What should i do for severe constipation

This means they're less likely to dry out, which can lead to faecal impaction. Bulk-forming laxatives also make your stools softer, which means they should be easier to pass. Commonly prescribed bulk-forming laxatives include ispaghula husk, methylcellulose and sterculia. When taking this type of laxative, you must drink plenty of fluids, and don't take them before going to bed. It will usually be 2 to 3 days before you feel the effects of a bulk-forming laxative.

If your stools remain hard after you've taken a bulk-forming laxative, your pharmacist may prescribe an osmotic laxative instead. Osmotic laxatives increase the amount of fluid in your bowels. This softens your stools and stimulates your body to pass them. Commonly prescribed osmotic laxatives include lactulose and macrogols.

As with bulk-forming laxatives, make sure you drink enough fluids. It will usually be 2 to 3 days before you feel the effect of the laxative. If your stools are soft, but you still have difficulty passing them, your pharmacist may recommend a stimulant laxative. This type of laxative stimulates the muscles that line your digestive tract, helping them to move stools and waste products along your large intestine to your anus.

The most commonly prescribed stimulant laxatives are senna, bisacodyl and sodium picosulphate. These laxatives are usually only used on a short-term basis, and they start to work within 6 to 12 hours. According to your individual preference and how quickly you need relief, your pharmacist may decide to combine different laxatives. If you've had constipation for a short time, your pharmacist will usually advise you to stop taking the laxative once your stools are soft and easily passed.

However, if your constipation is caused by an underlying medical condition or a medicine you're taking, your GP may advise you to take laxatives for much longer, possibly many months or even years. If you've been taking laxatives for some time, you may have to gradually reduce your dose, rather than coming off them straight away.

If you have been prescribed a combination of laxatives, you'll normally have to reduce the dosage of each laxative, one at a time, before you can stop taking them. This can take several months. Faecal impaction occurs when stools become hard and dry and collect in your rectum.

This obstructs the rectum, making it more difficult for stools to pass along. Sometimes as a result of impaction, overflow diarrhoea may occur where loose stools leak around the obstruction. You may have difficulty controlling this. If you have faecal impaction, you'll initially be treated with a high dose of the osmotic laxative macrogol. After a few days of using macrogol, you may also have to start taking a stimulant laxative. If you're pregnant, there are ways for you to safely treat constipation without harming you or your baby.

Your pharmacist will first advise you to change your diet by increasing fibre and fluid intake. You'll also be advised to do gentle exercise. If dietary and lifestyle changes don't work, you may be prescribed a laxative to help you pass stools more regularly.

Lots of laxatives are safe for pregnant women to use because most aren't absorbed by the digestive system. This means that your baby won't feel the effects of the laxative. Laxatives that are safe to use during pregnancy include the osmotic laxatives lactulose and macrogols. If these don't work, your pharmacist may recommend taking a small dose of bisacodyl or senna stimulant laxatives. However, senna may not be suitable if you're in your third trimester of pregnancy, because it's partially absorbed by your digestive system.

Read more about constipation and other common pregnancy problems. If your baby is constipated but hasn't started to eat solid foods, the first way to treat them is to give them extra water between their normal feeds. If you're using formula milk, make the formula as directed by the manufacturer and don't dilute the mixture. You may want to try gently moving your baby's legs in a bicycling motion or carefully massaging their tummy to help stimulate their bowels.

If your baby is eating solid foods, give them plenty of water or diluted fruit juice. The best fruits for babies to eat to treat constipation are:. Never force your baby to eat food if they don't want to. If you do, it can turn mealtimes into a battle and your child may start to think of eating as a negative and stressful experience. If your baby is still constipated after a change in diet, they may have to be prescribed a laxative.

Bulk-forming laxatives aren't suitable for babies, so they'll usually be given an osmotic laxative. However, if this doesn't work, they can be prescribed a stimulant laxative. For children, laxatives are often recommended alongside changes to diet. Osmotic laxatives are usually tried first, followed by a stimulant laxative if necessary. As well as eating fruit, older children should have a healthy, balanced diet , which also contains vegetables and wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal bread and pasta.

