oatmeal, 1 cup: 4.0 g
peas, cooked, 1/2 cup: 3.6 g
carrots, cooked, 1/2 cup: 2.3 g
potato, baked with skin: 2.5 g
potato, baked without skin: 1.4 g
apple with skin: 3.5 g
apple without skin: 2.7 g
pear with skin, 1/2: 3.1 g
pear without skin, 1/2: 2.5 g
prunes, 3: 3.0 g
whole-wheat bread, 1 slice: 1.9 g
popcorn, air popped, 2 cups: 2.4 g
peanuts, 10: 1.4 gTherapy
Biofeedback training may help individuals whose
constipation is caused by dysfunctional control of the
muscles that control the anus.Prognosis
Many people have short bouts of constipation,
especially when traveling, after childbirth or surgery,
or with a change in lifestyle. These usually can be
resolved through attention to diet and exercise. People
who have chronic idiopathic constipation,irritable
bowel syndrome, and the elderly (especially those
who are bed or wheelchair bound), often continue to
have long-term problems with constipation despite
attention to diet and become dependent on laxatives.
Since many people self-treat constipation with over-
the-counter laxatives, rates of improvement are diffi-
cult to determine.
Some people develophemorrhoidsand cracks in
their skin at the anus (anal fissures) as the result of
constipation. These are painful, but not usually medi-
cally serious. Some people also develop rectal prolapse
from straining to produce a bowel movement. In this
case, the lining of the rectum bulges out through the
anus. The most serious complication from constipation
is an impaction, which is a hard mass of stool that
blocks the colon. Removing an impaction often requires
professional medical intervention.Prevention
A diet high in fiber, whole grains, fruits, and
vegetables and low in sugar,fats, and refined grains
helps promote good bowel health in most people.
Adequate amounts of fluid and regular exercise also
help prevent constipation from becoming a problem.Resources
BOOKS
Sauers, Joan with Joanna McMillan-Price.Get to Know
Your Gut: Everything You Wanted to Know About
Burping, Bloating, Candida, Constipation, Food Aller-
gies, Farting, and Poo But Were Afraid to Ask.New
York: Marlowe, 2005.
Peikin, Steven R.Gastrointestinal Health: The Proven
Nutritional Program to Prevent, Cure, or Alleviate Irri-
table Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Ulcers, Gas, Constipation,
Heartburn, and Many Other Digestive Disorders,3rd ed.
New York: Collins, 2005.
Wexner, Steven D. and Graeme S. Duthie, eds.Constipa-
tion: Etiology, Evaluation and Management,2nd ed.
New York, NY: Springer, 2006.
PERIODICALS
Amenta, M., M.T.Cascio, P. Di Fiore, et al. ‘‘Diet and
Chronic Constipation.’’Acta Biomedical77, no. 3
(December 2006):157-62.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Gastroenterological Association. 4930 Del Ray
Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. Telephone: (301) 654-- Fax: (301) 654-5920. Website:http://www
.gastro.org
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
(NDDIC). 2 Information Way, Bethesda, MD 20892- - Telephone: (800) 891-5389. Fax: (703) 738-4939.
Website:http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal
Disorders. P. O. Box 170864, Milwaukee, WI 53217,
Telephone: (888) 964-2001 or (414) 964-1799. Fax: (414)
964-7176. Website:http://www.iffgd.org
OTHER
Basson, Marc D. ‘‘Constipation.’’ eMedicine.com, April 4,
2007.http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2833.htm.
‘‘Constipation.’’ MedlinePlus. April 4, 2007. U. S. National
Library of Medicine,http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medli-
neplus/constipation.html
‘‘Constipation.’’ National Digestive Diseases Information
Clearinghouse. February 2006.http://digestive.niddk
.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/constipation
Levitt, Marc A. and Alberto Pena. ‘‘Constipation and Bowel
Management.’’ eMedicine.com September 12, 2006.
http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic2963.htm.
Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘Constipation’’ MayoClinic.com,
November 30, 2006.http://www.mayoclinic.com/
health/constipation/DS000063
Mayo Clinic Staff. ‘‘Dietary Fiber: An Essential Part of a
Healthy Diet.’’ MayoClinic.com, December 16, 2005.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fiber/NU00033
American Gastroenterological Association. ‘‘Constipation.’’
undated. Accessed April 7, 2007.http://www.gastro
.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=687
Tish Davidson, A.M.Constipation