ABSTRACT
Constipation................................................................................................. 328 18.8.2
Pitta
Constipation ................................................................................................ 328 18.8.3
Kapha
Constipation.............................................................................................. 328 18.9 Diagnosis ........................................................................................................................... 328
18.9.1 Medical History ................................................................................................... 328 18.9.2 Physical Examination.......................................................................................... 329 18.9.3 Clinical Course and Prognosis .......................................................................... 329
18.10 Therapy............................................................................................................................. 329 18.10.1 Purgation Therapy (
Virecana
)............................................................................ 330 18.10.2 Enema (
Basti
) ....................................................................................................... 331 18.10.3
Vata
Constipation................................................................................................ 332 18.10.4
Pitta
Constipation ............................................................................................... 332 18.10.5
Kapha
Constipation ............................................................................................ 332 18.10.6 General Dietary Recommendation................................................................... 333 18.10.7 General Lifestyle Changes................................................................................. 333 18.10.8 Prevention of Constipation ............................................................................... 333
18.11 Scientific Basis.................................................................................................................. 334 18.11.1
Aloe vera
(Aloe) .................................................................................................... 334 18.11.2
Plantago ovata
(Psyllium).................................................................................... 334 18.11.3
Cassia senna
(Senna) ............................................................................................ 334 18.11.4
Rheum officinale
(Rhubarb) ................................................................................. 334 18.11.5
Prunus persica
(Almond) .................................................................................... 335 18.11.6
Terminalia chebula
(Chebulic Myrobalan) ........................................................ 335 18.11.7
Cassia fistula
(Indian Laburnum)...................................................................... 335 18.11.8
Mallotus philippinensis
(Indian Kamala)........................................................... 335 18.11.9
Ricinus communis
(Castor).................................................................................. 335
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 335 References ................................................................................................................................... 336
Constipation is the infrequent and difficult passage of stools. The frequency of bowel movements among healthy people varies greatly, ranging from three movements/day to three times/week. As a rule, if more than 3 days pass without a bowel movement, the intestinal contents may harden, and a person may have difficulty or even pain during elimination. Sometimes stools may harden and be painful to pass even after shorter intervals between bowel movements. Constipation is a common, often frustrating, and difficult to manage problem in the elderly. Approximately 25% of all Americans over 65 years old experience constipation.
