Chronic constipation affects around 10-15% of the population. In general, the prevalence of constipation in North America has been quoted as 1.9% to 27.2%.
The Rome Foundation was established in 1991, and they released the Rome III criteria in 2006 that standardizes and defines constipation. Chronic constipation is defined as experiencing at least two of the following while making a bowel movement. Straining during defecation, lumpy or hard stools, sensation of incomplete evacuation, sensation of anorectal obstruction/blockage, need for manual maneuvers to facilitate defecation and fewer than 3 defecations per week. For constipation to be defined as chronic a patient must be symptomatic for at least 6 months with applicable criteria for the previous 3 months. View Post “What is Chronic Constipation?”