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Constipation
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/constipation.html

Constipation

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Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Symptoms
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

Constipation means that a person has three or fewer bowel movements in a week. The stool can be hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious.

There are many things you can do to prevent constipation. They include

  • Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, which are high in fiber
  • Drinking plenty of water and other liquids
  • Getting enough exercise
  • Taking time to have a bowel movement when you need to
  • Using laxatives only if your doctor says you should
  • Asking your doctor if medicines you take may cause constipation

It's not important that you have a bowel movement every day. If your bowel habits change, however, check with your doctor.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

  • Constipation (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Definition and Facts for Constipation From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Symptoms

  • Symptoms and Causes of Constipation From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Diagnosis of Constipation From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Lower GI Series (Barium Enema) From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Lower GI X-Ray (Barium Enema) (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Constipation From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil From the National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
  • Nonprescription Laxatives for Constipation: Use with Caution (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Treatment for Constipation From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Related Issues

  • Dyssynergic Defecation: About a Common Cause of Chronic Constipation (International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders)
  • How to Get More Fiber in Your Diet (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Rectal Prolapse (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons)
  • Solitary Rectal Ulcer Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Health Check Tools

  • Elimination Problems or Constipation (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Constipation From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Investigating Endogenous Opioids Unravels the Mechanisms Behind Opioid-Induced Constipation, a Mathematical...
  • Article: Features of defecation dysfunction among patients with Hirschsprung disease in early...
  • Article: Epidemiology of childhood constipation: a national study of Swedish children from...
  • Constipation -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
  • Find a Gastroenterologist (GI Doctor) (American College of Gastroenterology)
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • Constipation (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Constipation and Fecal Soiling (North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition) - PDF
  • Definition and Facts for Constipation in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Diagnosis of Constipation in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Constipation in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • How Can I Tell If My Baby is Constipated? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
  • Symptoms and Causes of Constipation in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
  • Treatment for Constipation in Children From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

  • Constipation (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

  • Pregnancy Constipation: Are Stool Softeners Safe? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

  • Concerned About Constipation? From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging)
  • Nutrition Needs for Older Adults: Fiber (Administration for Community Living) - PDF

Patient Handouts

  • Constipation - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Constipation in infants and children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Fecal impaction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Tenesmus (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Constipation

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Bowel retraining
  • Constipation - self-care
  • Constipation - what to ask your doctor
  • Constipation in infants and children
  • Fecal impaction
  • Tenesmus
  • Total abdominal colectomy

Related Health Topics

  • Dietary Fiber

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Constipation is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Constipation

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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