Constipation

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Constipation is a common gastrointestinal occurrence that is defined by often having fewer than three bowel movements a week, having a difficult time passing stools, having stools that are lumpy or hard, or having a feeling of being blocked or of not having fully emptied your bowels.[1]

Presentation[edit | edit source]

Prevalence[edit | edit source]

  • Katrina Berne reports a prevalence of 50-90% for IBS symptoms (including diarrhea, nausea, gas, and abdominal pain).[2]
  • 81.8% - 85.6% of the 2073 patients in a Belgian study of 2001 reported gastrointestinal disturbance.[3]

Symptom recognition[edit | edit source]

Gastrointestinal issues (diarrhoea, constipation, acid reflux) as a group are a potential symptom of Long COVID in the World Health Organization's definition.[4]

Notable studies[edit | edit source]

Possible causes[edit | edit source]

Potential treatments[edit | edit source]

  • Adequate hydration
  • High fiber diet/fiber supplementation
  • Probiotics

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Concerned About Constipation?". National Institute on Aging. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  2. Berne, Katrina (December 1, 1995). Running on Empty: The Complete Guide to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFIDS) (2nd ed.). Hunter House. p. 58. ISBN 978-0897931915.
  3. De Becker, Pascale; McGregor, Neil; De Meirleir, Kenny (December 2001). "A definition‐based analysis of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome". Journal of Internal Medicine. 250 (3): 234–240. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00890.x.
  4. Soriano, Joan B.; Allan, Maya; Alsokhn, Carine; Alwan, Nisreen A.; Askie, Lisa; Davis, Hannah E.; Diaz, Janet V.; Dua, Tarun; de Groote, Wouter; Jakob, Robert; Lado, Marta; Marshall, John; Murthy, Srin; Preller, Jacobus; Relan, Pryanka; Schiess, Nicoline; Seahwag, Archana (October 6, 2021), A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition working group on post COVID-19 condition, World Health Organization