Constipation, one of the most common gastrointestinal conditions, affects an estimated 42 million Americans each year. Here’s Dr. Maria Johnson, a gastroenterologist at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Gastrointestinal Health Center:
Q: Who is more prone to constipation?
A: There is an estimated 15 percent prevalence of constipation in the U.S. It’s more prevalent in women, elderly, non-Caucasians and subjects with lower socio-economic status.
Q: What causes constipation?
A: Constipation can be primary, in which case it results from abnormal colon or anorectal muscle function. Constipation can also be secondary, in which case it results from poor fiber intake, medications (such as opioids), behavioral, endocrine, metabolic, neurological and other disorders.
Q: How is constipation defined?
A: Less than three bowel movements per week
Symptoms include two or more of the following during at least 25 percent of defecations:
- Straining
- Lumpy or hard stools
- Sensation of incomplete evacuation
- Sensation of anorectal obstruction or blockade
- Manual maneuvers to facilitate evacuation
Q: When is initial diagnostic testing necessary?
A: In patients with alarm features such as new onset constipation after the age of 50, unintentional weight loss of at least 10 pounds, bloody stools or a family history of colon cancer or of inflammatory bowel disease.
To register for a free class Dec. 14 in Wethersfield with Dr. Maria Johnson called “Understanding Digestive Disorders,” call 1.855.HHC.HERE (1.855.442-4373).