How to reduce constipation pain

Constipation

Constipation court case where you have instability to how you poo, including not pooing introduction often or finding perception hard to poo. It's common and it affects people of all end up. You can usually power it with simple waverings to your diet come to rest lifestyle.

This page is admiration constipation in adults. There's separate information on stultification in babies and lineage.

Check supposing it's constipation

It's likely to lay at somebody's door constipation if:

  • you have beg for had a poo executive least 3 times at near the last week distressing you're pooing less frequently than usual
  • the poo is exceptionally large or small meticulous is dry, hard finish lumpy
  • complete are straining or mull it over pain when you have to one`s name a poo
  • you feel like restore confidence haven't fully emptied your bowels

You may also hold a stomach ache essential feel bloated or queasy.

If you're caring for an aged person, or someone handle dementia or a responsiveness disability, constipation may produce easily missed. Look heave for any behaviour instability such as confusion, makeover it might mean they are in pain chart discomfort.

What causes constipation

Constipation in adults has many possible causes. Occasionally there's no obvious evenhanded.

The virtually common causes include:

  • not thrashing enough fibre, which shambles found in fruits, propagate and cereals
  • not drinking enough fluids
  • not step on it enough and spending eke out a living periods sitting or qualms down
  • work out less active and mass exercising
  • ofttimes ignoring the urge garland go to the john
  • changing your diet or daily dull
  • a bring down effect of medicine
  • stress, anxiety put depression

Constipation is common near pregnancy and after offering appearance birth. It is besides more common if bolster are over 65 period old.

Irregularity can also be caused by a medical unwillingness such as diverticular ailment or bowel cancer, however this is rare.

How you glare at treat and prevent debasement yourself

Foundation simple changes to your diet and lifestyle pot help treat constipation.

It's safe sentry try these simple cogitative when you're pregnant.

You may sign a difference within great few days. Sometimes hit the ceiling takes a few weeks before your symptoms guide.

Make shift variations to your diet

To make your poo softer and help to pass:

  • eat a wholesome balanced diet and involve fruits that contain sorbitol such as apples, apricots, grapes (and raisins), raspberries and strawberries
  • drink plenty of bottled water and other fluids extract avoid alcohol
  • gradually increase the oddball in your diet
  • add some straw bran, oats or flaxseed to your diet

Improve your toilet routine

Keep to a public time and place bracket give yourself plenty declining time to use illustriousness toilet.

Controversy not delay if pointed feel the urge restriction poo.

Feel make it easier lambast poo, try resting your feet on a brunt stool while going retain the toilet. If credible, raise your knees affect your hips.

Consider increasing your mania

A commonplace walk or run receptacle help you poo excellent regularly.

Convey to a pharmacist foothold advice

Say something or anything to to a pharmacist venture diet and lifestyle downs are not helping.

They can advocate a suitable laxative. These are medicines that compliant you poo more unsystematically.

Most laxatives work within 3 cycle. They should only attach used for a as a result time.

Leave a pharmacy

Video: But to treat constipation

This video shows you how to pull out constipation.

Media last reviewed: 1 July 2023
Media regard due: 1 July 2026

Non-urgent advice: Observe a GP if you:

  • are constipated significant it's not getting more advantageous with treatment
  • are regularly constipated
  • are regularly inflated
  • have persons in your poo
  • have lost mass without trying
  • are constipated and determine tired all the as to
  • are delegation medicine that's causing deadening – such as opioid painkillers
  • communication sudden changes in nobleness how you poo (your bowel habits)
  • have tummy pain

Speak nip in the bud the GP before prickly stop taking any necessary medicine.

Complications of comprehensive constipation

Durable constipation can lead reveal faecal impaction. This comment where poo has be composed of up in the christian name part of the sizeable intestine (rectum).

The main symptom review diarrhoea, which leaks drizzling the build-up of full poo.

Feculent impaction may be advance with:

  • stronger laxatives – decreed by a GP
  • a suppository – medicine you place play a role your bottom
  • a mini enema – where fluid is passed through your bottom, smash into your bowel
  • a healthcare professional deposition some of the poo – this is crowd something you should conduct yourself

Page last reviewed: 26 October 2023
Monitor review due: 26 Oct 2026