Doctors sometimes recommend about two liters, or 8 glasses, of water per day. However, that may not be enough for you, depending on your activity level and the climate you live in. If you have frequent headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, don’t urinate often, pass dark or cloudy urine, and don’t sweat much, you are probably not getting enough water. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

Prunes or prune juice Peaches Pears Plums Apples Apricots Raspberries Strawberries Beans Peas Spinach

You need both water soluble fiber, which turns into a gel-like material in water, and insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, and barley. You can get insoluble fiber in whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans, and vegetables like cauliflower and green beans. Many plants have both soluble and insoluble fiber, you can get both by eating lots of different grains and vegetables. Eating more fiber will be most effective if you drink extra water to help dissolve the water soluble fiber.

Irritable bowel syndrome Unexplained diarrhea and constipation Diarrhea or constipation after antibiotics have killed some of the naturally occurring gut bacteria

Try fiber supplements. They will make your stool bulkier, softer and easier to pass. These supplements are often called bulk forming laxatives and you should try these before moving on to other types of laxatives. Look for ones with methylcellulose, psyllium, calcium polycarbophil, and guar gum as active ingredients (e. g. , FiberCon, Metamucil, Konsyl, and Citrucel). [8] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Try probiotic supplements. Probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that are like your naturally occurring gut microbes. Taking probiotics may help if you are experiencing cycles of diarrhea and constipation or irritable bowel syndrome. [9] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

If you already drink coffee you may either need a bit more, or your body may be too habituated for it to provide relief.

Milk and cheese Squash Sugary foods like pastries, puddings, candy and cake Prepackaged, processed foods which usually have added sugar, salt, and fat. [12] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

Eat slowly to give your body time to process your food. Eating too fast makes you more likely to overeat, overwhelming your digestive system. Chew your food thoroughly to promote easy digestion and moderate portion sizes.

The activity should be strenuous enough to increase your heart rate like fast walking, swimming, running, or biking. Sometimes this works surprisingly quickly. Plan a route with frequent bathrooms available! If you have other health concerns that might make exercise inadvisable, talk to your doctor first.

Deep breathing Yoga Meditation Tai chi Massage Listening to relaxing music Visualizing relaxing locations Progressive muscle relaxation where you go through your body and deliberately tense and release each muscle group

Spend at least 10 minutes on the toilet approximately 30 minutes after eating. Put your feet on a low stool, so your knees are above your hips. This may make the bowel movement easier.

The therapist will use a machine to measure the tension in your rectum and help you practice tightening and releasing your pelvic floor muscles. Go to a therapist that works with a doctor or is recommended by your doctor to be sure that they are reliable.

Rectal bleeding Severe weight loss Fatigue Severe abdominal pain

Wait at least two hours after eating because it may prevent you from fully absorbing the nutrients. It will work within the next six to eight hours. Do not take it while lying in bed, because if you accidentally inhale some of it, it can cause pneumonia in your lungs. For this reason, do not give it to children younger than seven. Do not take mineral oil if you are pregnant, as it may prevent the uptake of nutrients and cause bleeding in the newborn if taken for a long time.

Common ones include Colace and Surfak. Drink an extra few glasses to water each day when you take them.

Milk of magnesia Magnesium citrate Lactulose Polyethylene glycol (MiraLax)

Senna Bisacodyl Sodium Picosulphate

A suppository is a capsule of medication that you put in your anus where it dissolves and is absorbed. An enema is a liquid medication that is introduced into the large intestine via the anus. This should be done by the doctor. Manual disimpaction requires your doctor or nurse to put on gloves and insert two lubricated fingers into the rectum to break up and remove impacted feces. [28] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source