Making the Diagnosis
If constipation is a problem, see your doctor. A physical exam will
show whether there are hard stools in your intestine or any unusual masses in
your stomach. This will include a digital rectal exam to check muscle tone.
Your doctor might do a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. This involves
using a lighted tube with a camera on the end to look into part or all of the
large intestine. A barium enema allows abnormalities of the large intestine
to be seen on an X-ray. These procedures require some preparation to empty the
bowel so that it can be seen on X-ray.