Preparing for bowel surgery requires you to clear all food and waste from your digestive tract. Before bowel surgery, avoid any types of foods that take a while for your body to break down, such as produce, grains, meat and dairy. Your doctor will...
Bowel surgery may be necessary if you have polyps, colon cancer, ulcerative colitis or diverticular diseases. Bowel surgery is complicated and requires colon cleansing, fasting and pain management. After bowel surgery, you will have to follow a...
Colon cancer and small bowel obstruction are two common reasons for surgery in the abdomen. Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Small bowel obstruction is a blockage...
A bowel or fecal impaction occurs with the feces hardens inside the intestines and gets stuck in the bowel. The impaction forms because the muscles that control the bowel are not able to effectively push the feces through the intestines. Depending...
The leaves and pods of the senna shrub have been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Senna is mainly used as a natural laxative and is actually an active ingredient in some laxative products sold in stores. You can use senna for its...
The purpose of a full fluid -- or full liquid -- diet is to provide adequate nutrition when you are unable to consume a diet of regular foods. A full fluid diet is easier to digest than solid foods and is often used as a transition from clear...
Magnesium citrate is an oral solution. Doctors commonly direct patients to use magnesium citrate to empty the colon before surgery and certain procedures or to relieve occasional constipation. It is a hyperosmotic saline laxative that pulls water...
A proctocolectomy, also known as a large bowel resection, involves surgical removal of your entire colon and rectum. Gentle stretching, cardiovascular and strengthening exercise after a proctocolectomy play an important role in slowly returning...
Psyllium (also called psyllium seed husk, isabgol or isphagula) has been used for years to alleviate constipation, cleanse the colon and to improve digestion, and it can be found in many over-the-counter laxatives. Some people also use psyllium...
You might be required to follow a clear liquid diet before certain gastrointestinal tests, such as a colonoscopy, or after stomach or bowel surgery. In the case of a colonoscopy, your doctor needs to take an unobstructed look at your colon. In the...
Liquid diets are often used to prepare individuals for medical procedures -- such as colonoscopies -- and to allow the stomach to rest as one recovers from a procedure -- such as bowel surgery. Such diets have their place, but they should not be...
Fiber is a part of food that doesn't get digested in your stomach and passes through to your bowels, increasing the frequency of bowel movements. Your doctor may prescribe a fiber-free diet to help you recover from conditions ranging from diarrhea...
Weakened areas in the abdominal wall allow part of the intestines to bulge into the fatty tissue. If the intestine swells or twists, cutting off the blood supply, you have a strangulated hernia. Your diet after surgery for a strangulated hernia...
Dulcolax is a stool softener that is also called Bisacodyl by its generic name. This drug helps to relieve constipation by accumulating fluid in the colon to evacuate bowel movements. Your doctor may also prescribe Dulcolax if you need to clean...
Acidophilus, also referred to as Lactobacillus acidophilus or L. Acidophilus, is a natural-occurring bacteria in the body. The bacteria helps regulate and balance unhealthy microorganisms from growing. Found in the intestinal tract and vagina, the...
Liquid diets have a variety of purposes, which include preparing for and recovering from surgery, providing you with nutrition when you cannot eat solid foods, and helping to ensure the accuracy of medical tests. On the other hand, liquid diets do...
A bowel obstruction occurs when there is a blockage in your small intestine or colon that prevents contents from moving through. An obstruction of the small intestine, or bowel, can cause painful symptoms and serious complications. Walking might...
Any patient undergoing a surgical procedure is at risk for developing complications afterward, including bleeding, infection, breathing problems and developing blood clots in the legs that can travel to the lungs. The likelihood of developing...
A high colonic, also known as colon therapy, uses a colonic machine to cleanse the large intestine or colon by flushing it with water or a solution of herbs, enzymes or coffee, according to Aetna InteliHealth. The water goes into the bowel through...
Acidophilus, known also as lactobacillus acidophilus, is a bacteria made from lactic acid that is found naturally in the intestines and the vagina. Acidophilus regulates the amount of acid in the body and prevents the growth of unhealthy bacteria....
Psyllium contains a large amount of soluble dietary fiber, which helps create large soft stools that are easy to pass. It is effective at relieving both constipation and diarrhea, and also helps people achieve modest reductions in cholesterol,...
Supplements made from psyllium husk benefit human health in a number of important ways. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, this natural product expands in the colon to produce a gentle, bulk-forming laxative. Additionally,...
Psyllium husk is derived from the Plantago ovata plant. Since psyllium husk naturally contains dietary fiber, it is used in several fiber and laxative supplements to treat constipation and promote bowel regularity, notes MedlinePlus. It can also...
Premature graying is common for many people, especially Caucasians, and can occur at any point in a person's life. The uncommon occurrence of gray hair in children is called canities and is often the result of a genetic inheritance. However, there...
The National Cancer Institute describes constipation as the slow movement of stool through the large intestine, causing hard and infrequent bowel movements. Cancer patients may experience constipation as a result of the cancer or cancer treatments...
Psyllium fiber is a natural substance found in many supplements and foods that help to maintain proper digestive functioning. It is commonly found in products like Metamucil, which is a bulk laxative. Psyllium fiber also has cholesterol-lowering...
While hospitalized, your doctor and the dietary staff will work to create a meal plan that is suited for your specific needs. If you are having or have had surgery on your stomach, bowels, throat or mouth, you may require a special full clear...
Colon hydrotherapy, or colon irrigation, is a colon cleansing treatment where warm or cool water is flushed through the rectum via a tube and drained through another tube several times, according to Columbia University Health Services. Minerals...
Also known as ispaghula or isphagula, psyllium is the name of a plant whose seeds are a common ingredient in laxative treatments. The supplement helps relieve symptoms associated with infrequent constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and a diet...
