Glycerin belongs to a class of medications known as hyperosmotics. Glycerin has several uses including the treatment of acute glaucoma and the reduction of intraocular pressure following ocular surgery. In some cases, physicians may use glycerin...
Colon cleansing is a therapy suggested for removing toxins from the intestinal tract. A colon cleanse can be done with an enema, which uses a device to flush water through the rectum; over-the-counter or prescription oral laxatives; herbal teas;...
Your abdomen is full and hard. You haven't been able to go for days. You are constipated and you need help now. Luckily, there are some foods that can help you move your bowels. From prune juice to bran, increasing the fiber in your diet will...
Correctol, the brand name for the generic drug bisacodyl, is a laxative used to alleviate symptoms of constipation. This medication can be administered as an oral tablet or a rectal suppository and enema. Patients should only take Correctol as...
As the name suggests, a coffee enema is a treatment that involves filling the bowel with black, room-temperature coffee. It is thought to enhance the removal of toxic bile from the liver through efficient caffeine stimulation, according to the I...
Imodium is an over-the-counter medication that is used to treat diarrhea. RX List.com reports that children ages 3 to 5 should use the liquid formulation of Imodium. Children ages 6 to 12 should use either Imodium Capsules or Imodium A-D Liquid....
When you eat food, it is processed and nutrients are absorbed as it courses through the intestine to finally become stool. The transit time of stool in the intestine can vary depending on the concentrations of the various electrolytes that affect...
Newborns frequently strain while having bowel movements, particularly in the first few weeks of life. It often takes babies several months to learn how to properly push out bowel movements while relaxing their sphincter muscles, according to...
The human digestive tract is an apparently simple double-ended tube, but appearances are deceiving. The gastrointestinal tract is in fact a complex system of diverse cell types, layers of tissue, enzyme secretions, neurons and bacteria with...
Low platelet count, also known as thrombocytopenia, is a deficiency of platelets in the blood. Platelets are cell fragments that stick together and control bleeding after an injury. When there are not enough platelets in the blood, several...
Stomach cramps are a common childhood ailment caused by a variety of factors. While the root cause is often difficult to pinpoint, there are several remedies available to help ease the abdominal pain that comes with cramps. If these fail to...
Bisacodyl is an over-the-counter drug that is part of several different brand name products. Bisacodyl is a laxative prescribed for a few different situations. Taking laxatives for reasons other than their prescribed reason may be dangerous and...
Salazopyrin, also known as sulfasalazine, is a sulfa drug primarily used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, but can also treat other inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. Salazopyrin can be...
Salazopyrin is a prescription medication that contains the active ingredient sulfasalazine. It is indicated to treat certain inflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. This medication can be...
Chemotherapy has many side effects, one of the most common being constipation. When you are constipated, you have fewer than three difficult bowel movements in a week. Constipation can be a side effect of chemotherapy itself or of medications...
Laxatives are over-the-counter medications used to help relieve constipation. These medications can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription and are sometimes abused by people who believe they will help them lose weight. At other times...
Zelnorm, a brand name for generic drug tegaserod maleate, earned approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in July 2002. Although the drug performed well, the...
Glycerine is an odorless, colorless liquid that is classified as a carbohydrate and is used in a variety of pharmaceutical formulas. It is highly soluble in water and is both low in toxicity and tastes sweet. Glycerine's viscosity is high and is...
Oxycodone is a semi-synthetic opiate analgesic derived from the opium poppy. It comes in both regular and time-release formulas and is used to treat moderate-to-severe pain. Like other opiates, oxycodone has a high potential for abuse and...
Ulcerative colitis refers to a chronic inflammatory disease that typically effects the layers of the large intestine and rectum. The University of Maryland Medical Center says that symptoms of ulcerative colitis include rectal bleeding, continuous...
If your baby is constipated, you can give her prunes to produce a bowel movement. While you should always talk with her pediatrician for treatment specific to her condition, adding prunes to her meal plan can help bowel function and prevent future...
Corn syrup, a sugary, thick substance used cooking, is not a normal part of a baby's diet. In fact, babies should generally avoid products containing corn syrup because they only offer empty calories in the form of sugar. However, corn syrup is...
According to F. Gary Cunningham, M.D., chair of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 40 percent of women suffer from constipation at some point during pregnancy. Motility studies in pregnant women...
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...
Hemorrhoids, also called piles, are common during pregnancy. Hemorrhoids occur as a result of enlarged veins that protrude through the anus. This swelling of the veins is caused by several things in pregnancy, including constipation, the pressure...
Colitis is a painful condition that occurs when the large intestine or colon becomes inflamed. The condition is also caused ulcerative colitis because ulcers often form in the lining of the large intestine due to chronic inflammation. Changes to...
An impacted colon occurs when the intestines can't move their contents efficiently through the digestive tract. Stool accumulates in the colon, becomes hard and unable to be expelled. The causes of an impacted colon vary but the outcome remains...
Children get constipated very often and everyone has advice to offer, such as increasing fluids and fiber, drinking prune juice or getting exercise. Home remedies can actually be very effective and should always be tried first. However, sometimes...