Constipation in Adults Symptoms

An individual may exhibit a broad range of symptoms of constipation depending on his or her normal bowel habits, diet, and age. These are common problems a person may have if he or she is constipated:

• Difficulty in starting or completing a bowel movement
  
  
• Infrequent and difficult passage of stool
  
  
• Passing hard stool after prolonged straining
  
  
• If the person has irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), crampy abdominal pain, excessive gas, a sense of bloating, and a change in bowel habits
  
  
• If the person has an intestinal obstruction, nausea, vomiting, no defecation, and inability to pass gas
  
  
• Distended abdomen, headaches, and loss of appetite
  
  
• Coated (furred) tongue, bad breath (halitosis), and bad taste in the mouth