What to do if you have bloating and constipation

Although constipation is a common and relatively minor disease, many people are still at a loss as to how to deal with it. In fact, constipation is a common disease, which is mainly caused by improper diet. Of course, anal, digestive tract and other diseases are also major causes of constipation. Therefore, patients need to take constipation seriously. If constipation persists for a long time, you need to see a doctor.

What should you do if you suddenly have bloating and then constipation? In daily life, spicy food, drinking less water, improper bowel movements, etc. can easily cause constipation. At this time, you should master some simple ways to relieve it. Let’s learn how to deal with constipation.

1. General treatment

Patients with constipation need to adopt comprehensive treatment according to the severity, cause and type of constipation, including general lifestyle treatment, drug treatment, biofeedback training and surgical treatment to restore normal bowel movement physiology. Pay attention to lifestyle treatment, strengthen education for patients, adopt reasonable eating habits, such as increasing dietary fiber content, increasing water intake to strengthen stimulation to the colon, and develop good bowel habits, such as defecating in the morning, defecating as soon as you feel the urge, avoiding straining during defecation, and increasing activity. During treatment, attention should be paid to clearing excess feces in the distal rectum; a positive adjustment of the mentality is required, which are extremely important for obtaining effective treatment.

2. Cognitive therapy

Patients with severe constipation often have symptoms of psychological factors or disorders such as anxiety or even depression. They should be given cognitive therapy to help them eliminate tension and, if necessary, anti-depression and anti-anxiety treatments, and a psychologist should be asked to assist in diagnosis and treatment.

3. Drug treatment

(1) Saline laxatives such as magnesium sulfate and milk of magnesium can cause serious adverse reactions and should be used with caution in clinical practice.

(2) Commonly used osmotic laxatives include lactulose, sorbitol, polyethylene glycol 4000, etc. It is suitable for fecal impaction or as a temporary treatment for chronic constipation. It is a good choice for patients with constipation who are poorly responded to bulk laxatives.

(3) Bulk-forming laxatives mainly include soluble cellulose (pectin, psyllium, oat bran, etc.) and insoluble fiber (plant fiber, lignin, etc.). Bulk-forming laxatives are slow to act with few side effects and are safe, so they are effective for constipation during pregnancy or mild constipation, but they are not suitable as a rapid laxative treatment for temporary constipation.

(4) The prokinetic agents mosapride and itopride have a gastrointestinal motility-promoting effect, and prucalopride can selectively act on the colon and can be used according to the situation.

(5) Lubricating laxatives can lubricate the intestinal wall, soften the stool, make it easier to excrete, and are easy to use, such as enema, mineral oil, or liquid paraffin.

It should be noted here that constipation is a disease and is harmful. Of course, it may also be a signal of a certain disease. So we need to pay attention to this disease. Of course, in daily life, it is best to take relevant preventive measures to avoid illness, which include eating a light diet, exercising regularly, not sitting for long periods of time, not staying up late, etc.