What are some interventions that can be used in the management of constipation?

What are some interventions that can be used in the management of constipation?

Treatment for Constipation

• Change what you eat and drink. Changing what you eat and drink may make your stools softer and easier to pass.
• Get regular physical activity.
• Try bowel training.
• Stop taking certain medicines or dietary supplements.
• Take over-the-counter medicines.
• Prescription medicines.
• Biofeedback therapy.
• Surgery.

What helps constipation immediately after surgery?

Constipation treatments to try after surgery After surgery, you should also plan to take a stool softener, such as docusate (Colace). A fiber laxative, such as psyllium (Metamucil), may also be helpful. Purchase a laxative or stool softener before your surgery so that you have it available when you return home.

How do you activate your bowels after surgery?

Drink plenty of liquids; eat lots of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Drink warm liquids to help your bowels move. You may take a laxative or stool softener if you need it. Avoid gas-producing foods such as asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, prunes, pears and beans.

How do nurses assess for constipation?

After documenting the patient’s history, perform a physical assessment. First inspect the abdomen, then auscultate for bowel sounds, percuss for dullness, and palpate for masses. Constipation often causes the abdomen to become distended and tender, and stool in the colon causes a dull percussion note.

How can I make my bowels move again?

The following quick treatments can help induce a bowel movement in a few hours.

1. Take a fiber supplement.
2. Eat a serving of high-fiber food.
3. Drink a glass of water.
4. Take a laxative stimulant.
5. Take an osmotic.
6. Try a lubricant laxative.
7. Use a stool softener.
8. Try an enema.

Which characteristics indicates constipation?

Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation include:

• Passing fewer than three stools a week.
• Having lumpy or hard stools.
• Straining to have bowel movements.
• Feeling as though there’s a blockage in your rectum that prevents bowel movements.
• Feeling as though you can’t completely empty the stool from your rectum.

How do you monitor constipation?

Diagnosis

1. Blood tests.
2. An X-ray.
3. Examination of the rectum and lower, or sigmoid, colon (sigmoidoscopy).
4. Examination of the rectum and entire colon (colonoscopy).
5. Evaluation of anal sphincter muscle function (anorectal manometry).
6. Evaluation of anal sphincter muscle speed (balloon expulsion test).

What is the nursing assessment for constipation?

Nursing Assessment. Assessment of the patient with Constipation includes a careful history and physical examination, followed by appropriate laboratory and radiological investigations. The tests conducted are directed by the clinical findings and should be used to strengthen the diagnosis as well assess the depth of the problem.

What are the differential diagnoses for constipation?

For practical purposes, in an otherwise healthy child, the differential diagnosis of chronic constipation is Hirschsprung disease and functional constipation (not Hirschsprung disease). Although differentiating these two disorders may sometimes be difficult, clues in the history and physical examination are helpful.

What is the nursing diagnosis for constipation?

Nursing Diagnosis for Constipation : Acute Pain. Constipation is the inhibition of defecation (bowel movements) of a normal habit. Can be interpreted as a rare defecation, amount of stool (feces) less, or hard and dry stools.

What are some examples of nursing diagnosis?

Examples of an actual nursing diagnosis statement are anxiety characterized by fear, panic, apprehension and sleep disturbances, or an ineffective airway clearance characterized by an ineffective cough, abnormal breathing or a fever.