Water, other liquids, and foods with a high water Enhancijg can help fiber work better, Enhsncing stool softer and easier to pass. A diet that contains enough fiber can help keep the digestive system healthy. However, a review of 18 meta-analyses suggested that existing studies on probiotics and constipation are of low quality.

Enhancing bowel movement regularity -

For example, trying to have a bowel movement 15 to 45 minutes after breakfast may help, because eating helps your colon move stool.

Make sure you give yourself enough time to have a bowel movement, and use the bathroom as soon as you feel the need to go. Try to relax your muscles or put your feet on a footstool to make yourself more comfortable.

If you think certain medicines or dietary supplements are causing your constipation, talk with your doctor. He or she may change the dose or suggest a different medicine that does not cause constipation. Your health care professional may recommend using a laxative for a short time.

He or she will tell you what type of laxative is best for you. You should only use stimulants if your constipation is severe or other treatments have not worked.

If you stop taking laxatives, over time, your colon should start moving stool normally. Talk with your doctor before changing or stopping any medicines.

If you have problems with the muscles that control bowel movements, your doctor may recommend biofeedback therapy to retrain your muscles. By using biofeedback therapy, you can change how you make your muscles work. If your doctor recommends surgery, ask about the benefits and risks.

Imaging tests, such as a CT scan or MRI , may be needed to diagnose conditions that may be causing constipation. Your health care professional may order a test that tracks the movement of stool through the colon.

This is called a colorectal transit study. Such studies include:. Other tests may be used to measure how well the rectum and anus work and how well a person can pass stool.

Our caring team of Mayo Clinic experts can help you with your constipation-related health concerns Start Here. Treatment for constipation usually begins with diet and lifestyle changes meant to increase the speed at which stool moves through the colon.

Also, your health care professional may change the medicines you take if they may be causing or worsening constipation. If those changes don't help, other treatments may be necessary.

Prunes, also called dried plums, have long been used to treat or prevent constipation. Prunes are a good source of fiber, but they also have naturally present agents that draw fluids into the colon. Laxatives are medicines that help move stool through the colon.

Each laxative works somewhat differently. The following are available without prescriptions:. An enema is a fluid gently pumped into the rectum to help pass stool.

An enema may be used when other treatments don't work. Your health care professional may use one of these if the rectum is blocked with stool. Some are also available without prescription. The fluid may be:. A suppository is a small tube-shaped object placed in the rectum to deliver a medicine.

The suppository melts at body temperature and releases the medicine. Suppositories for constipation may have one of the following:. Your health care professional may prescribe other medicines if other treatments don't work. These include:. If constipation is caused by opioid pain medicine, you may take a prescription medicine that blocks the effect of opioids on stool movement through the colon.

Biofeedback training involves working with a therapist who uses devices to help you learn to relax muscles and coordinate the use of muscles in your pelvis, rectum and anus. These exercises may correct problems with chronic constipation. Sensors in the rectum and on the skin provide feedback as sound or light on a device as the therapist helps you go through various exercises.

These cues help train you to control the muscles needed to pass stool. Surgery may be necessary to correct damage or irregularities in the tissues or nerves of the colon or rectum.

Surgery is usually done only when other treatments for chronic constipation haven't worked. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Subscribe for free and receive your in-depth guide to digestive health, plus the latest on health innovations and news.

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Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. The name may sound technical, but osmotic laxatives are a class of medicines that include products you may be very familiar with, such as milk of magnesia.

These laxatives use natural salts, magnesium salts, or undigested sugars to draw water into the large intestine, softening and loosening the stool. MiraLax is another example of an osmotic laxative. Stool softeners add moisture to stools to make them softer and easier to pass.

Docusate is one example of a stool softener. Stool softeners are often recommended for people who should avoid straining, such as people who have hemorrhoids or have recently had abdominal surgery.

Lubricants, such as mineral oil, help stools slide out with more ease. They may be a good choice if your stools feel stuck low in your bowels, if you have an internal tear or "fissure," or if you have pain from hemorrhoids during bowel movements. Mineral oil is taken by mouth and can cause pneumonia if aspirated into the lungs.

Stimulant laxatives provide constipation relief by causing the intestines to contract more frequently or more forcefully, encouraging stool to move through the colon. Stimulant laxatives that contain senna, cascara, or bisacodyl, are more aggressive. These medicines may relieve constipation that is severe or has not responded to other treatments.

Because of side effects, as well as the possibility of the large intestine becoming dependent on their use, stimulant laxatives should only be used as directed and only for brief periods. Stimulant laxatives can be taken by mouth or inserted into the rectum as a suppository.

When taken as a suppository, stimulant laxatives can work in minutes. Taken by mouth, stimulant laxatives can cause a bowel movement in 6 to 8 hours,. Enemas are another option for constipation relief.

They mechanically flush stool from the rectum and lower part of the large intestine. An enema works by loosening the stool in the rectum, thereby triggering the rectal muscles to squeeze as a reaction to their being stretched.

A traditional enema is done with a bag of liquid usually a mixture of salt and water attached to a plastic tube with a tapered tip. After the tip is inserted into the anus, the enema fluid can be emptied into the rectum.

If Enhancingg Enhancing bowel movement regularity yourself having move,ent going Enhancing bowel movement regularity the toilet and emptying your Enhancijg, there Anti-cancer breakthroughs a number of movemnet methods to encourage a dormant gut to relieve you of Enahncing. In this article, we Quick liver detoxification some ideas you can try at home to remedy constipation and encourage bowel movements. If you make a few simple changes, you are likely to find yourself getting back to normal habits. As a rule, eating more high-fibre foods can prevent constipation. Be aware though, that if constipation is a result of Colitis or Crohns diseaseincreasing fibre intake could have a detrimental effect — if in doubt, speak to your GP before making any changes to your diet. There are two different types of fibre; soluble and insoluble.