Constipation Treatment

Constipation
Constipation occurs when stools are difficult to pass. Some people are overly concerned with stool frequency because they have been taught that a healthy person has a bowel movement every day. This is not true. Most people pass stools anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. If your stools are soft and pass easily, you are not constipated.

Constipation may occur with cramping and pain in the rectum caused by straining to pass hard, dry stools. There may be some bloating and nausea. There may also be small amounts of bright red blood on the stools or toilet paper; the blood comes from slight tear in the anus, which occurs when hard stools are pushed through it. The bleeding should stop when the constipation i relieved.

If a stool becomes lodged in the rectum (impacted), mucus and fluid may leak out around the stool, which sometimes leads to leakage of fecal material (fecal incontinence).