The American lifestyle is making more people constipated than ever. For many, the condition is just an aggravation, but to others, it’s daily agony that in some cases, can be dangerous and deadly. A recent survey conducted by the American Gastroenterological Association shows that 16 percent of Americans – including one-third of people over 60 – experience chronic constipation.
Constipation is defined as an individual passing fewer than three stools a week and straining to have a bowel movement to a point as though there is a noticeable blockage.
It can be considered chronic when individuals experience symptoms multiple times in three months. A study conducted at Harvard Medical School shows that the number of people being admitted to the hospital primarily for constipation has more than doubled since 1997.
In the US, there are more than 700,000 emergency department trips every year due to the condition. Dr. David Dunkin, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai in New York, told Daily Mail Online that when chronic, constipation can have significant complications including swollen veins and torn skin.
