Medicine is often not necessary to treat constipation

Constipation in adults and kids is pretty common and usually remedied with simple dietary changes, especially in children.

There are a lot of  myths circulating about toilet habits so it’s difficult to know what’s normal  and what’s not in the bowel department but the simple answer is we are all different.

 Some people go to the toilet 3 times a day and others go only twice a week and that is their routine. Constipation means you are going less often than your own personal rhythm and when you do go the motions are hard and difficult to pass.

There are many causes of constipation but especially in children I see dietary causes as the biggest problem. Not eating enough fibre and not drinking enough water are typical. A large number of medicines cause constipation particularly codeine-based pills, iron tablets and some antidepressants. Medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and an underactive thyroid cause constipation. Pregnancy is a well known cause.

Constipation is a worry when it seems to be becoming a new routine for you. Occasional difficulty is fine. Any sustained change of bowel habit should be discussed with your doctor. It is also a worry if you are passing blood, or experiencing pain or sickness from your constipation.

People always seem to come to the doctor for a laxative when they are constipated but there are natural methods you can try before using a laxative. This is especially important in kids:
• Firstly increase your fluid intake whether it be water or fruit juice

• Secondly, increase the amount of fibre you take in – this means eating brown or wholemeal bread and pasta, wholegrain breakfast cereals and eating your 5-a-day fruit and veggies.
•  Start exercising as this gets your bowels moving.
•  Avoid constipating foods – bananas, rice, white bread are all culprits.

• Prunes contain a natural sugar called sorbitol which works as a laxative, drawing water into the stool making it softer to pass. They are a good treatment for constipation along with plums, peaches, apples, strawberries and dried apricots. Dried fruit has lots more sorbitol in so is even better.

If your own natural remedies are not working you should go to the doctor.

It is important to discuss constipation early with your GP for children. Constipation can lead to toilet-phobia in children and can also lead to other problems such as urinary infections, so dealing with it quickly is important.

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Tags: doctors (medical practitioners), Hospitals, pharmacists