Constipation is defined as having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week. People with the condition usually have hard, dry, small in size, and difficult to eliminate stools. Some people who are constipated find it painful to have a bowel movement and often experience straining, bloating, and the sensation of a full bowel.
To understand the condition, it helps to know how the colon, or large intestine, works. As food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water from the food while it forms waste products, or stool. Muscle contractions in the colon then push the stool toward the rectum. By the time stool reaches the rectum it is solid, because most of the water has been absorbed.
Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon's muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly. As a result, stools can become hard and dry.
Common causes of constipation are
Topics on Constipation:
Constipation
Complications of Constipation
Diagnosis of Constipation
Treatment of Constipation
Other Treatments for Constipation
Constipation in Children
Simple Tips to Relieve Symptoms and Prevent Recurrence of Constipation
Sources:
1. Digestive Diseases Dictionary A-D. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIH Publication No. 00-2750: February 2000
2. Constipation: What causes constipation? - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). National Institute of Health. NIH Publication No. 06–2754: February 2006
3. NIDDK Image Library. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). National Institutes of Health.
Page Last Revised: August 26, 2011
To understand the condition, it helps to know how the colon, or large intestine, works. As food moves through the colon, the colon absorbs water from the food while it forms waste products, or stool. Muscle contractions in the colon then push the stool toward the rectum. By the time stool reaches the rectum it is solid, because most of the water has been absorbed.
Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water or if the colon's muscle contractions are slow or sluggish, causing the stool to move through the colon too slowly. As a result, stools can become hard and dry.
Common causes of constipation are
- not enough fiber in the diet
- lack of physical activity (especially in the elderly)
- medications
- milk
- irritable bowel syndrome
- changes in life or routine such as pregnancy, aging, and travel
- abuse of laxatives
- ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement
- dehydration
- specific diseases or conditions, such as stroke (most common)
- problems with the colon and rectum
- problems with intestinal function (chronic idiopathic constipation)
Topics on Constipation:
Constipation
Complications of Constipation
Diagnosis of Constipation
Treatment of Constipation
Other Treatments for Constipation
Constipation in Children
Simple Tips to Relieve Symptoms and Prevent Recurrence of Constipation
Sources:
1. Digestive Diseases Dictionary A-D. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). NIH Publication No. 00-2750: February 2000
2. Constipation: What causes constipation? - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). National Institute of Health. NIH Publication No. 06–2754: February 2006
3. NIDDK Image Library. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). National Institutes of Health.
Page Last Revised: August 26, 2011
