When to Seek Medical Care for Constipation

Call your health care practitioner if you have these concerns:

• Symptoms are severe and last longer than 3 weeks
  
  
• Recent and significant change in bowel habits, for instance, constipation alternates with diarrhea
  
  
• Severe pain in the anus during a bowel movement
  
  
• Symptoms of other diseases in addition to constipation (for example, tiredness, fatigue, poor tolerance to cold weather may suggest the need to assess thyroid function for hypothyroidism, an underactive gland.)
  
  
• Constipation for 2 weeks or longer with returning abdominal pain, which might be a sign of lead poisoning

When to seek emergency medical care

Although constipation may be extremely uncomfortable, it is usually not serious. It may signal a serious underlying disorder, however, such as cancer of the bowel. Because constipation may lead to complications, go to a hospital's emergency department for any of the following reasons:

• Rectal bleeding
  
  
• Anal pain and hemorrhoids
  
  
• Anal fissures or cracks in the mucous lining (severe pain during defecation in the anal area)
  
  
• Fecal impaction (immovable intestinal contents) in very young children and in older adults
  
  
• Rectal prolapse or sagging (Occasionally, straining causes a small amount of the intestinal lining to push out from the rectal opening. This may lead to secretion of mucus that may stain the undergarments.)
  
  
• Recurrent vomiting with constipation and abdominal pain (This may suggest intestinal obstruction and needs urgent hospital treatment.)
  
  
• Severe abdominal pain with the constipation that is constant and worsening, especially if it is accompanied by a fever.