Constipation can be of the following kinds-
Simple constipation. Ways to deal with it-
- High residue diet with dietary roughage: Oatmeal porridge
Or wheat husk with milk. Chappatiswith ghee or brown bread with butter, honey or fruits such as prunes, dates, figs, mangoes, apricots. Green vegetables, salads of lettuce,radish
- Drink at least 10 glasses of water in a day.
- Exercise.
- Develop regular bowel habit. Natural reflex should not be suppressed.
- Massage over the colon with hand or fist moving from caecum along ascending and transverse colon down to descending colon.
Moderate constipation.
Ways to deal with it-
- Diet: containing roughage (green leafy vegetables) and less of carbohydrates and starches. Fruit such as bananas, figs, Dry figs, apricots and black currents to be soaked overnight and the crushed pulp sweetened and given daily.
- Water intake to be increased.
- Regular bowel habits to be encouraged.
Severe Constipation. Ways to deal with it-
- Hypertonic saline enema
- Bowel wash with normal saline till all the hard masses are removed.
- Rectal examination should be done to direct fissure-in-ano, stricture of anus , or any other painful condition around rectum and anus.
Note: Habitual constipation is more common and should be treated with psychological backup.