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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffNot having a bowel movement every day doesn't necessarily mean you're constipated. You likely have constipation, however, if you've had at least two of the following signs and symptoms for at least three of the past six months:
- Pass fewer than three stools a week
- Experience hard stools
- Strain excessively during bowel movements
- Experience a sense of rectal blockage
- Have a feeling of incomplete evacuation after having a bowel movement
- Need to use manual maneuvers to have a bowel movement, such as finger evacuation or manipulation of your lower abdomen
When to see a doctor
Although constipation may be bothersome, it's usually not serious. Most people who have constipation don't seek a doctor's care. However, chronic constipation may lead to complications or be a sign of a serious underlying disorder.
See your doctor if you experience an unexplained onset of constipation or change in bowel habits, or if symptoms are severe and last longer than three weeks. Also seek medical care if you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, which might indicate a more serious health problem:
- Bowel movements occurring more than three days apart, despite corrective changes in diet or exercise
- Intense abdominal pain
- Blood in your stool
- Constipation that alternates with diarrhea
- Rectal pain
- Thin, pencil-like stools
- Unexplained weight loss
- Constipation. National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation/. Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- Lembo AJ, et al. Constipation. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&about=true&uniqId=229935664-2192. Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- Wald A. Etiology and evaluation of chronic constipation in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- Wald A. Management of chronic constipation in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- Constipation. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec02/ch008/ch008b.html . Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- Hass DJ. Complementary and alternative medicine. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&about=true&uniqId=229935664-2192. Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- How much physical activity do adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html. Accessed Dec. 16, 2010.
- Picco MF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 20, 2010.
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