In this video, I'm going to teach you how to get rid of it and prevent it.

Now before we begin, let's first define constipation.

But remember we're all different, so we have different toilet habits.

But generally speaking, constipation is when you go to the toilet less often to empty your bowels.

Or when you're passing hard painful stools.

Now there's so many different causes for constipation in adults.

And sometimes there's actually no obvious reason.

But some of the most common causes include a lack of fiber, so not eating enough fruit and veg; dehydration, ignoring the urge to go.

Actually I'll leave a full list in the description below for you.

Now the good news is that constipation can usually be treated at home with simple lifestyle changes that we're going to talk about next.

But if these ain't help enough, I'm going to talk about laxatives a bit later on.

Tip number one: a really simple way to help reduce straining when you try to empty your bowels is by raising your feet.

So when you're sat on the toilet have a stool down.

There are some books. Place your feet on them and try make your knee come above your hip.

So by doing this it straightens out where the colon meets the rectum.

So this causes the stool to pass through much more easily.

Also, give yourself plenty of time and when you have the urge to go, go! Don't stop yourself.

By the way, I am on vacation right now, but I thought it'd be quite cool to film these parts here.

So let's move on to tip two.

Now to make it still softer and easier to pass, you need to drink more fluids so six to eight glasses per day.

And to help your stools retain more fluid you need more fiber so more fruit, more vegetable, oats.

Actually, I'll leave a really useful link in the description below.

It's by the NHS and it tells you all the different foods that have fiber in them and how much to eat.

So check it out when you get a minute.

Tip three: increase your activity, so do more regular walking, more regular exercise.

And it's going to reduce the time it takes for the food to pass through your large intestine.

So you're gonna empty your bowels more regularly.

Now the reason for this is that the longer the food spends in your large intestine, the more water it's gonna absorb.

So it's gonna leave you with drier and much harder stools to pass and nobody wants that.

Now I'm gonna go off snowboarding. I'll see you back in healthcare world.

Check this out!

Now if diet and lifestyle changes aren't helping then laxatives are a medication that can help the bowels empty more regularly.

However, I would advise everyone to speak to their pharmacist first before purchasing any laxatives.

This is so they can check it's the right one for you, you're suitable to take it, you're not gonna have any problems taking it.

And also check what medicines you're taking because certain medicines can actually cause constipation.

Now please remember laxatives should only be used for a short period of time.

And they're not recommended for children unless prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Now let's move on to the different types of laxatives and how they work.

I think it will be useful knowledge for you to know.

So first up we've got bulk forming laxatives such as ispaghula husk.

Now the way these work is very similar to when you increase the fiber in your diet.

It's gonna help your stool retain more liquid so it's easier for your bowels to push the stool out.

Please remember though bulk forming laxatives do take two to three days for them to work.

They also increase flatulence and bloating but this does settle over time.

Because of this I wouldn't recommend you taking at nighttime just before going to bed.

Next up is osmotic laxatives such as lactulose and macrogol which soften your stools and make them easier to pass by retaining more water in the bowels.

This is by a process called osmosis hence the name: osmotic laxatives.

Now the osmotic laxatives that I've just named can take up to two days to work.

It's also important to drink plenty of fluids of them because you now know the reason why.

And it also improves how well they work.

Stimulant laxatives like bisacodyl, senna or sodium picosulfate speed up movement in the bowels.

Now this is caused by stimulating the digestive tract and causing it to contract like this.

Now remember because you now know how stimulant laxative works with the contractions.

It can cause abdominal cramping because of this.

It can also take up to 12 hours to work.

Lastly we have stool softener laxatives such as docusate sodium and glycerol which increase the fluid content of hard and dry stools making them easier to pass.

Now both of these laxatives work quite quickly within 15 to 60 minutes.

It's also important to remember that once your symptoms improved to stop using the laxatives unless you're advised differently by your healthcare professional.

And as always with all medication always read the information leaflet.

Speak to your pharmacist to make sure that you're suitable to use it.

And that is the end of the video.

I've also left some really useful information in the description below which I'd advise everyone to read.

See you next week.

I'm filming this.

- In that option, well, I guess he's not here. That's fine. - I think he's ummm.

Causing it to contract...I think this might look a bit silly.

Some of the most common causes are a lack of diet. A lack of diet?

A lack of fiber.

To release your bowels. Release your bowels or empty your bowels?

Bowels... be, be, bowels...

Hey guys thanks for watching this week's video.

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