CONSTIPATION:
What I 
Should Know
     Infrequent or difficult passage of feces. Constipation may be caused by the lack of adequate roughage or fluid in the diet, prolonged physical inactivity, certain drugs, or emotional disturbance. Sudden unexplained changes in bowel habits can be a symptom of a serious disorder (such as lower intestinal obstruction by a growth) and should receive medical attention. Most cases of constipation can be relieved by following a diet that includes adequate roughage and fluid and by establishing regular habits of evacuation. The continued use of laxatives is inadvisable. Daily bowel movements are not essential; many persons suffer from the harm caused by constant use of laxatives and enemas in an effort to establish the desired regularity.

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Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation include:

  • Passing fewer than three stools a week
  • Having lumpy or hard stools
  • Straining to have bowel movements
  • Feeling as though there's a blockage in your rectum that prevents bowel movements
  • Feeling as though you can't completely empty the stool from your rectum
  • Needing help to empty your rectum, such as using your hands to press on your abdomen and using a finger to remove stool from your rectum
Constipation may be considered chronic if you've experienced two or more of these symptoms for the last three months.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience unexplained and persistent changes in your bowel habits.

Constipation most commonly occurs when waste or stool moves too slowly through the digestive tract or cannot be eliminated effectively from the rectum, which may cause the stool to become hard and dry. Chronic constipation has many possible causes.

Blockages in the colon or rectum Blockages in the colon or
rectum may slow or stop stool movement. Causes include:

  • Anal fissure
  • Bowel obstruction
  • Colon cancer
  • Narrowing of the colon (bowel stricture)
  • Other abdominal cancer that presses on the colon
  • Rectal cancer
  • Rectum bulge through the back wall of the vagina (rectocele)
Problems with the nerves around the colon and rectum Neurological problems can affect the nerves that cause muscles in the colon and rectum to contract and move stool through the intestines. Causes include:

  • Autonomic neuropathy
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Stroke
Difficulty with the muscles involved in elimination Problems with the pelvic muscles involved in having a bowel movement may cause chronic constipation. These problems may include:

  • Inability to relax the pelvic muscles to allow for a bowel movement (anismus)
  • Pelvic muscles don't coordinate relaxation and contraction correctly (dyssynergia)
  • Weakened pelvic muscles
Conditions that affect hormones in the body Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Diseases and conditions that upset the balance of hormones may lead to constipation, including:

  • Diabetes
  • Overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism)
  • Pregnancy
  • Under active thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Risk factors Factors that may increase your
risk of chronic constipation include:

  • Being an older adult
  • Being a woman
  • Being dehydrated
  • Eating a diet that's low in fiber
  • Getting little or no physical activity
  • Taking certain medications, including sedatives, narcotics, some antidepressants or medications to lower blood pressure
  • Having a mental health condition such as depression or an eating disorder
Complications Complications of chronic constipation include:

  • Swollen veins in your anus (hemorrhoids). Straining to have a bowel movement may cause swelling in the veins in and around your anus.
  • Torn skin in your anus (anal fissure). A large or hard stool can cause tiny tears in the anus.
  • Stool that can't be expelled (fecal impaction). Chronic constipation may cause an accumulation of hardened stool that gets stuck in your intestines.
  • Intestine that protrudes from the anus (rectal prolapse). Straining to have a bowel movement can cause a small amount of the rectum to stretch and protrude from the anus.
Info on this page was last updated and verified on May 10th, 2017 P.S.T.
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