Constipation Constipation is a symptom, not a disease. It is defined as having fewer bowel movements than usual, with a long or hard passing of stools.
Older people are more likely than younger people to have constipation.
But experts agree that older people often worry too much about having a bowel movement every day. There is no right number of daily or weekly bowel movements. Regularity may mean bowel movements twice a day for some people or just twice a week for others. Questions to Ask Some doctors suggest asking these questions to decide if you are really constipated. If the answers are yes, you probably do have a problem.