Laxatives (Complete Overview) | Dr. Shikha Parmar

Laxatives (Complete Overview) by Dr. Shikha Parmar


Constipation refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement. Complications from constipation may include haemorrhoids, anal fissure or faecal impaction. Poor diet frequently causes constipation. Dietary fibre and adequate water intake are necessary to help keep stools soft. Constipation can happen for many reasons, such as when stool passes through the colon too slowly. The slower the food moves through the digestive tract, the more water the colon will absorb and the harder the faeces will become. A person who poops fewer than 3 times per week may have constipation.

Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation.
Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and bowel examinations and may be supplemented by enemas under certain circumstances. Sufficiently high doses of laxatives may cause diarrhoea.
Some laxatives combine more than one active ingredient.
Diarrhoea is when your bowel movements become loose or watery. The definition of diarrhoea is passing loose or watery bowel movements 3 or more times in a day (or more frequently than usual).

In general, laxatives can be classified into four main categories: bulk laxatives, stimulant laxatives, osmotic laxatives and stool softeners.


Description Source: Wikipedia