Examination of the patient including the bowel is also usually necessary. Sometimes barium enema X-ray is required. Direct visual examination of the inside of the bowel by sigmoidoscopy is another investigation.
Once the correct diagnosis has been made, correct treatment can be used.
If chronic purgative abuse is the cause, it can be difficult to correct.
One of the most important points in avoiding constipation is getting into the habit of emptying the bowel at the same time each day (or less frequently if this is normal for you). Following a meal, the gastro-colic reflex stimulates the bowel to act after some 10 to 15 minutes. This should not be ignored. Set a regular time each day and then try to keep to it. Increasing the bulk of one’s diet seems to regulate the bowel.
Laxatives are all right for acute constipation and may make life more comfortable when the condition is due to some temporary upset but it is not necessary to have “a good clean out every now and then.”
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