Constipation

72 percent of pregnant women experience constipation and other bowel problems

Nearly three out of four pregnant women experience constipation, diarrhea or other bowel disorders during their pregnancies, a Loyola University Medical Center study has found.

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Extra vitamin D may ease Crohn's symptoms, study finds

(HealthDay)—Vitamin D supplements may help those with Crohn's disease overcome the fatigue and decreased muscle strength associated with the inflammatory bowel disease, according to new research.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Pharmaceutical advances offer new options for health outcomes

Research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) explores pharmaceutical advances for treating irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) and hepatitis C.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Good diet helps people manage celiac disease

(HealthDay)—For people with celiac disease, an accurate diagnosis and proper diet are essential for good health, experts say.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 10, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Preterm infants may need 800 IU of vitamin D3 per day

Preterm infants may need to be given 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day to ensure they develop strong bones, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual ...

Pediatrics created May 05, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

FDA approves Procysbi for nephropathic cystinosis

(HealthDay)—Procysbi (cysteamine bitartrate) delayed-release capsules have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat nephropathic cystinosis in children (6 years and up) and adults. ...

Medications created May 02, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Scientists develop first vaccine to help control autism symptoms

A first-ever vaccine created by University of Guelph researchers for gut bacteria common in autistic children may also help control some autism symptoms. The groundbreaking study by Brittany Pequegnat and Guelph chemistry ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Apr 24, 2013 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (6) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

40 percent of parents give young kids cough/cold medicine that they shouldn't

Children can get five to 10 colds each year, so it's not surprising that adults often turn to over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to relieve their little ones' symptoms. But a new University of Michigan poll shows that ...

Pediatrics created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Palliative radiotherapy for bone metastases in elderly patients improves quality of life

Giving palliative radiotherapy to elderly patients with painful bone metastases can significantly improve their quality of life, a Dutch researcher told the 2nd Forum of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology ...

Cancer created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Research shows prescribing stool softeners isn't effective in easing constipation for palliative-care patients

(Medical Xpress)—End-of-life patients typically struggle with constipation caused by the narcotics they are given to alleviate their pain, so doctors prescribe a stool softener called docusate twice a day to alleviate this ...

Health created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Parkinson's discovery could lead to earlier diagnosis

(Medical Xpress)—A new study could help earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, after a Malaysian researcher working for Newcastle University in the UK identified that even early in the disease people experience symptoms.

Parkinson's & Movement disorders created Apr 18, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Two-step ovarian cancer immunotherapy made from patients' own tumor shows promise

As many as three quarters of advanced ovarian cancer patients appeared to respond to a new two-step immunotherapy approach—including one patient who achieved complete remission—according research from the Perelman School ...

Cancer created Apr 06, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Researchers help test cancer drug in clinical trial leading to FDA approval

The FDA has approved a thyroid cancer drug successfully tested at Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center Clinical Trials, a partnership of Scottsdale Healthcare and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

Cancer created Mar 27, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

'Clinical trials in a dish' may be more reliable than standard way of measuring drug effects on heart, researchers say

(Medical Xpress)—Last week, the common antibiotic Zithromax received a new warning label from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicating it could cause dangerous arrhythmias in people with pre-existing heart conditions. ...

Medical research created Mar 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study finds that maternal vitamin D levels in pregnancy do not affect children's bone health

A study of nearly 4,000 pairs of mothers and their children in the Children of the '90s study at the University of Bristol has shown that maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy are not associated with the child's bone ...

Health created Mar 18, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Constipation (also known as costiveness, dyschezia, and dyssynergic defaecation) refers to bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass. Constipation is a common cause of painful defecation. Severe constipation includes obstipation (failure to pass stools or gas) and fecal impaction (see also Bowel obstruction).

Constipation is common; in the general population incidence of constipation varies from 2 to 30%.

Constipation is a symptom with many causes. These causes are of two types: obstructed defecation and colonic slow transit (or hypomobility). About 50% of patients evaluated for constipation at tertiary referral hospitals have obstructed defecation. This type of constipation has mechanical and functional causes. Causes of colonic slow transit constipation include diet, hormones, side effects of medications, and heavy metal toxicity.

Treatments include changes in dietary habits, laxatives, enemas, biofeedback, and surgery. Because constipation is a symptom, not a disease, effective treatment of constipation may require first determining the cause.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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