Constipation Symptoms

Medically reviewed by:

Dr Eddie Roche - Medical Officer

Updated: Aug 18, 2021

Next review: Aug 18, 2022

Constipation is when your poo (also known as stools) does not pass through your digestive system properly. The poo stays in your colon for too long, absorbs water and become hard and dry. This makes it difficult, and sometimes painful, to pass.

It is usually nothing to worry about and you can often treat it at home with simple diet and lifestyle changes.

The symptoms of constipation include:

Feeling like there’s a blockage that’s making it hard to go for a poo
Hard or lumpy poo
Large or small stools
Nausea
Bloating
Loss of appetite
Tummy cramps
Tummy ache
Feeling like you can’t completely empty your bowels

Children may have additional symptoms to the ones we have mentioned above, including:

Lack of energy
Irritability
Soiling themselves

It is very common for children and babies to suffer from constipation and it can be triggered by a number of things, which include:

Diet - over-fed children or babies, or those that don’t get enough fluids, can become constipated.
Bottle fed babies - babies fed by a bottle are more likely to become constipated.
Poor toilet habits - some children can become anxious about using the toilet. They may also hold in their poo because they experience pain when going to the toilet. It’s important to seek help with this, as it will make their constipation worse.

If you are worried about your little one’s constipation, speak to an expert today. At Push Doctor, we offer child consultations, where they can get the treatment they may need and you can get reassurance to put your mind at ease. Find out more about this here.

If you notice any of the symptoms below, you should speak to a medical expert as soon as you can:

Bleeding from your bottom or having blood in your poo
Always being tired
Unexplained weight loss
Severe pain when passing poo
Fever and lower abdominal pain, along with thin, or loose poo, as this could be a sign of diverticulitis or another bowel condition
Constipation after starting a new medication
If you’ve been constipated for 2 to 3 weeks and have tummy pain and are older or disabled, as it could be a sign of an impacted stool.

The reason for your constipation may not always be obvious, but it can be caused by a number of different things, including:

Your diet - not getting enough fibre or drinking enough fluid
Ignoring the urge to go to the toilet
Leading an inactive lifestyle
Change in lifestyle
Being overweight
Being underweight
Poor health
Certain medications, like antidepressants, antacids, diuretics, iron or calcium supplements and some opiate painkillers, such as codeine or morphine

Constipation if often nothing to worry about and can be treated easily. However, in rare cases, it could be a sign of a health condition, including:

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Inflammatory bowel disease - crohn’s and ulcerative colitis
Pregnancy
Emotional and psychiatric issues
Anxiety or depression
Diabetes
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
Hypercalcaemia
Muscular dystrophy
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson’s disease
Anal fissure
Piles
Bowel cancer
A spinal cord injury

If you think that your constipation is being caused by an underlying condition, speak to a GP as soon as possible.

Constipation

Dr Eddie Roche - Medical Officer

What is constipation?

Symptoms

Children and babies

When should I see a GP?

Causes

Complications

Related Articles