Constipation

Different definitions of constipation have been used in clinical studies → difficulty in characterizing the problem. –< 3 stools / week →♀, < 5 stools / week → ♂, despite high fiber diet. –A period > 3 days without bowel movements.

Constipation results from ↓ intestinal motility → slow movements of feces through large intestine → dry, hard feces in the descending colon that accumulate because of the long time available for absorption of fluid. Constipation is not a disease; it’s a symptom of an underlying disease problem.

Causes of constipation: 1. Low fiber diet. 2. Medical problem: 1. GI obstruction / tumors. 2. DM. 3. Pregnancy. 4. Drug induced, e.g. analgesics. 5. Psychogenic. 6. Functional cause of constipation is irregular bowel habits that have developed through a lifetime of inhibition of the normal defection reflex.