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Constipation

By Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D., About.com

Updated September 29, 2009

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Definition: A condition in which bowel movements are infrequent, defined as fewer than three times a week. Stools are usually small, hard, and difficult to pass. Related symptoms are straining, bloating, and the feeling of incomplete evacuation.

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