John P. Cunha, DO, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Cunha's educational background includes a BS in Biology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a DO from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, MO. He completed residency training in Emergency Medicine at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Stool softeners, called emollient laxatives,
prevent
hardening of the feces by adding moisture to the stool. The
active
ingredient in most stool softeners is a medicine called
docusate.
Agents containing docusate do not by themselves stimulate
or increase
the number of bowel movements. They are used more to prevent constipation than to treat it.
Stool softeners are commonly recommended for individuals who should avoid straining while defecating, including
those:
who are recovering from abdominal, pelvic, or
rectal
surgery, childbirth, or heart attack;
Softening
the stool
in these affected individuals can help reduce pain during
defecation.
Stool softeners available OTC include Colace,
Surfak, and
pharmacy or store-branded products containing docusate.
Some
preparations (for example, Peri-Colace) combine a stool
softener
with a stimulant laxative to activate bowel movements.
Precautions for using stool softeners
Stool softeners are generally safe and well tolerated. They
should
not be combined with mineral oil, a lubricant laxative,
because stool
softeners may increase the absorption and toxicity of
mineral oil.
Mineral oil droplets absorbed into the body can
deposit and
cause inflammation in the lymph glands, liver, and spleen.
Lubricant laxatives
Mineral oil (liquid petrolatum) coats and softens
stool. Like stool softeners, mineral oil is used by
patients who need
to avoid straining (for example, after
hernia repair,
hemorrhoid
surgery, heart attacks, and childbirth).
Precautions for using lubricant laxatives
Mineral oil should be avoided in individuals taking blood
thinners,
such as warfarin (Coumadin).
Mineral oil decreases the absorption of vitamin K
(important in
forming clotting factors in the blood) from the intestines.
The
decreased absorption of vitamin K in patients taking
warfarin can
potentially lead to "over-thinning" of the blood and
increasing the
risk of excessive bleeding.
Mineral oil should not be taken during
pregnancy since
it may
inhibit vitamin
absorption and decrease the availability of vitamin K to
the fetus.
Mineral oil can cause pneumonia if it leaks into the
lungs.
Leakage of secretions and other contents from the mouth and
the
esophagus into the lungs is called aspiration. Certain
individuals
(for example, the very young, the elderly, stroke victims,
and those
with swallowing difficulties) are prone to aspirate,
especially while
lying down. Therefore, mineral oil should not be given at
bedtime or
to individuals who are prone to aspirate.
Mineral oil should only be used for short periods of
time. A
significant absorption of mineral oil into the body can
occur if used
repeatedly over prolonged periods.
Hemorrhoid is an enlarged vein in the walls of the anus and sometimes around the
rectum, usually caused by untreated constipation, but occasionally associated
with chronic diarrhea. If untreated, hemorrhoids can
worsen, protruding from the anus. Also known as piles.
Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
Digestion RSS
Healthy Living Tips
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