What is constipation?
ANSWER
If fecal material sits in the colon, the harder the stool becomes and the more difficult it is to pass. This condition is known as constipation. A normal stool should not be either unusually hard or soft, and you shouldn't have to strain unreasonably to pass it.
Reviewed by Minesh Khatri on July 7, 2019
SOURCES:
Family Practice Notebook.
The Mayo Clinic.
Bope and Kellerman: Conn's Current Therapy 2012, 1st ed.
National Institutes of Health.
News release, FDA.
SOURCES:
Family Practice Notebook.
The Mayo Clinic.
Bope and Kellerman: Conn's Current Therapy 2012, 1st ed.
National Institutes of Health.
News release, FDA.
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