In a normal healthy person, food is digested and is excreted from the body after he/she has eaten a full meal. When food does not get excreted on a regular basis, constipation may occur. However, what is considered “regular” varies from person to person. A healthy person may need to move his/her bowels several times a day while another only needs to move his/her bowels several times a week. In general, constipation is defined as failing to have less than 3 bowel movements per week. It can be either acute (temporary) or chronic (long-lasting).
Constipation occurs when the muscles in the intestines contract more slowly than usual. As a result, the stool that passes through the intestines moves at a very slow rate. The longer the stool stays in the intestines, the more water will be absorbed form your stool and the harder and drier it becomes. Some common factors that contribute to slow intestinal muscle contractions include:
Low fiber in diet
Low fluid intake
Lack of exercise
Overuse of laxatives (over-the-counter medicine used to treat constipation)
Poor bowel habits such as ignoring the need to have a bowel movement
Medications including:
- Pain medications (especially narcotics)
- Antacids that contain Aluminum and Calcium
- Anti-hypertensive (especially Calcium Channel Blockers)
- Antidepressants
- Antispasmodics
- Iron Supplements
- Diuretics
- Anticonvulsants
Health Conditions
Neurological disorders
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction
- Stroke
- Spinal cord injuries
Metabolic and endocrine conditions
- Diabetes
- Uremia
- Hypercalcemia
- Poor glycemic control
- Hypothyroidism
Systemic disorders
- Amyloidosis
- Lupus
- Scleroderma
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