Constipation Health Article

Definition

Constipation is an acute or chronic condition in which bowel movements occur less often than usual or consist of hard, dry stools that are painful or difficult to pass. Although constipation is a relative term, with normal patterns of bowel movements varying widely from person to person, generally an adult who has not had a bowel movement in three days or a child who has not had a bowel movement in four days is considered constipated. Infants who are still exclusively breastfed may go seven days without a stool.

Description

The colon (the large intestine) absorbs water while forming waste products (the stool) from digested food. Muscle contractions in the colon (peristalsis) push the stool toward the rectum. By the time the stool reaches the rectum, it is solid because most of the water has been absorbed. However, hard, dry stools and constipation occur when too much water is absorbed by the colon from the stool, which can result from the muscle of the colon contracting too slowly. Constipation is also referred to as irregularity of bowels or lack of regular bowel movements.

Constipation can occur at any age and is more common among individuals who resist the urge to move their bowels at their body's signal. This often happens when children start school or enter daycare. They may feel shy about asking permission to use the bathroom, they may be involved in more enjoyable activities and may not want to stop, or they may be rushed when using the bathroom and not have time to complete the bowel movement. Once constipation has developed and bowel movements become painful or more difficult, the child will attempt to go even less often, and the constipation will worsen.

Although this condition is rarely serious, it can lead to the following:

• tearing of the mucosal membrane of the anus (especially in children), which can cause bleeding and the development of an anal fissure
• bowel obstruction
• chronic constipation
• hemorrhoids (a mass of dilated veins in swollen tissue around the anus)
• hernia (a protrusion of an organ through a tear in the muscle wall)
• spastic colitis (irritable bowel syndrome, a condition characterized by alternating periods of diarrhea and constipation)
• laxative dependency

Less commonly, chronic constipation may be a symptom of colorectal cancer, depression, diabetes, diverticulosis (small pouches in the muscles of the large intestine), lead poisoning, or Parkinson's disease (in adults) and should be investigated by a doctor.