Constipation Treatments – Do They Work?

Constipation treatments have become quite varied over the years. It used to be that only home remedies were used and if those did not work, the doctor was consulted. Then over the counter laxatives became available for anyone to buy who needed a little extra help. Stool softeners were also introduced as well as enemas and suppositories. A treatment was chosen depending upon the degree of the problem.
Constipation has been around as long as there have been living and breathing creatures that must eat, drink, and eliminate waste from their bodies. Every once in awhile the system will bog down. That is when constipation treatments are needed. Before the days of modern medicine, people had to find their own ways to remedy this problem, and they did so by trial and error.

One such old treatment was to mix two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses and one tablespoon of honey together in a glass of warm water. The sufferer drank this before going to bed at night and by the next morning the problem was usually solved. Another version of this, years later, was to add two tablespoons of dark Karo syrup to a glass of cold milk. Depending on the person, this would either work within an hour or so, or the next morning following a nice breakfast.

Other constipation treatments included drinking a glass of cold water followed by drinking a cup of a hot beverage. It did not seem to matter just what that second beverage was. It could be coffee, soup, hot chocolate, or milk. However, the cold water was the important part. Typically, one only had to sit around for an hour or so before this would kick in. So it was safe, fast, AND effective.

Gradually, other, more medicinal, remedies came into being. Such things as laxatives in pill or syrup form, suppositories, and enemas became regarded as aids for constipation. Of course, the severity of the constipation is what decided the constipation treatment. Enemas were typically used last after everything else had been tried and had failed. However, there were always some avid fans of the enema, which when given too often, can also cause a host of other unpleasant and unhealthy issues.

Basically any treatment used for constipation should be done in moderation. Once something is found to do the trick, there is no need to continue experimenting with other remedies. That only threatens to make your problem worse.