state of microflora.
Types, Contraindications and Examples
Bulk laxatives work by retaining water in the body. Due to the volume, the preparations swell and stretch the walls of the intestine for better defecation. At the same time, stretching promotes the launch of peristalsis, which accelerates bowel movement. However, there are contraindications for patients with intolerance to galactose or fructose. Moreover, lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption necessitates the selection of other drugs.
Osmotic laxatives work by displacing stagnant masses from the intestines. They retain moisture, thereby creating pressure that accelerates the action of peristalsis. Therefore, the digestive system is gently cleansed of feces and the digested food is expelled from the body. The main achievement of this class of drugs is that they are not addictive and can be used for up to several months. However, osmotic preparations only affect constipation and cannot cure another disease if it has contributed to this problem. It is worth considering the properties of magnesium laxatives – they are contraindicated in patients with arterial hypotension. With constipation-related disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal pain may occur when the intestines are released.
A group of synthetic and natural preparations: upon entering the intestines, they act as a lubricant, which softens stagnant masses and accelerates the passage. They are offered in a pharmacy in the form of a suspension, an oil composition, or rectal suppositories, and in addition to a laxative effect, they act as prophylaxis for hemorrhoids, and stenosis, and improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The action of the drugs is mild but rather fast: the bowel is released 4-6 hours after the first dose. As a laxative, courses are recommended for up to 5 weeks, depending on the composition chosen.