(Foreword/Disclaimer: All writing here is supplied on an informational basis, with no endorsement of any of the particular products that may be mentioned. In addition, any interested party should seek the knowledge of a board-certified physician. The writer here is not and does not represent himself as a physician. All research provided here has been gathered from other written sources.)
Various surveys report the incidence of constipation to range from 2 to 30%, with one large international survey pegging the number at 12% worldwide. The numbers encompass a wide range and probably reflect fundamental problems in the survey method itself. However, the bottom line is that constipation is a common condition that afflicts a substantial fraction of the population.
One of the problems associated with statistical surveying of constipation is that it's a poorly defined condition. This translates into an impact on diagnosis and treatment. For example, one physician might believe that having a bowel movement every three days is ok, but another physician would be alarmed at the low frequency. The source of the inconsistent opinions is that bowel movement frequency is itself highly variable from person to person. This difficulty in definition is compounded by differences in patient-reported symptoms such as difficulty or pain in passing stool, or excessive time spend on the toilet.
After diagnosis, the patient and the physician must still face the task of trying to determine the fundamental cause of constipation. For some, the constellation of symptoms might suggest something such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For others, incomplete control of muscles in the rectum due to trauma or injury can be a source of constipation. Yet for the largest group, there is no clear cause. This last group are classified into the "idiopathic" group.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient's self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
One other option is therapy via one of the many prescription drugs for constipation. A number of these overlap with over-the-counter laxatives. A very small handful are advanced, "targeted" drugs which affect the digestive tract in specific ways. In recent times, unique approaches such as electrode-assisted biofeedback have been studied as possible medical therapies. The field of constipation remedies seems poised for great changes in the coming decade.
Various surveys report the incidence of constipation to range from 2 to 30%, with one large international survey pegging the number at 12% worldwide. The numbers encompass a wide range and probably reflect fundamental problems in the survey method itself. However, the bottom line is that constipation is a common condition that afflicts a substantial fraction of the population.
One of the problems associated with statistical surveying of constipation is that it's a poorly defined condition. This translates into an impact on diagnosis and treatment. For example, one physician might believe that having a bowel movement every three days is ok, but another physician would be alarmed at the low frequency. The source of the inconsistent opinions is that bowel movement frequency is itself highly variable from person to person. This difficulty in definition is compounded by differences in patient-reported symptoms such as difficulty or pain in passing stool, or excessive time spend on the toilet.
After diagnosis, the patient and the physician must still face the task of trying to determine the fundamental cause of constipation. For some, the constellation of symptoms might suggest something such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). For others, incomplete control of muscles in the rectum due to trauma or injury can be a source of constipation. Yet for the largest group, there is no clear cause. This last group are classified into the "idiopathic" group.
The first step a patient diagnosed with idiopathic constipation might take is high fiber therapy, whether or not the patient's self-reported intake of fiber seems to be sufficient. The reason for this is that high fiber therapy is accessible and gentle on the patient. There are two ways to carry out the treatment, one by increasing intake of foods high in insoluble fiber, the other by dosing with specific amounts of fiber supplements. The advantage of high fiber therapy is that the success of the therapy also confirms the diagnosis.
There are several other natural remedies which are not fiber-related, examples of which are anthraquinone herbs such as senna. However, one should never succumb to the idea that a natural treatment is a safe one automatically. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) recently forced some natural remedies off the market for safety reasons. As a result, manufacturers can no longer market aloe vera and cascara medications as constipation remedies. Nevertheless, other remedies are available.
One other option is therapy via one of the many prescription drugs for constipation. A number of these overlap with over-the-counter laxatives. A very small handful are advanced, "targeted" drugs which affect the digestive tract in specific ways. In recent times, unique approaches such as electrode-assisted biofeedback have been studied as possible medical therapies. The field of constipation remedies seems poised for great changes in the coming decade.
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