Case study - providing self-care advice
Case study - providing self-care advice
Mrs Sharp is browsing the indigestion fixture in the pharmacy. She says she is feeling bloated and constipated and wants something to help. She has had a really stressful time at work, as well as recently moving house, and hasn't been eating as healthily as she does normally.
- Case notes
- Self-care advice
Step 1
Lifestyle assessment
From your conversation, her change of diet, lack of exercise and stress could be contributing to constipation.2
Discuss her current fibre intake.
She isn't taking any medicine that could be contributing.
Step 2
Lifestyle changes
- Advise her to increase her fibre intake. Examples of high fibre foods include wholemeal bread, vegetables, beans/pulses, potatoes with their skins on and high fibre cereals. Remind her that this may take a few weeks to have an effect.3
- Advise her to increase her activity levels, both to help with stress and to help with bowel movements.
- She could try going to the toilet at a regular time each day. First thing in the morning or 30 minutes after a meal is best, as that is when bowel movement is greatest.6
- Drink plenty of fluids (around 6-8 glasses per day).
Step 3
First-line treatment
Advise her that if the lifestyle changes don't help, she can come back to the pharmacy and purchase a product such as Fybogel, which is a convenient way to increase fibre in the diet that can be taken every day for as long as needed to help maintain regularity.*
*If there has been no bowel movement after three days of treatment a doctor or healthcare professional should be consulted
