Constipation
If you’re constipated, you’re not alone: according to a 1991 survey, more than 4 million Americans are frequently constipated. But constipation tends to be more common among pregnant women, older individuals, women following childbirth, following surgery, and PMS sufferers.
Essential
Constipation is defined as having bowel movements that are infrequent, with stools that are often hard and dry. However, what one individual considers infrequent, another considers normal. As a result, constipation is not determined by the number of bowel movements each day, but by the fact that they are reduced for a given person.
Normally, muscle contractions push food through the large intestine, and the colon absorbs water from food, forming waste products. If the contractions are slow or sluggish, food stays in the intestine longer and the colon absorbs more water, so stools are hard and dry.
Just as in upset stomach and bloating, constipation is tied to the Just as in upset stomach and bloating, constipation is tied to the withdrawal of progesterone in a woman's body. Progesterone is a smooth muscle relaxant, and the gut is a smooth muscle that moves fluid and food through the body by a series of contractions. As progesterone peaks in the premenstrual phase, it can weaken the contractions in the gut, resulting in bloating, indigestion, or constipation.
