An expert guide to keeping you regular

About constipation

Constipation is the medical name for not going to the toilet as often as you normally do or going with more difficulty than usual. You may also feel you are having to strain or that you are not completely emptying your bowel, or you may notice that your stools are abnormally small or large and are hard, dry and pellet-like.

Key signs of constipation include:

• A change in frequency − you have started to go less often than is normal for you or feel that you haven’t completely emptied your bowel
• Consistency changes − hard, dry difficult to pass stools
• Straining − discomfort when going to the loo

Constipation can also be accompanied by stomach ache and cramps, bloating, loss of appetite and nausea – which can all affect your quality of life.

Who does constipation effect?

Constipation is medically recognised as a symptom – not a disease. It’s an extremely common condition that most people will suffer from at some point in their lives. Around 50 per cent of women get constipation, compared to 40 per cent of men. About one in 10 women experience constipation for more than three months in a year. It’s also more common in older people and pregnant women.

There are no hard and fast rules about how often you should have a bowel movement – everyone’s habits are different. The majority of people in the Western world will have between three bowel movements a day to three per week.

Why does constipation occur?

Constipation happens when food doesn’t move as quickly through the bowel, as it normally does. This can be because the muscles around the bowel don’t work as efficiently as normal and this slows down the passage of food and waste. The sluggishness means that the urge to go to the loo is delayed because stools are harder and smaller.

What causes constipation?

You can become constipated for a number of different reasons and sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what is causing the problem. However common triggers include:

• Lack of fibre (roughage from fruit, vegetables and whole grains) in the diet
• Drinking insufficient fluids
• Lack of privacy when going to the loo
• Sedentary lifestyle
• A change in routine (such as a new job or going on holiday), eating patterns
• Side effects from medication
• Anxiety/stress/depression
• Ignoring the urge to go to the loo

Constipation can also be a side-effect of medication including some antacid remedies for indigestion, epilepsy medication, anti-depressants and iron supplements, or it can be a symptom of another underlying illness.

It can be a comparatively minor, short term problem with no long term effects on your health, but in some cases it can be more severe and long lasting, causing you discomfort and pain. Complications that can develop include haemorrhoids, faecal impaction and prolapse.

The good news is that there are lots of self-help measures you can use to prevent constipation including improving your diet and taking more exercise, plus over the counter treatments you can buy for constipation, including the Dulcolax^®, Dulcoease^® and Dulcobalance^® range of laxatives which may help.