Question: What, besides the obvious, are the symptoms of constipation?

Answer: The symptoms of constipation can vary depending on the type of constipation a person is experiencing. There are two basic types of constipation which are chronic and acute.

Having a bowel movement between 3 and 21 times a week is considered normal. There is no medical reason to move your bowels every day. Since some people believe they should have a bowel movement daily they may think they are constipated when, in fact, they are not.

Acute constipation should be evaluated urgently because there may be a serious medical condition which is causing it. Chronic constipation should also be worked up medically, but more to ease the patients discomfort than for an urgent medical need.

Symptoms of constipation include:

• Hard Stools
• Difficulty passing stool or straining
• Sense of incomplete emptying of the bowel after going to the bathroom

If you are diagnosed with constipation it is likely that your doctor will ask you to increase your daily intake of fiber. Fiber helps create softer formed stools which are easier to pass. It is recommended that you also increase your water intake if you are increasing your fiber intake.

The symptoms of constipation are hard to miss and you will very likely already know if you are constipated. We hope that we have provided the information you need, but if not please feel free to ask another question.