When to Seek Medical Care

Call your health care provider 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 your 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

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 underpants.)
  
  
• Recurrent vomiting with constipation and abdominal pain (This may suggest intestinal obstruction and needs urgent hospital treatment.)