December has been designated as Constipation Awareness Month to understand early signs of constipation. Usually Constipation is a condition which is not given the attention it should. It is important to remember that constipation may affect almost everyone. The symptoms of constipation may vary widely person to person. Usually people have bowel movements one to three times a day or three times a week. Chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) should be considered if you have less than three bowel movements in a week in the last six months. Also if you experience abdominal pain, bloating and hard stools with unexplained changes in your bowel habits you can visit your doctor for a discussion about Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation or IBS-C.
Constipation can be caused by quite a few reasons. Lack of eating enough dietary fiber, lack of regular exercises, pregnancy, some medications such as antidepressants, and iron supplements are also common causes of constipation; however the cause of IBS-C itself is unknown.
There are various treatment options and several medications indicated for CIC and IBS-C. Visit our treament options and medication pages for more information.
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Last updated on Dec 10, 2019