How do you know if your stomach is constipated?

Symptoms Passing fewer than three stools a week. Having lumpy or hard stools. Straining to have bowel movements. Feeling as though there's a blockage in your rectum that prevents bowel movements. Feeling as though you can't completely empty the stool from your rectum. More items... •

mayoclinic.org - Constipation - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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Overview

Chronic constipation is infrequent bowel movements or difficult passage of stools that persists for several weeks or longer. Constipation is generally described as having fewer than three bowel movements a week. Though occasional constipation is very common, some people experience chronic constipation that can interfere with their ability to go about their daily tasks. Chronic constipation may also cause people to strain excessively in order to have a bowel movement. Treatment for chronic constipation depends in part on the underlying cause. However, in some cases, a cause is never found.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of chronic constipation include:

Passing fewer than three stools a week

Having lumpy or hard stools

Straining to have bowel movements

Feeling as though there's a blockage in your rectum that prevents bowel movements

Feeling as though you can't completely empty the stool from your rectum

Needing help to empty your rectum, such as using your hands to press on your abdomen and using a finger to remove stool from your rectum Constipation may be considered chronic if you've experienced two or more of these symptoms for the last three months.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you experience unexplained and persistent changes in your bowel habits. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. Get the latest health information from Mayo Clinic delivered to your inbox. Subscribe for free and receive your in-depth guide to digestive health, plus the latest on health innovations and news. You can unsubscribe at any time. Email address ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Subscribe Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Thank you for subscribing Your in-depth digestive health guide will be in your inbox shortly. You will also receive emails from Mayo Clinic on the latest health news, research, and care. If you don’t receive our email within 5 minutes, check your SPAM folder, then contact us at newsletters@mayoclinic.com. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Causes

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Constipation most commonly occurs when waste or stool moves too slowly through the digestive tract or cannot be eliminated effectively from the rectum, which may cause the stool to become hard and dry. Chronic constipation has many possible causes.

Blockages in the colon or rectum

Blockages in the colon or rectum may slow or stop stool movement. Causes include:

Tiny tears in the skin around the anus (anal fissure)

A blockage in the intestines (bowel obstruction)

Colon cancer

Narrowing of the colon (bowel stricture)

Other abdominal cancer that presses on the colon

Rectal cancer

Rectum bulge through the back wall of the vagina (rectocele)

Problems with the nerves around the colon and rectum

Neurological problems can affect the nerves that cause muscles in the colon and rectum to contract and move stool through the intestines. Causes include:

Damage to the nerves that control bodily functions (autonomic neuropathy)

Multiple sclerosis

Parkinson's disease

Spinal cord injury

Stroke

Difficulty with the muscles involved in elimination

Problems with the pelvic muscles involved in having a bowel movement may cause chronic constipation. These problems may include: The inability to relax the pelvic muscles to allow for a bowel movement (anismus)

Pelvic muscles that don't coordinate relaxation and contraction correctly (dyssynergia)

Weakened pelvic muscles

Conditions that affect hormones in the body

Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Diseases and conditions that upset the balance of hormones may lead to constipation, including:

Diabetes

Overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism)

Pregnancy

Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of chronic constipation include:

Being an older adult

Being a woman

Being dehydrated

Eating a diet that's low in fiber

Getting little or no physical activity

Taking certain medications, including sedatives, opioid pain medications, some antidepressants or medications to lower blood pressure

Having a mental health condition such as depression or an eating disorder

Complications

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Complications of chronic constipation include:

Swollen veins in your anus (hemorrhoids). Straining to have a bowel movement may cause swelling in the veins in and around your anus. Straining to have a bowel movement may cause swelling in the veins in and around your anus. Torn skin in your anus (anal fissure). A large or hard stool can cause tiny tears in the anus. A large or hard stool can cause tiny tears in the anus. Stool that can't be expelled (fecal impaction). Chronic constipation may cause an accumulation of hardened stool that gets stuck in your intestines. Chronic constipation may cause an accumulation of hardened stool that gets stuck in your intestines. Intestine that protrudes from the anus (rectal prolapse). Straining to have a bowel movement can cause a small amount of the rectum to stretch and protrude from the anus.

Prevention

The following can help you avoid developing chronic constipation.

mayoclinic.org - Constipation - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

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