Try to minimise stress or conflict associated with meal times or using the toilet. It's important to be positive and encouraging when it comes to establishing a toilet routine. Allow your child at least 10 minutes on the toilet, to make sure they've passed as many stools as possible. To encourage a positive toilet routine, try making a diary of your child's bowel movements linked to a reward system. This can help them focus on using the toilet successfully. Constipation rarely causes any complications or long-term health problems.

Treatment is usually effective, particularly if it's started promptly. However, if you have long-term chronic constipation, you may be more at risk of experiencing complications. In some cases, bleeding is the result of a small tear around the anus anal fissure , but it's more often caused by haemorrhoids piles.

Piles are swollen blood vessels that form in the lower rectum and anus. As well as bleeding, piles can also cause pain, itching around the anus, and swelling of the anus. The symptoms of piles often settle down after a few days without treatment.

However, creams and ointments are available to reduce any itching or discomfort. Long-term constipation can increase the risk of faecal impaction, which is where dried, hard stools collect in your rectum and anus. Once you have faecal impaction, it's very unlikely that you'll be able to get rid of the stools naturally. Faecal impaction makes constipation worse because it's harder for stools and waste products to pass out of your anus, as the path is obstructed.

Faecal impaction is usually treated with laxative medication, although suppositories medication inserted into the anus and mini enemas where medicine in fluid form is injected through your anus may sometimes be used.

There are a number of things you can do to prevent constipation, including making diet and lifestyle changes. Including enough fibre in your diet can significantly reduce your chances of developing constipation. Most adults don't eat enough fibre. You should aim to have about 30g of fibre a day. You can increase your fibre intake by eating more:. Eating more fibre will keep your bowel movements regular, because it helps food pass through your digestive system more easily.

Foods high in fibre also make you feel fuller for longer. It's important to increase your fibre intake gradually, because a sudden increase may make you feel bloated. Suddenly increasing your intake of fibre may also cause you to produce more wind flatulence and experience stomach cramps. Read more about how to increase your intake of fibre and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration , and steadily increase your intake when exercising or when it's hot.

Try to cut back on the amount of caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks you consume. Never ignore the urge to go to the toilet, because it can significantly increase your chances of having constipation. Keeping active and mobile will greatly reduce your risk of getting constipation. You should do at least minutes of physical activity every week. As well as regular exercise reducing your risk of becoming constipated, it will also leave you feeling healthier and improve your mood, energy levels and general fitness.

Read more about health and fitness and physical activity guidelines for adults. Home Illnesses and conditions Stomach, liver and gastrointestinal tract Constipation. Constipation See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About constipation 2. Symptoms of constipation 3. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest health news, research, and care. Constipation most commonly occurs when waste or stool moves too slowly through the digestive tract or cannot be eliminated effectively from the rectum, which may cause the stool to become hard and dry.

Chronic constipation has many possible causes. Neurological problems can affect the nerves that cause muscles in the colon and rectum to contract and move stool through the intestines. Causes include:. Problems with the pelvic muscles involved in having a bowel movement may cause chronic constipation.

These problems may include:. Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Diseases and conditions that upset the balance of hormones may lead to constipation, including:. Constipation care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Chronic constipation is infrequent bowel movements or difficult passage of stools that persists for several weeks or longer. Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week. Email address.

First Name let us know your preferred name. Last Name. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth digestive health guide will be in your inbox shortly. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Constipation.

Constipation is often due to:. According to the American College of Gastroenterology , each year in the United States, people spend hundreds of millions of dollars on laxatives, and go to approximately 2. Constipation is commonly a short-term problem that can be resolved with self-care. However, sometimes it requires emergency medical treatment.

Intense, constant abdominal pain, however, could be an indication of a more serious condition that demands immediate medical attention. These include:. This is an extremely dangerous situation and requires immediate medical attention. Painful stomach bloating might be a sign of a serious bowel obstruction This condition requires urgent medical treatment. Stomach bloating can also be caused by. Generally, these are relatively easy conditions to treat and not a cause of great concern. However, if you notice more than a few bright red streaks on the toilet paper or on the stool itself, or you have black, tarry stools, call your doctor.

According to the Cleveland Clinic , only a small number of patients with constipation have a more serious underlying medical problem. However, certain instances of constipation, marked with additional, pronounced symptoms, require emergency medical diagnosis and treatment.