Certified Medical Assistant Exam Prep

Answer: C - Constipation is the passage of a hard, dry stool. The patient usually strains to have a bowel movement. Common causes include a low-fiber diet, ignoring the urge to defecate, not having a regular daily time for defecation, decreased fluid intake, inactivity, drugs, aging, and certain diseases. Microbes in food and water are attributed to diarrhea.