Constipation

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Constipation is a condition of the digestive system where a person (or other animal) experiences difficulty in eliminating feces.

Some of the main causes of constipation include:

• Constriction, where part of the intestine or rectum is narrowed or blocked, not allowing feces to move past
• Paralysis, where peristaltic action is diminished or absent, so that feces are not moved along
• Excessive drying of feces, due to dehydration, forming a hard bulk that cannot be eliminated
• Insufficient intake of food or dietary fiber, so that a suitable bolus is not formed
• Psychosomatic constipation, based on anxiety or unfamiliarity with surroundings. Two forms: functional constipation, and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, characterized by a combination of constipation and abdominal discomfort and/or pain.

These causes may have a multiplicity of causes themselves.

People often take laxatives to try to eliminate constipation. Earlier remedies included enemas.

Constipation in art

Screaming Jay Hawkins wrote and sang "Constipation Blues" while suffering a serious bout. He had the following to say about the condition.

"I never before had been constipated in my life and it didn't dawn on me until I was five hours on the stool in the hospital that nothin' was gonna happen. I had doctors give me enemas and still nothin' happened. I had tears in my eyes, and I noticed this beautiful roll of toilet paper and I took out a pencil and, at the bottom of the toilet paper, I started writin' the song backwards, from the bottom up. The more I rolled out the toilet paper, the more I got into the song. I wrote exactly as I felt, each movement, each sound, each pain..."

The Bonzo Dog Band recorded "The Strain" on the same subject.

de:Obstipationes:Estreñimiento