Constipation

Constipation is common and affects people of all ages. Accurate figures relating to the prevalence of this condition can be difficult to determine, partly because constipation may be subjective. While some people, wrongly, believe that bowels need to be emptied daily for good health, normal stool elimination actually varies from three times a day to three times a week, depending on the person¹. What one person considers “constipation”, another may regard as normal bowel habit. Constipation is characterised by persistent, difficult, infrequent or seemingly incomplete defaecation². It is twice as likely to affect women as men and approximately 40 per cent of women experience constipation during pregnancy³. The elderly are five times more likely to report problems with constipation than younger adults⁴. In the UK, constipation constitutes an economic burden for the NHS – in the 12 months to July 2007, almost 14 million prescriptions were filled for laxatives, at a cost of almost £60 million⁵.
Laxatives are also widely purchased for self-medication. Almost 15 million packs of OTC laxatives were sold during 2009, amounting to £49 million at retail value⁶.

Find out what is "normal" for them and encourage them to describe the consistency and frequency of their bowel movements using the Bristol Stool Chart and the Bowel Barometer®, which demonstrates the range of bowel movements that can be experienced.

Key questions to ask based on internationally agreed criteria for diagnosing constipation:

• Do you have a bowel movement less than three times a week?
• Do you have to strain?
• Are your bowel movements hard in consistency and small in size?

Top Communication Tips
Good verbal communication:

• Use appropriate language
• Make sure your customer understands the terms you are using
• Your customer may not be familiar with words such as "constipation" or "stool"
• If the customer appears embarrassed or anxious, consider using alternative words and phrases that may make them feel more comfortable such as "difficult to go"

Consumers can find out more about this common condition at: www.constipationfacts.co.uk

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• 1. "Constipation" NIH Publication No. 07-2754 July 2007. Available at www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov - Accessed 7/1/2010.
• 2. "The Management of Constipation" MeReC Bulletin Vol 14,No 6, July 2004
• 3. "Constipation" NHS Choices Patient Information Leaflet.Available at www.nhs.uk - Accessed 7/1/2010.
• 4. "Constipation" - Information from the American Gastroenterological Association. Available at www.gastro.org - Accessed 7/1/2010.
• 5. CKS information on constipation. www.cks.nhs.uk - Accessed 7/1/2010.
• 6. IRI data, total HBA outlets MAT to 26.12.2009.