Constipation means different things to different people. For many people, it simply means infrequent stools. For others, however, constipation means hard stools, difficulty passing stools (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement.

You may exhibit a broad range of symptoms of constipation depending on your normal bowel habits, diet, and age. These are common problems you may have if you are constipated:

• Difficulty in starting or completing a bowel movement
• Infrequent and difficult passage of stool
• Uncontrolled
• Passing hard stool after prolonged straining in the toilet
• If you have irritable bowel syndrome, crampy abdominal pain, excessive gas, a sense of bloating, and a change in bowel habits
• If you have intestinal obstruction, nausea, vomiting, no defecation, and inability to pass gas
• Distended abdomen, headaches, and loss of appetite
• Coated (furred) tongue, offensive breath, and bad taste in your mouth.

According to the 1996 National Health Interview Survey, about 3 million people in the United States have frequent constipation. Those reporting constipation most often are women and adults age 65 and over. Pregnant women may have constipation, and it is a common problem following childbirth or surgery.

Serious diseases, including colon cancer, may sometimes first appear as bowel blockage leading to acute constipation. However, constipation itself does not appear to increase the risk of colon cancer, contrary to popular opinion.

The most common cause of constipation is dietary. However, constipation may be a component of irritable bowel syndrome or other conditions ranging from drug side effects to physical immobility. The common causes of constipation are:

• Not enough fiber in the diet
• Not enough liquids
• Lack of exercise
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Changes in life or routine such as pregnancy, older age, and travel
• Specific diseases such as stroke (by far the most common)
• Problems with the colon and rectum