Constipation means that a person has three or fewer bowel movement in a week. The stool can be hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious.
There are many things you can do to prevent constipation. They include
- Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, which are high in fiber
- Drinking plenty of water and other liquids
- Getting enough exercise
- Taking time to have a bowel movement when you need to
- Using laxatives only if your doctor says you should
- Asking your doctor if medicines you take may cause constipation
It's not important that you have a bowel movement every day. If your bowel habits change, however, check with your doctor.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Constipation
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation/
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Constipation: Keeping Your Bowels Moving Smoothly(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/digestive/basics/037.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/digestive/basics/037.printerview.html
- Constipation(American Gastroenterological Association) - http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=687
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What I Need to Know about Constipation
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation_ez/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/constipation_ez/index.htm
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Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/
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Colonoscopy
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm -
Constipation(DSHI Systems) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.freemd.com/constipation/visit-virtual-doctor.htm
- Elimination Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/tools/symptom/532.printerview.html
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Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/sigmoidoscopy/
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Lower Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract X-Ray (Barium Enema "BE")(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=lowergi
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=lowergi
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Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lowergi/
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Laxatives: OTC Products for Constipation(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/861.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/861.printerview.html
- Over the Counter Laxatives for Constipation: Use with Caution(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/laxatives/HQ00088/METHOD=print
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Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/flaxseed/index.htm
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Fiber: How to Increase the Amount in Your Diet(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/food/general-nutrition/099.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/food/improve/099.printerview.html
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Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Constipation(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Constipation%22
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Chronic constipation: a strain for men. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18822518&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Development and validation of the fecal incontinence and constipation quality... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18721959&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Tap water irrigation and additives to optimize success with the... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18721951&tool=MedlinePlus
- Constipation -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=constipation[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- GI Physician Locator(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/phylocator.asp
- American Gastroenterological Association - http://www.gastro.org/
- American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons - http://www.fascrs.org/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Constipation(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/constipation.html
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Constipation in Children(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipationchild/
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Constipation in Children(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/common/stomach/222.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/common/stomach/222.printerview.html
- Infant Constipation: How Is It Treated?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/infant-constipation/AN01089/METHOD=print
- Constipation(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/digestive/constipation.html
- Pregnancy and Constipation(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/constipation.html
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Concerned about Constipation?(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/constipation.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/Publicaciones/estreñimiento
- Eldercare at Home: Constipation(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging) - http://www.healthinaging.org/public_education/eldercare/5.xml
- Dietary Fiber - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfiber.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
- Symptoms - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/symptoms.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Constipation is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
Constipation - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/constipation.html