Definition
The definition of constipation includes the following:
- infrequent bowel movements (typically three times or fewer per week)
- difficulty during defecation (straining during more than 25% of bowel movements or a subjective sensation of hard stools), or
- the sensation of incomplete bowel evacuation.
The Rome III criteria are widely used to diagnose chronic constipation, and are helpful in separating cases of chronic functional constipation from less-serious instances.
Read more about this topic: Constipation
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