Constipation affects millions of persons. Constipation can be described in many ways such as the frequency of having a bowel movement, the consistency of the stool, as well as the volume or amount of stool. There are essentially 2 types of constipation.
The first type would be a case of slow transit through out the entire colon; the fecal matter simply takes a long time to travel from the right side of the colon to the left side and then out of the rectum.
Another form of constipation involves an inability to move stool out of the rectum and may represent "pelvic floor dysfunction".
While an imbalance of dietary fiber and insufficient fluid intake may be causative, a complete evaluation is necessary to understand the mechanics behind each type of constipation. Additionally, a variety of medications can contribute to constipation.
It is also important to mention that any change in bowel habits warrants an investigation that may entail colonoscopy so to identify early formations of colon tumors.
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