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Chronic Constipation Causes
What Causes Chronic Constipation?
There are many known causes of chronic constipation:
- Bad bowel habits: Not going to the bathroom when you have the urge to go
- Blockages: A tumor and other growths can block your colon or rectum
- Nerve or muscle dysfunction: Conditions, such as pelvic floor dyssynergia, can cause abnormal nerve or muscle function
- Medical conditions: Conditions that affect your entire body, like hypothyroidism, can cause constipation
- Lack of physical activity: Being inactive means it takes longer for food to pass through your large intestine
- Medications: Prescription and over-the-counter medications, such as painkillers, calcium channel blockers, and antacids, that interfere with your digestion process
- Nutrition supplements: Some supplements, such as iron and calcium, can also cause constipation
- Poor diet: A diet high in processed foods and low on fluids and fiber leads to slow digestion
Sometimes we do not know what causes chronic constipation. When this happens, it is called idiopathic constipation.