Management of constipation. 1. High fibre diets work.

Constipation is a common symptom.Most definitions of constipation include infrequent bowel action-twice a week or less -that often require straining to pass hard faeces.Sensation of pain and incomplete evacuation are sometimes associated.'In the early 1980s general practitioner statistics showed that more than 400 000 patients annually attended with constipation as their main complaint.This 1% of the adult population is only a small proportion of those who suffer from constipation.Ten per cent of the British population are regularly constipated, rising from 3% in young adults to 20% or more in elderly people.2Constipation is commoner in women than men because of slower intestinal transit.An additional similar percentage of people regularly take laxatives, aperients, or foods in their diet either to avoid constipation or in the belief that they need to keep their bowels "regular."In the United States, parts of northern Europe, and Japan the percentages are even greater, in contrast with Third World countries, where constipation is no problem.