Laxative

Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements, most often taken to treat constipation. Certain stimulant, lubricant, and saline laxatives are used to evacuate the colon for rectal and bowel examinations. They are sometimes supplemented by enemas. Often, taking powerful laxatives can cause diarrhea, accompanied by massive flatulence attacks, due to the overworking of the bowels. Some people who experienced these side effects produced more than three times the average daily amount of flatulence in just one bowel release. Laxatives are often abused by people with bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa. Laxative abuse is potentially serious since it can lead to intestinal paralysis,citation needed] Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS),citation needed] pancreatitis,citation needed] renal failure, and other problems.

There are several types of laxatives, listed below. Some laxatives combine more than one type of active ingredient to produce a combination of the effects mentioned. Laxatives may be oral or in suppository form.

Constipation with no known organic cause, i.e. no medical explanation, exhibits gender differences in prevalence: females are more often affected than males. Not surprisingly, some advertisers promote their brands as being more feminine and thereby tailor their message to the market. The way laxatives function in males and females, however, does not exhibit significant differences.