Uncomfortable reality: 14% of urban India hit by constipation

In Some Cases, It May Lead To Strokes: Study

Piku’s father Bhaskor Banerjee, in the latest Shoojit Sircar flick, suffers from severe constipation. As it turns out Mr Banerjee’s problem is representative of a disturbing trend. 14% of India’s urban population suffers from chronic bowel movement, an inability to pass stools for more than three times in a week and for more than three months at a stretch, a latest study has claimed.While piles or haemorrhoids, ulcers, abdominal pain, anal fissures and fistula are some of the known medical conditions spawned by constipation, experts say heart attacks and strokes are also common among sufferers.

“Constipation requires straining to pass motions which may cause slower blood circulation resulting in clotting of blood. This in some cases may be a vital cause for heart attacks and strokes,“ says Dr Brij B Agarwal, vice chairman of the department of laparoscopic and general surgery at Ganga Ram Hospital.