What is constipation: Constipation is having fewer than three

Constipation is having fewer than three bowel movements weekly. Learn causes, symptoms, treatments, and quick relief options. Constipation is when bowel movements are dry, hard, sometimes painful, and occur infrequently (less than three times a week). Many potential causes of constipation exist, including medications, pregnancy, lack of physical activity, or a disease or condition. Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. It can have many causes, such as diet, medications, diseases, or pelvic floor disorders. Learn about the diagnosis, complications, and treatment of constipation. What causes constipation? Your stool gets hard and dry when your colon (large intestine) absorbs (soaks up) too much water. In most cases, as food moves through your colon, the colon absorbs water while it makes stool. Muscle movements (contractions) push the stool toward your rectum. When the stool gets to the rectum, most of the water has been soaked up. The stool is now solid. If you have constipation, your colon's muscle movements are too slow. This makes the stool move through your ...