Constipation may not be a topic that comes up in casual conversation. But if it did, you might be surprised to find out how many people are affected by this common and often frustrating gastrointestinal condition. Constipation affects more than 30 million Americans and is the cause of 2.5 million visits to physicians and 92,000 hospitalizations annually.
More than a mere inconvenience, constipation causes many people to experience abdominal pain and discomfort and has the potential to negatively impact quality of life, especially when symptoms recur frequently and the condition becomes chronic.
“Traditionally, treatments for constipation have included increasing fiber intake, drinking enough water and using laxatives or stool softeners,” said John Johanson, M.D., clinical associate professor, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford. “However, many patients are unsatisfied with these treatments because they may lose effectiveness with time and in some cases may even make the problem worse, or may produce unwanted side effects such as increased bloating or gas.”
Today, there is a new option for the millions of patients...