Constipation is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or other animal) experiences difficulty in eliminating feces. Most doctors do not consider a person constipated unless they are experiencing difficulty passing hard, dry stool, and there has been a decrease in the number of bowel movements from the amount that's normal for the person. A person can present with a decrease in bowel movements, along with signs of diarrhea and still be considered constipated. This is usually due to the stool being impacted in the colon which impedes normal absorption of water, causing the waste material that does come out to be watery.
In common constipation, the stool is hard and difficult to void. Straining may cause hemorrhoids and anal fissures. The abdomen may become distended and diffusely tender and crampy, occasionally with enhanced bowel sounds.
While many feel that one should have a bowel movement every day, it may be completely normal to defecate once a week as long as this does not cause any other symptoms. This depends on dietary habits, exercise and various other factors.
Severe cases ("fecal impaction") may feature symptoms of bowel obstruction (vomiting, very tender abdomen) and "paradoxical diarrhea", where soft stool from the small intestine bypasses the impacted matter in the colon
Common GI Disorders
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