Constipation is a symptom characterized by either
having fewer than three bowel movements a week or
having difficulty passing stools that are often hard,
small, and dry.
Food in the process of being digestedmoves through
the intestines in as a slurry or watery mush. In the small
intestine, nutrients are absorbed from thismaterial. After
most of the nutrients have been absorbed, the material
passes into the colon, or large intestine. Here much of
the water in the slurry is absorbed back into the bloodstream, and the remaining solid material is eliminated
as waste or stool.
Constipation occurs when too
much water is removed from the slurry, and it becomes
difficult or painful to eliminate the stool. The most common
reason why toomuch water is removed is that the
material stays too long in the colon.
The frequency of bowel movements varies greatly
from person to person and is influenced by age, health,
diet, and lifestyle. It is a common misperception that a
daily bowel movement is necessary for health. This is
not true.
For some healthy people, it is normal to have
three bowel movements a day, while other healthy
people have only three a week. Determining whether
an individual is constipated must start with knowing
what frequency of bowel movements is normal for that
person.
Constipation is a very common complaint. About
2% of Americans complain of frequent or constant constipation.
In 2005, constipation accounted for about 2.5
million visits to the doctor. In the United States more
black Americans report being constipated than white
Americans. In Africa, the reverse is true, suggesting that
diet plays amore important role than race in determining
who develops constipation.
This is also supported by the
fact that very few Asians who eat an Asian diet report
being constipated, while those who adopt a Western diet
report constipation much more frequently.
Complaints
about constipation are more likely to come from women
than from men and from people over age 65. Pregnant
women are at higher risk to become constipated, as are
people who have had surgery and who are taking narcotic
painkillers.
