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May 22, 2013
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Constipation in Adults (cont.)

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 Prevention

  • Develop regular bowel habits. Set aside time before or after breakfast to use the toilet.
  • Do not ignore the desire to defecate. Answer nature's call to empty your bowel as soon as possible.
  • Eat a well-balanced diet that includes wheat grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Recent evidence suggests that increasing dietary fiber intake may help some people with hard stools, but is not necessarily of benefit in every person with constipation.
  • Drink plenty of water and fruit juice.
  • Exercise regularly. Walking is especially important.
  • Avoid intake of medications that may cause constipation. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you in this regard.
  • The use of laxatives can make a constipation problem worse in the long-term and should be avoided.

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Constipation »

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

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