A very common gastrointestinal disorder characterised by the passing of hard, dry bowel motions (stools) and difficulty of bowel motion.
Infrequent or difficult evacuation of feces.
Difficulty in passing stools or infrequent passage of hard stools.
A morbid inactivity of the bowels.
Lack of bowel movement leading to prolonged passage times of faeces.
Difficulty or inability to have a bowel movement.
Condition resulting in difficulty with expelling feces, typically from prolonged retention of feces in the colon.
Infrequent or difficult bowel movements, with hard and dry feces. Constipation can result from physical causes, such as narrowing of parts of the digestive system, painful tears (fissures) in the skin around the anus, inflammation of the intestines, or suppression or disruption of the normal bowel activity because of some disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Problems in diet can also contribute, especially lack of fiber in older children; for treating constipation in infants. Sometimes constipation can result from repeatedly ignoring signals that bowels should be moved, perhaps because of misunderstandings during toilet training. In pregnant women, constipation and associated hemorrhoids are common.
Difficulty in having bowel movements because of loss of muscle tone in the intestine, very hard stools, or other causes (e.g., diverticulitis, intestinal obstruction). An increase in roughage (fruits, vegetables, bran) in the diet, along with plenty of water, often helps this condition.
Failure to have regular, soft bowel movements.
An inability to move the bowels easily. It may be caused by dehydration, insufficient fiber in the diet, poor elimination habits, or gastrointestinal or other illness.
A condition in which a person infrequently passes hard faeces (stools). Patients sometimes complain of straining, a feeling of incomplete evacuation of faeces, and abdominal or perianal discomfort. A healthy individual usually opens his or her bowels once daily, but the frequency may vary, perhaps twice daily or once only every two or three days. Constipation is generally defined as fewer than three bowel openings a week. Healthy people may have occasional bouts of constipation, usually reflecting a temporary change in diet or the result of taking drugs — for example, codeine — or any serious condition resulting in immobility, especially in elderly people.
A decrease in a person’s normal frequency of defecation accompanied by difficult or incomplete passage of stool and/or passage of excessively hard, dry stool.
A condition in which bowel movements happen less frequently than is normal for the particular individual, or the stool is small, hard, and difficult or painful to pass.
Constipation, a condition characterized by abnormally delayed or infrequent bowel movements, can be categorized into two main types: functional and organic. Functional constipation is primarily associated with impaired bowel motility, while organic constipation arises from an underlying disease or disorder impacting the normal functioning of the digestive system.
Constipation refers to the infrequent or challenging passage of hard and dry feces. While constipation can be uncomfortable, it is typically harmless in the short term.
The primary cause of constipation is often attributed to a deficiency of dietary fiber, as fiber aids in the smooth movement of waste through the colon. Other common factors include irregular bowel habits stemming from inadequate toilet training during childhood or consistently ignoring the urge to have a bowel movement. In elderly individuals, constipation may arise from factors such as immobility or weakness in the muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor.
In certain cases, constipation can serve as a symptom of an underlying medical condition. This possibility is particularly significant if it accompanies persistent changes in bowel habits in individuals aged 40 and above or if it is accompanied by additional symptoms like blood in the feces, pain during bowel movements, or unexplained weight loss. Various conditions, such as hemorrhoids, anal fissure, irritable bowel syndrome, and narrowing of the colon due to disorders like diverticular disease or cancer, can contribute to constipation.
Self-help measures, including establishing a consistent bowel routine, incorporating more dietary fiber, and increasing fluid intake, typically yield positive results in managing constipation. It is advisable to avoid prolonged use of laxative medications, as this can disrupt the natural functioning of the colon.
Constipation is characterized by the inability to have a regular bowel movement. Simply missing one daily bowel movement doesn’t qualify as constipation. Some individuals naturally have bowel movements only twice a week, which is considered normal for them. Conversely, others have bowel movements both at night and in the morning every day, and this is their normal pattern. Therefore, if someone who typically has daily bowel movements experiences a five-day gap without passing stool, it would be considered constipation in their case. However, for someone who comfortably and healthily has bowel movements twice a week, this isn’t considered constipation.