Various Classes of Treatments for Constipation
(Foreword/Disclaimer: All writing here is supplied on an informational basis, with no endorsement of any of the particular products that may be mentioned. In addition, any interested party should seek the knowledge of a board-certified physician. The writer here is not and does not represent himself as a physician. All research provided here has been gathered from other written sources.)
Numerous statistical figures have quoted that the impact of constipation to be as low as 2% to as high as 30%. A large recent 2006 survey conducted by the famous pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim pinpoints the number to be at 12% worldwide. Even at 2% though, most people would agree that constipation seems to be a problem afflicting a broad segment of the population.
One explanation for why the statistics are so inconsistent is that constipation has historically been a poorly-defined condition. The poor definitions are due the fact that constipation varies quite a bit between patients. Frequency of bowel movements, time spent straining at the toilet and hardness of feces are but three examples of patient-reported symptoms that vary wildly from person-to-person. Some attempt has been made by both U.S. national agencies and private groups (such as the Rome Foundation) in unifying our definition of constipation. Nevertheless, diagnosis is made difficult by such variations.
After diagnosis, the patient and the physician must still face the task of trying to determine the fundamental cause of constipation. For some, the constellation of symptoms might suggest something such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For others, incomplete control of muscles in the rectum due to trauma or injury can be a source of constipation. Yet for the largest group, there is no clear cause. This last group are classified into the "idiopathic" group.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient's self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
One other option is therapy via one of the many prescription drugs for constipation. A number of these overlap with over-the-counter laxatives. A very small handful are advanced, "targeted" drugs which affect the digestive tract in specific ways. In recent times, unique approaches such as electrode-assisted biofeedback have been studied as possible medical therapies. The field of constipation remedies seems poised for great changes in the coming decade. - 17269
Numerous statistical figures have quoted that the impact of constipation to be as low as 2% to as high as 30%. A large recent 2006 survey conducted by the famous pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim pinpoints the number to be at 12% worldwide. Even at 2% though, most people would agree that constipation seems to be a problem afflicting a broad segment of the population.
One explanation for why the statistics are so inconsistent is that constipation has historically been a poorly-defined condition. The poor definitions are due the fact that constipation varies quite a bit between patients. Frequency of bowel movements, time spent straining at the toilet and hardness of feces are but three examples of patient-reported symptoms that vary wildly from person-to-person. Some attempt has been made by both U.S. national agencies and private groups (such as the Rome Foundation) in unifying our definition of constipation. Nevertheless, diagnosis is made difficult by such variations.
After diagnosis, the patient and the physician must still face the task of trying to determine the fundamental cause of constipation. For some, the constellation of symptoms might suggest something such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For others, incomplete control of muscles in the rectum due to trauma or injury can be a source of constipation. Yet for the largest group, there is no clear cause. This last group are classified into the "idiopathic" group.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient's self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
One other option is therapy via one of the many prescription drugs for constipation. A number of these overlap with over-the-counter laxatives. A very small handful are advanced, "targeted" drugs which affect the digestive tract in specific ways. In recent times, unique approaches such as electrode-assisted biofeedback have been studied as possible medical therapies. The field of constipation remedies seems poised for great changes in the coming decade. - 17269
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