Constipation and Defection Problems   Constipation is one of the
most frequent gastrointestinal complaints in the USA and Western
countries. There are at least 2.5 million doctor visits for
constipation in the USA each year and hundreds of millions of
dollars are spent for laxatives yearly.    • How is constipation
defined?      Constipation is often thought of as a decrease in
frequency of stools and many people believe they are constipated
if they do not have a bowel movement each day. This is not
correct as many persons have as few as 3 bowel movements each
week and are healthy. For many people, constipation means too
much straining with bowel movements, passage of small hard
stools or a sense that they have not completely emptied their
bowels. Any recent change in bowel habits, if persistent, may be
cause for concern.     • What causes constipation?
Constipation most commonly occurs when the waste (stool) that
forms after food is digested moves too slowly (slow transit) as
it passes through the diges