What is constipation?

When your bowel function becomes delayed due to several factors, your waste becomes dried and hardened. This condition may be very painful, especially for kids because they can hardly control their behavior and diet. When bowel motions or movements become less frequent, the gastrointestinal acids and gases may compress their way out through the respiratory system.

Constipation can be due to the abnormal delay of food procession in the digestive system. Constipation is among the major causes of abdominal pain and is more prevalent in females and infants. Scientists maintain that pregnancy and periodical disorders are the underlying causes of constipation in females.

Furthermore, adults over the age of 60 suffer a great deal more with bowel malfunctions due to weakened digestive system. Also, people who had abdominal surgery recently, are also more likely to suffer from infrequent bowel motions.

Symptoms of constipation

General symptoms:

The general symptom of constipation is delayed or infrequent bowel malfunction. If you're constipated, you're likely to feel pain in the abdominal area, and excrete dry and small waste. Other symptoms of constipation may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Fecal straining
• Hard feces
• Dry excrement
• Diarrhea
• Feeling sluggish
• Nausea and vomiting
• Absent bowel movement
• Infrequent bowel movement
• Weight loss
• Abdominal swelling
• Painful bowel movement

Symptoms of constipation in children

Sometimes children hold back or ignore the bowel movement. This may symbolize constipation in a child. Here are symptoms to look for in a child who holds back the bowel movement:

• Hard and dried stools/waste
• Your child may look embarrassed with a red face
• Your child may always squat
• Usually, children clench their butts or cross their legs to prevent bowel excretion
• Loss of appetite, refusal of meals
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Irritability
• Weakness

Related topics

• What causes constipation in the body?
• Measures to relieve your child's constipation
• What can I give a child if s/he is constipated?