Constipation is having three or fewer bowel movements a week, or hard-to-pass stools. It’s often uncomfortable, but not serious. That said, if you also have abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating, or bloody stools, seek medical attention.
Constipation is often due to:
- changes in diet or routine
- not eating enough fiber
- dehydration
- certain medical conditions (such as diabetes, lupus, hypothyroidism)
- certain medications (such as opioids, diuretics, calcium channel blockers)
- not enough physical exercise
- gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, each year in the United States, people spend hundreds of millions of dollars on laxatives, and go to approximately 2.5 million constipation-related doctor visits.
Constipation and emergencies
Constipation is commonly a short-term problem that can be resolved with self-care. However, sometimes it requires emergency medical treatment.
The following symptoms, combined with constipation, require emergency medical assistance:
- intense and/or constant abdominal pain
- vomiting
- bloating
- blood in your stool
If you’re constipated, experiencing some abdominal pain is common. Often, it’s just the result of needing to have a bowel movement, or a buildup of gas.
Intense, constant abdominal pain, however, could be an indication of a more serious condition that demands immediate medical attention. These include:
- perforated intestine or stomach
- intestinal obstruction
- appendicitis
- pancreatitis
- mesenteric ischemia (blockage of blood flow to the intestine)
If you’re constipated and vomiting, it might be a sign of fecal impaction. Fecal impaction occurs when a large, hard mass of stool gets stuck in the colon and can’t be pushed out. This is an extremely dangerous situation and requires immediate medical attention.
Painful stomach bloating might be a sign of a serious bowel obstruction This condition requires urgent medical treatment. Stomach bloating can also be caused by
If, following wiping, you see small amounts of bright red blood on the toilet paper, it’s likely due to a scratch in the rectal area or hemorrhoids. Generally, these are relatively easy conditions to treat and not a cause of great concern.
However, if you notice more than a few bright red streaks on the toilet paper or on the stool itself, or you have black, tarry stools, call your doctor.
Among other conditions, blood in your stool could indicate:
- anal fissures
- peptic ulcers
- Crohn’s disease
- cancer such as colon cancer or anal cancer
Constipation is a common condition that generally isn’t serious and typically doesn’t last for a long time. According to the Cleveland Clinic, only a small number of patients with constipation have a more serious underlying medical problem.
However, certain instances of constipation, marked with additional, pronounced symptoms, require emergency medical diagnosis and treatment.
If your constipation is accompanied by the following symptoms, seek immediate medical help:
- intense and/or constant abdominal pain
- vomiting
- bloating
- blood in your stool