Constipation in Spanish

What it means

Constipation means having fewer than three bowel movements a week. The stool can be hard and dry, and sometimes it is painful to pass. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) describes it as a condition in which a person may also have stools that are lumpy or a feeling that not all stool has passed. People can have different bowel movement patterns, and it is not important to have a bowel movement every day. Constipation is not a disease, but it may be a symptom of another medical problem, and it may last for a short or long time. At one time or another, almost everyone gets constipated; in most cases, it lasts a short time and is not serious.

Spanish term: Estreñimiento
Gender and article: masculine: el estreñimiento
Pronunciation: ehs-treh-nyee-MYEHN-toh

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
constipación	General	Listed under "Otros nombres" on the MedlinePlus en español page; the Spanish entry of the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms also gives it.
obstipación	General	The Spanish entry of the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms says estreñimiento is also called constipación and obstipación.

Estreñimiento is the word used by MedlinePlus en español, NIDDK and the Spanish edition of the NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms. It is masculine: el estreñimiento. MedlinePlus en español lists constipación as another name, and the NCI dictionary's Spanish entry gives both constipación and obstipación.

These sources use several words for a bowel movement. MedlinePlus en español says evacuaciones and also movimientos intestinales; the NCI dictionary says deposiciones and explains it in parentheses as evacuaciones intestinales. Stool is heces, and NIDDK describes it as duras, secas o grumosas (hard, dry, or lumpy). The verb is evacuar: among its prevention tips, MedlinePlus en español writes tomarse el tiempo para evacuar cuando lo necesite (taking time to have a bowel movement when you need to). Other words on these pages are laxantes (laxatives), fibra (fiber) and hábitos intestinales (bowel habits).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I have not had a bowel movement in five days.	Llevo cinco días sin evacuar.
Clinician	How many bowel movements do you usually have in a week?	¿Cuántas evacuaciones suele tener en una semana?
Patient	My stools are hard and dry, and it hurts to pass them.	Tengo las heces duras y secas, y me duele evacuarlas.
Clinician	Do you feel that not all the stool has passed?	¿Siente que no han salido todas las heces?
Clinician	Have you noticed any change in your bowel habits lately?	¿Ha notado algún cambio en sus hábitos intestinales últimamente?
Patient	Could one of the medicines I take be causing my constipation?	¿Alguna de las medicinas que tomo podría estar causándome el estreñimiento?
Clinician	Tell me what you eat and how much water you drink on a typical day.	Cuénteme qué come y cuánta agua bebe en un día normal.
Patient	Should I ask you before I use a laxative?	¿Debo preguntarle antes de usar un laxante?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Constipation
Spanish (Español)	Estreñimiento
Chinese (中文)	便秘
Korean (한국어)	변비
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Táo bón
Filipino (Tagalog)	Tibi
Portuguese (Português)	Constipação
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ท้องผูก
Japanese (日本語)	便秘

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: K59 → Other functional intestinal disorders

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Digestive system

All terms in this area: Digestive system — Sistema digestivo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.