How to deal with constipation

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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 279 No 7459 p23-26
7 July 2007

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Continuing professional development

How to deal with constipation

Susan Allen outlines the causes of and treatments for constipation and discusses special groups pharmacists should consider

Continuing professional development articles

Susan Allen, PgD (Comm), MRPharmS, is a freelance pharmaceutical and copy writer from Market Harborough

SUMMARY

Constipation is a common complaint, with incidence estimated at 12–19 per cent. Constipation means different things to different populations, individual patients and health care professionals, so it can be difficult to define.

One broad definition of constipation is the passage of hard stools less frequently than is normal. Many misconceptions surround bowel habits and what is normal, leading to misdiagnoses and overuse of laxatives. “Normal” can be anything from passing stools two or three times a day to two or three times a week

It is a change from the norm for the individual that is significant.

Medical conditions predisposing to constipation

• Coeliac disease

• Depression

• Diabetes mellitus

• Gastrointestinal obstruction (eg, gastrointestinal carcinoma, ileus, ovarian or uterine tumours)

• Hypercalcaemia

• Hypokalaemia

• Hypothyroidism

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Multiple sclerosis

• Parkinson’s disease

• Damage to pelvic floor muscles (eg, post childbirth)

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