What’s the longest time that somebody has been constipated?

Asked by: Patrick Rose, via email

In 2013, a 28-year-old woman from Chembur, India, had to have surgery to remove a “football-sized faecal mass” after 45 days without a bowel movement. It’s not known what caused it, but other cases of extreme constipation have been linked to spinal cord damage or rare medical conditions, which affect the nerves controlling the muscles of the intestine. Sufferers cannot poo normally and must rely on enemas and laxatives.

Read more:

• Why do only some people have ‘cast-iron stomachs’?
• Is there really poo everywhere?

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