• For others, however, it means hard stools, difficulty passing them (straining), or a sense of incomplete emptying after a bowel movement.
• For many people, it simply means infrequent passage of feces. Constipation means different things to different people.
• Not only does constipation make you feel bloated, headachy, and irritable, but relieving constipation — especially long-term or chronic constipation — is time consuming and expensive. Constipation, the most common digestive complaint in the U.S. population, can make life miserable.
• Constipation is rarely the result of serious illness and usually carries no long-term health risks if it’s remedied appropriately. If it isn’t remedied, constipation could lead to some unpleasant complications, such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures, or fecal impaction. On the other hand, don’t ignore constipation.

Constipation has many causes. Common causes include slow movement of stool within the colon, irritable bowel syndrome, and pelvic floor disorders. Underlying associated diseases include hypothyroidism, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, colon cancer, diverticulitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.