A REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF TREATMENTS FOR CHRONIC CONSTIPATION IN ADULTS

Yaru Zhong, Darrin Sime Nkemeni

Abstract


This article reviews the treatment of chronic constipation (CC) in adults, including pharmacologic therapy, microbiota therapy, conservative interventions, and tai chi. Chronic constipation, a common gastrointestinal disorder, affects patients' physical symptoms, social functioning, and psychological health, as well as increasing healthcare costs. Therapeutic measures aim to improve patient's quality of life and reduce healthcare costs. Pharmacological treatments have been investigated with drugs such as linaclotide, procalcitonin, and lubiprostone, which have shown significant results in improving patients' quality of life, weekly spontaneous bowel movement (SBM) frequency, and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) symptoms. Microbiota therapies, including fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, have shown positive results in increasing bowel frequency and improving stool consistency. For conservative interventions, dietary fiber and abdominal massage are the two main interventions. Dietary fiber has good efficacy in chronic constipation, and abdominal massage can significantly increase the frequency of bowel movements and improve constipation-related symptoms. Tai chi, as a gentle form of exercise, has also been shown to promote intestinal peristalsis, relieve constipation symptoms, and improve patients' quality of life.

 

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Keywords


chronic constipation; prescription drugs; microbiota; dietary fiber; Tai chi

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v12i3.5874

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