constipation

Also known as colonic inertia, dyschezia

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Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Constipation
Medical condition (new).image: Constipation.JPG
Medical condition (new).caption: Constipation in a young child seen on X-ray. Circles represent areas of fecal matter (stool is white surrounded by black bowel gas).
Medical condition (new).field: Gastroenterology
Medical condition (new).synonyms: Costiveness
Medical condition (new).symptoms: Infrequent or hard to pass bowel movements, abdominal pain, bloating
Medical condition (new).complications: Hemorrhoids, anal fissure, fecal impaction
Medical condition (new).causes: Slow movement of stool within the colon, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, pelvic floor disorders
Medical condition (new).risks: Hypothyroidism, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, gluten-related disorders, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, certain medications
Medical condition (new).treatment: Drinking enough fluids, eating more fiber, exercise
Medical condition (new).medication: Laxatives of the bulk forming agent, osmotic agent, stool softener, or lubricant type
Medical condition (new).frequency: 2–30%

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

40,845 papers

Evaluation of constipation.ReviewAmerican family physician · 2002Arce DA, Ermocilla CA, Costa H
Constipation of anorectal outlet obstruction: pathophysiology, evaluation and management.ReviewJournal of gastroenterology and hepatology · 2006Andromanakos N, Skandalakis P, Troupis T et al.DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2006.04333.x
New Options in Constipation Management.ReviewCurrent oncology reports · 2015Davis M, Gamier PDOI: 10.1007/s11912-015-0481-x
[Constipation in Patients with Incurable Cancer - Recommendations of the German S3 Guideline 'Palliative Medicine'].ReviewDeutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2016Wirz S, Simon S, Frieling T et al.DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-101899
Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides and Constipation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials on Stool Frequency, Stool Consistency, and Fermentation Biomarkers.Nutrients · 2025Chen H, Ren J, Wang L et al.DOI: 10.3390/nu17203246
Constipation and fecal impaction in the long-term care patient.ReviewClinics in geriatric medicine · 1988Alessi CA, Henderson CT
[Constipation].Soins; la revue de reference infirmiere · 1966Arnal J
The causes and nursing management of constipation.ReviewBritish journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing) · 1996Norton CDOI: 10.12968/bjon.1996.5.20.1252

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: The itinerary of a breakfast; a popular account of the travels of a breakfast through the food tube and of the ten gates and several stations through which it passes, also of the obstacles which it (14592984369).jpg

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NCI Thesaurus ID: C37930
Commons category: Constipation
Commons gallery: Constipation
ICPC 2 ID: D12
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/SYMP_0019180
ICD-9-CM: 564.0

Sources (5)

via Wikidata · CC0

~21 min read

Article

30 sections

Contents

Definition
Causes
Diet
Medications
Medical conditions
Psychological
Congenital
Diagnosis
Description
Examination
Diagnostic tests
Criteria
Prevention
Treatment
Fiber supplements
Laxatives
Enemas
Physical intervention
Regular exercise
Behavioral interventions
Surgical intervention
Prognosis
Epidemiology
History
Special populations
Children
Postpartum women
See also
References
External links

Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement. Complications from constipation may include hemorrhoids, anal fissure or fecal impaction. The normal frequency of bowel movements in adults is between three per day and three per week. Babies often have three to four bowel movements per day while young children typically have two to three per day.

Constipation has many causes. Common causes include slow movement of stool within the colon, irritable bowel syndrome, and pelvic floor disorders. Underlying associated diseases include hypothyroidism, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, vitamin B12 deficiency, colon cancer, diverticulitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Medications associated with constipation include opioids, certain antacids, calcium channel blockers, and anticholinergics. Of those taking opioids about 90% develop constipation. Constipation is more concerning when there is weight loss or anemia, blood is present in the stool, there is a history of inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer in a person's family, or it is of new onset in someone who is older.