Constipation is a symptom, not a disease. Constipation is when a person passes small amounts of hard, dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. People who are constipated may find it difficult and painful to have a bowel movement. Sometimes constipation can lead to complications, which have their own set of symptoms. These potential complications include: hemorrhoids, anal fissures, rectal prolapse,
fecal impaction, etc. Followings are symptoms and signs of constipation in TCM.

1. Heat Accumulation in the Intestines and Stomach
Chief Manifestations: Dry stools, abdominal distention, abdominal pain, red complexion, fever, thirsty, bad breath, restlessness, scanty deep yellow urine, red tongue with yellow and dry coating, smooth and rapid pulse.

2. Qi Stagnation in the Intestines 
Chief Manifestations: Dry or not very dry stools, urgency to defecate but having difficulty in passing stools, borborygmus, passing gas, distending pain in the abdomen, fullness in the chest and hypochondriac area, frequent belching, poor appetite, thin and greasy tongue coating, wiry pulse.

3. Retention of Yin cold
Chief Manifestations: Difficult defecation, abdominal pain and distention aggravated by pressure, pain in the hypochondriac area, cold limbs, hiccup and vomiting, white and greasy tongue coating, wiry and tense pulse.

4. Spleen Qi Deficiency
Chief Manifestations: Neither dry nor hard stools, urgency to defecate with difficulty in passing stools, sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue after bowl movement, pale complexion and lassitude, tiredness of the limbs, dislike of speaking, pale tongue with white coating, weak pulse.

5. Deficiency of Blood and Body Fluid
Chief Manifestations: Dry stools, lusterless complexion, palpitation, shortness of breath, insomnia, dream-disturbed sleeping, poor memory, pale lips, pale tongue with white coating, thready pulse.

6. Deficiency of Spleen Yang and Kidney Yang
Chief Manifestations: Dry or not dry stools, difficult bowl movement, large quantity of clear urine, cold limbs, cold pain in the abdomen relieved by warmth, cold pain in the waist and knees, pale tongue with white coating, deep and slow pulse.