Diagnosing Constipation - Constipation: Digestive Disorders

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Diagnosing constipation

Diagnosing constipation might sound simple, but in order to determine what's causing the problem — particularly if it persists — your doctor will need to ask questions about your health and symptoms and perform a physical exam. He or she will ask what medications you are taking, in case one of them could be contributing to the problem.

The physical exam may involve a visual and hands-on examination of your abdomen for any masses or tenderness. Your doctor may also perform a digital rectal exam (insertion of a gloved finger into the rectum) to feel for polyps or other abnormalities and to assess the strength of the anal sphincter muscle. He or she may perform one of several tests to help determine if there's a blockage in the colon or an underlying condition such as hypothyroidism.

Among the tests your doctor might order are a fecal occult blood test (FOBT), to determine if there's blood in the stool, or a barium enema and a sigmoidoscopy to look for abnormalities. Patients with chronic severe constipation may need special tests, including a colonic transit study (to measure how quickly stool passes through the colon), defecography (an x-ray of the rectum as barium paste is eliminated), and anorectal manometry (to measure the pressure of anal contraction).

Last updated:	August 21, 2007