Constipation occurs when you have less frequent bowel movements than usual that may consist of stool that is hard, dry, or lumpy and difficult or painful to pass. It can also leave you feeling like you're unable to empty your bowels completely. However, constipation looks different from person to person, depending on your regular bathroom habits.
According to the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, having fewer than three bowel movements in a week qualifies as constipation in adults.
However, everyone has a different frequency of bowel movements. Some people have multiple bowel movements a day, while others might only go twice a week. A healthy bowel movement cycle is one that feels good and stays consistent. But if you start to go less often or your bowel movements change in other ways, you might be experiencing constipation.
Outside of frequency, other constipation symptoms include:
Having lumpy, hard, dry bowel movements that are tough to pass
Straining to pass stool
Feeling pain during bowel movements
Feeling like you’re unable to completely empty your bowels
Feeling like there is a blockage
Needing to use a finger to dislodge stool from the rectum
Symptoms of Constipation in Children
Constipation affects around 3 in 10 children, most often around preschool age. Symptoms of constipation in babies and children include:
Abdominal bloating
Complaints of stomach pain
Blood in the diaper or stool
Appetite changes
Difficult, painful bowel movements
Stool or pee leakage in diapers or underwear
Unexpected or unwanted weight loss
Problems gaining weight
Bowel movements generally become less frequent as a child moves from infancy to preschool age. However, the exact frequency of bowel movements in children can vary depending on when they move to solid foods and which foods they eat. But if a child seems like they’re struggling to go and is passing stool less often than they should be for their age, they may need to see a doctor.
Many types of constipation are acute, or short-term. For example, if you don’t drink enough fluids in a particular week or you change your routine by traveling abroad, your digestive system may process bowel movements more slowly.
However, chronic constipation can develop when you experience constipation symptoms for three months or longer. It can become twice as likely once a person reaches 60 years of age.
According to the American Gastroenterological Association, constipation can develop primarily due to motility issues or other factors such as diet and medications.
Normal-Transit Constipation
Normal-transit constipation can develop when a person’s level of physical activity, emotional state, diet, or drug intake affects how long stool takes to move through the colon. This is the most common type of constipation.
Slow-Transit Constipation
During slow-transit constipation, stool may take over five days to move through the colon. This type often results from problems with the smooth muscles or nerves in the colon.
For example, a side effect of opioid pain relief medications is that they may reduce muscle tone in the colon, affecting how often it can contract to move stool along. These medications may also tighten the anal sphincter, which reduces how much stool you can get rid of during a bowel movement.
Low levels of thyroid hormones, or hypothyroidism, may also contribute to this type of constipation.
Defecatory Dysfunction
If you have issues evacuating stool from the rectum, you might not be able to push stool out hard enough from your rectum, or you may have structural issues that interfere with your ability to pass a bowel movement. This might also occur if you can’t fully relax the muscles around the anus or if you have rectal prolapse. Defacatory dysfunction, also known as outlet dysfunction or pelvic floor dysfunction, can leave you feeling like you aren’t able to completely empty your bowels.
Around half of all people with defacatory dysfunction also have slow-transit constipation.
Most of the time, constipation is uncomfortable rather than dangerous. However, long-term, untreated constipation can damage your digestive system and contribute to:
Hemorrhoids Swollen veins in the rectum are known as hemorrhoids.
Anal fissures Hard or dry stools may tear the lining of the anus as it passes through, causing anal fissures.
Diverticulitis The colon wall sometimes develops pouches called diverticula. If stool gets stuck in these, they may develop an infection known as diverticulitis.
Fecal impaction Excess stool may build up in your anus and rectum, causing a type of blockage known as fecal impaction.
Stress urinary incontinence Straining too much during a bowel movement can damage the pelvic floor muscles, which play a key role in bladder control. This may lead to urine leaking from the bladder, or urinary incontinence.
Rectal prolapse After excess straining or ongoing difficult bowel movements, exposed anal tissue may poke out of the anus, known as rectal prolapse.
Most people who experience constipation can manage symptoms through diet changes, exercise, and over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications.However, if you notice any of the following symptoms, speak to your doctor:
You should also consider speaking to your doctor if you have a family history of rectal or colon cancer or have trouble finding constipation relief at home. If constipation lasts for longer than three weeks, develops seemingly out of nowhere, or leads to especially painful bowel movements, schedule a checkup with your doctor.
Constipation symptoms include having less frequent bowel movements than usual; passing dry, tough, painful stool; or feeling like you’re unable to empty your bowels completely.
Lifestyle changes, OTC remedies, and prescription medications can often help relieve constipation. But long-term or disruptive symptoms can be a sign of an underlying health problem or medication side effect.
Even though discussing your symptoms may feel embarrassing, you might be able to prevent severe complications by seeing a doctor about your constipation symptoms.
