Constipation

Folk advice on constipation falls into two very different groups. One works with fibre and mucilage — plantain, linseed, fruit —, the other with species that irritate the bowel directly and force a movement. The catalogue lists ten herbs under this topic and both groups are among them.

The difference is not cosmetic. The fibre approach changes the conditions, the irritant approach forces the result — and tradition often does not distinguish between them, though it should.

The first choice is documented and dull: fibre increased gradually, enough fluids, movement and an unsuppressed habit of regular bowel movements. Without fluids, added fibre can make things worse.

For stimulant laxatives as a group, they suit short-term use, not a daily habit — regular use leads to dependence on them and masks the cause. In pregnancy and in children do not start on them without consulting a doctor.

Blood in the stool, unintended weight loss, anaemia and new constipation after fifty need an examination, not a laxative.

No stool and no wind together with bloating and vomiting can mean a bowel obstruction — that is an emergency. Alternating constipation and diarrhoea and complaints that wake you at night also deserve a diagnosis.