Why constipation happens
The colon's job is to extract water from food residue and form a soft stool. When food moves through too slowly, more water is absorbed and the stool gets harder. Causes: low fibre and fluid intake (the commonest), sedentary lifestyle, ignoring the urge, certain medicines (iron supplements, painkillers, antidepressants, BP medicines with calcium-channel blockers), pregnancy, hypothyroidism, and irritable bowel syndrome. Travel, stress and irregular meal timings all slow gut motility.
What helps — OTC options & advice
First-line: bulk-forming agents like ispaghula husk (Isabgol, Sat-Isabgol) or psyllium (Naturolax) — 1-2 teaspoons in a glass of warm water at night. They draw water into the stool and add bulk, mimicking dietary fibre. Safe for long-term use. Next step: osmotic laxatives like lactulose (Duphalac, Looz) or polyethylene glycol (PEG, Cremaffin Plus) — they pull water into the gut, softening stool over 24-72 hours. Stool softeners like docusate sodium are mild and useful in people who shouldn't strain (after surgery, with haemorrhoids). Stimulant laxatives like senna (Cremaffin Plus, Senna), bisacodyl (Dulcoflex) work faster (6-12 hours overnight) but only for occasional use — daily use weakens the gut's natural rhythm. For impacted hard stool: a glycerin suppository or a saline enema gives relief in 30 minutes.
