Constipation
Definition
Constipation, a condition in which a person has difficult or infrequent passage of faeces, can be either a symptom of an underlying pathology or an acute or chronic condition in itself, lasting days, months, or years. Normal bowel movements occur from two or three times a day to three per week. Constipation usually results from a delay in transit within the colon from a wide variety of causes. Constipation can occur at any age, and most people have constipation sometime in life, but it is more frequent in infancy and old age.
Most cases of constipation result from changes in diet or physical activity, including inadequate fluid intake. Psychological factors, particularly depression, may cause acute or chronic constipation. Chronic abuse of laxatives or cathartics can also lead to chronic constipation.
Aetiology / Risk Factors
- Decrease in exercise or activity, often occurring with illness and travel
Dietary changes
Use of many medications
Low fibre diet
Caffeine use
Diuretic use
Anorectal fissures or thrombosed haemorrhoids
Strictures
Tumours
Pregnancy
Symptoms & Signs
- Infrequent, difficult passage of stools (less than three times a week)
- Sudden and significant decrease in frequency of bowel movements
- Stools harder than normal, possibly impacted
- Sensation of incomplete bowel emptying
Bloated sensation