Constipation is a condition of the digestive system where an individual has hard feces that are difficult to expel. In most cases, this occurs because the colon has absorbed too much water from the food that is in the colon.
Constipation may be considered chronic if you’ve experienced two or more of these symptoms for the last three months.
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
? 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.
Causes
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.
