ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of John, who is a 54-year-old man who had a surgery for a carcinoma of the colon. Despite liver metastases he has been managing well. There are many symptoms that suggest constipation: infrequent stool; uncomfortable stool; hard stool; small volume; sensation of an incomplete evacuation; diarrhoea; abdominal discomfort; nausea; vomiting; colic; and anorexia. Constipation should be prevented – a need to treat constipation suggests a failure in prevention. When one realise that a hard stool is a dry stool, they only have to think of what might cause a stool to lose more water than usual. There are three broad causes: dehydration; factors causing the stool to stay longer in the colon; and factors which reduce the ability of the stool to hold on to water.
