Constipation
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
Constipation means having fewer than three bowel movements a week, which can involve hard, dry, or painful stool. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious, but a health care provider should be checked with if bowel habits change. A doctor should be seen right away if constipation occurs with bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, constant pain in the abdomen, or an inability to pass gas. A doctor should also be seen right away if constipation occurs with vomiting, fever, lower back pain, or losing weight without trying.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. · Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
- ICD-10
- K59.0
- ICD-11
- ME05.0 Constipation
Description
Constipation means having fewer than three bowel movements a week. The stool (poop) can be hard and dry. Sometimes it is painful to pass. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated. In most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious.
There are many things you can do to prevent constipation. They include:
- Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, which are high in fiber
- Drinking plenty of water and other liquids
- Getting enough exercise
- Taking time to have a bowel movement when you need to
- Using laxatives only if your health care provider says you should
- Asking your provider if medicines you take may cause constipation
It's not important that you have a bowel movement every day. If your bowel habits change, however, check with your provider.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
When to get help
In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
You should see a doctor right away if you have constipation and any of the following symptoms
- bleeding from your rectum
- blood in your stool
- constant pain in your abdomen
- inability to pass gas
- vomiting
- fever
- lower back pain
- losing weight without trying
You should see a doctor right away if you have constipation and any of the following symptoms
Quoted word for word from the cited source and checked against it; not reviewed by a clinician. Not a diagnosis.
Next to it in ICD-10
- H53.2Double vision
- H53.8Blurred vision
- H93.1Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- L29.9Itching
- M25.5Joint pain
- M54Back pain
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
What people report
Not enough data yet. Anonymous counts appear here only for groups of at least 20 people who agreed to share them.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Constipation?
K59.0 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Constipation?
ME05.0: Constipation (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
About this page. This page brings together public information from official sources, each cited where it is used. It is not medical advice, it is not a diagnosis, and it does not tell you which treatment to take.
Treatments. Indications are quoted unchanged from official product information (European Medicines Agency, U.S. Food and Drug Administration). They describe what a medicine is approved for, not whether it is right for you. Approved uses can differ between countries. Always read the package leaflet and follow your doctor's or pharmacist's advice.
What people report. Figures marked "reported by Anpheros users" are anonymous counts from at least 20 people who agreed to share them. They show what people report, not what works, and they are not clinical evidence.
Links between terms. "May be associated with" means the link appears in a cited source. It does not mean you have that condition.
In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number). Do not delay seeking medical help because of something you read here.