You may be surprised by how many people take laxatives or stool softeners every day. Many of these products were prescribed by a medical provider. When people who have chronic constipation come to our office, we ask questions to determine the cause of their constipation so that we can treat their constipation without the side effects associated with laxatives. No Single Cause of Constipation There is no single cause of constipation and often people will have more than one of the root causes on this list. Inadequate water intake - This is a very common cause of constipation especially in