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February 3, 2012
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Constipation in Adults

Medical Author:

Dr. Marc Basson received his undergraduate and medical education at the University of Michigan, surgical training at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Downstate Medical Center, and St. Mary's Hospital, and then earned a PhD in Experimental Pathology at Yale University before becoming an Assistant and then Associate Professor of Surgery at Yale.

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Medical Editor:
Bhupinder Anand, MD

Constipation in Adults

Who Gets Constipated?

Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in the United States. More than 4 million Americans have frequent constipation, accounting for 2.5 million physician visits a year. Those reporting constipation most often are women and adults ages 65 and older. Pregnant women may have constipation, and it is a common problem following childbirth or surgery.

Self-treatment of constipation with over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives is by far the most common aid. Around $725 million is spent on laxative products each year in America.

SOURCE: NDDIC.gov. Constipation.

Constipation in Adults Overview

Constipation refers to a decrease in the frequency of bowel movements or difficulty in passing stools. The stool of a constipated person is typically hard because it contains less water than normal. Constipation is a symptom, not a disease.

Generally, constipation is difficult to define clearly because as a symptom it varies from person to person. In addition, because we generally don't discuss the frequency of our bowel movements or observe each other having them, it is often difficult for people to know whether they are having less frequent stools, or experiencing increased difficulty in moving their bowels than others.

  • The "normal" frequency of bowel movements varies greatly, ranging from 3 movements per day to 3 per week. Such variation may occur among cultures and groups of people, among individuals, or even for an individual person without necessarily being a sign of disease. However, if a person has had a generally even frequency of bowel function that changes acutely and persists in its new form for longer periods of time, this may be a reason to consult a physician. Generally, if a person has not moved the bowels for 3 successive days, the intestinal contents harden, and the person experiences difficulty or even pain during defecation, medical care should be sought.

  • A common misconception about constipation is that wastes stored in your body are absorbed, are dangerous to your health, and may shorten your life-span. Some people have an underlying fear that they will be "poisoned" by their own intestinal wastes (feces) if they retain the waste in their bodies for more than a certain length of time. None of this is true. There is little evidence that "colonic cleansing" improves health in individuals with normal bowel function.

  • Older people are five times more likely than younger people to complain about the onset of new constipation.
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Constipation in Adults - Symptoms

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Constipation (Adults)

Constipation in Children »

Constipation in Children Overview

Constipation occurs commonly in children, affecting up to 10% at any given time. Still, only 3% of parents actually seek advice from the doctor for this condition. Constipation describes the infrequent passage of stools (bowel movements) or the passage of hard stools. Any definition of constipation depends upon comparison with how often the child normally passes stools and with the usual consistency of his or her stools.

Many children normally pass stools as far apart as every few days. Regardless, you should treat hard stools that are difficult to pass and those that happen only every three days as constipation.

Constipation in Children Causes

Infants and children with constipation are treated differently than adults, because patterns of bowel movements change from the time they are born until they reach the age of 3 or 4 years. The majority of children with constipation do not have a me...

Read the Constipation in Children article »


Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Constipation »

Constipation is a common symptom, but it often remains unrecognized until the patient develops sequelae, such as anorectal disorders or diverticular disease

Read More on Medscape Reference »

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