Chronic Constipation

Constipation is infrequent bowel movements of difficulty passaging stools. This may occur short-term and be managed easily with diet and lifestyle modifications. Chronic constipation lasts for a long period of time, may worsen over time and may require more elaborate treatment.

Chronic constipation can have a number of different etiologies and should be evaluated to determine the cause and proper treatment options. If symptoms are present for many years, dating back to childhood, this may be caused by diet, lifestyle or colonic inertia. Colonic inertia is a condition in which muscles or nerves of the colon to not work properly to move stool through the colon.

Chronic constipation may also be associated with an anatomical defect such as rectal prolapse or rectocele. In cases of rectal prolapse or rectocele, surgical repair may be necessary to resolve symptoms.