Best Laxative
Finding the Best Laxative for You
Trying to figure out the best laxative for you can be a difficult task. There are, after all, so many laxatives from which to choose. With such a long list, you may wonder what criteria to use in choosing a laxative.
Causes for Constipation
Before you even consider taking a laxative, you should make sure you actually need one, by analyzing the cause of your constipation. Sometimes, constipation is simply the result of our hurried lifestyles, such as:
Missed meals
Too much of one kind of ingredient
Stress
Stress can really affect the works of various body functions from sex to bowel movements.
Sometimes, what we need is not a laxative, but a return to a more normal lifestyle where we give ourselves the time we need to eat and sleep and where we eat a healthier, more civilized diet. Stop eating fast food at your lunch break, take in proper fluids, exercise, and see if that doesn’t improve your constipation.
Often, however, constipation will not respond to these long-term positive changes to our lifestyles. Sometimes, we are constipated because of medications or because of certain health conditions. When this is the case, it may be time to look for a laxative.
Physician’s Consultation
Although most laxatives will not have adverse effects on your health, you should consult your physician if you are at all uncertain as to the possible drug interactions between medicines you are taking or treatments you are undergoing. This is true any time that you introduce a new drug into your system.
Similarly, be aware that changes to your bowel movements may signify a deeper problem that may have serious complications if left untreated. If you have no idea why you have become constipated or if you find that you have other accompanying symptoms (e.g., abdominal pain) you want to be sure to make an appointment with your GP to get these checked out.
Stool Softeners
If your difficulties having bowel movements stem from pain due to the hardness of your stools, then you might consider a stool softener to reduce the pain involved in your bowel movements. People who are taking iron supplements often experience hardened stools. Often, a physician will recommend a stool softener along with the course of iron supplements. The stool softener works by adding moisture to your stools.
This is often the best laxative when used in conjunction with other types of laxatives.
Bran or Psyllium Fiber
Known as “bulking” agents, bran or psyllium fiber are often the best laxative choice for those that can’t seem to “stay regular.” This condition, which often occurs with age, sometimes arises from a weakness in the colon. Bran and psyllium fiber help alleviate this problem by adding mass to the stool and by forcing the colon to work overtime to move this mass along.
These bulking agents, in effect, work like personal trainers for the colon, helping it to stay on a regular exercise schedule and helping it to build strength so that it can better deal with a regular flow of waste.
Stimulant Laxatives
A stimulant laxative is only the best laxative for a person who really has severe constipation problems. Stimulant laxatives work by actually affecting the colon and the internal organs. This is unlike the other treatments we have mentioned up to this point that act on the matter that your colon is passing.
Because they work on your actual body and not the material you are trying to pass, these types of laxatives can have several adverse and undesirable effects. Stimulant laxatives may literally make you run to the bathroom to avoid soiling yourself. Furthermore, you may find that you get severe cramping and intestinal pains while taking these medications.
You should try to avoid using these laxatives for a prolonged period since they will weaken your colon and rectum to such an extent that you will no longer be able to pass your stool without medical aid. Furthermore, some types of this laxative may actually lower the nutritional intake of certain types of food and thus compromise your overall health.
Take all of these things in mind when choosing the best laxative for you, and be sure to consult a knowledgeable medical professional when making your decision.