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Overview
What causes constipation?
A standard explanation for delicate or non permanent constipation is a low-fiber weight loss plan. Select meals like fruits, greens, and complete grains to extend the fiber in your weight loss plan.
Consuming too many dairy merchandise may additionally trigger some folks to turn into constipated.
Ingesting too little water can have the identical impact. Staying hydrated is essential for a lot of causes, together with wholesome bowels.
A sedentary way of life also can cut back the frequency of your bowel actions. When you’re pregnant, you even have an elevated likelihood of constipation.
Some drugs, like sedatives, iron tablets, or blood pressure-lowering medicine, may additionally trigger constipation.
Extra severe well being points also can trigger constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid illness, and colon most cancers are among the many circumstances that result in constipation. Folks with a number of sclerosis or Parkinson’s illness can typically expertise intervals of constipation.
How milk of magnesia works for constipation
Milk of magnesia is a sort of hyperosmotic laxative. This type of oral laxative works by drawing water to the bowel from close by tissue. This softens and moistens the stool. It additionally helps enhance bowel exercise.
Saline, lactulose, and polymer laxatives are the three kinds of hyperosmotic laxatives. Milk of magnesia is a saline laxative. These sorts of laxatives are also referred to as “salts.” They’re meant to be quick appearing. You may anticipate to have a bowel motion inside six hours of taking milk of magnesia.
Lactulose laxatives draw extra water to the bowel from surrounding tissue, however they act extra slowly than saline varieties. Folks use lactulose varieties for continual constipation.
When you have recurring bouts of constipation or when you want a long-term remedy, milk of magnesia isn’t an applicable possibility.
Dosage
Learn the label rigorously to find out an age-appropriate quantity. For instance, youngsters ages 6 to 11 can have 1 to 2 tablespoons of Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia. Anybody age 12 or older can have 2 to 4 tablespoons per dose. Don’t take multiple dose per day.
You also needs to drink an 8-ounce glass of water or different liquid with every dose.
Many supermarkets and drugstores promote milk of magnesia and different laxatives. See your physician when you nonetheless want a laxative after per week of day by day therapies or in case your constipation is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
Who ought to use warning with milk of magnesia – “magnesium hydroxide for constipation”
Most individuals over the age of 6 can safely take milk of magnesia. For kids underneath 6, converse along with your youngster’s physician first.
Verify along with your physician earlier than taking milk of magnesia when you:
Milk of magnesia is a short-term remedy. If you might want to take it typically to have a bowel motion, or when you strive it and also you’re nonetheless not having common bowel actions, converse along with your physician. You will have an underlying medical situation.
Doable unwanted effects
The principle facet impact of taking milk of magnesia, or any laxative, is diarrhea. Normally, when you take the dose advisable on the label, the consequence must be a traditional bowel motion.
Everybody reacts to drugs a bit of in a different way, although. Even an applicable dose could result in free stools, however that’s normally be a brief facet impact.
If diarrhea happens otherwise you turn into nauseated, cease taking milk of magnesia. If a extra severe facet impact outcomes, like rectal bleeding, see your physician immediately. This might point out a extra severe well being concern.
The right way to stop constipation
There are three primary way of life selections you may make to assist stop constipation:
Eat a high-fiber weight loss plan
Consuming a high-fiber weight loss plan usually helps maintain you common. Really helpful meals embrace berries and different fruits, inexperienced, leafy greens, and whole-grain bread and cereals.
Cut back your consumption of dairy merchandise when you assume they may be inflicting you digestion issues. It’s doable to get sufficient calcium from non-dairy sources.
Drink loads of fluids
Staying well-hydrated is a crucial a part of stopping constipation. Until in any other case directed by your physician, attempt to drink about eight glasses of water per day. Different kinds of fluids could also be okay, together with tea and juice.
Remember that juices are normally excessive in sugar. Drinks that include loads of caffeine or alcohol can act as diuretics and cut back fluid ranges within the physique.
Get shifting
An absence of bodily exercise, in addition to being chubby or overweight, can contribute to constipation. Goal to get a minimum of half-hour of reasonable to intense train per day. You might wish to strive jogging, brisk strolling, or aerobics. You can even think about crew sports activities or swimming.