To soften impacted stool quickly, you would most likely need to take an oral laxative, use an anal suppository, or do water irrigation.
Avoid immediately trying to push the poop out. Give your body about 5 minutes to get things going. Having reading material nearby is one way to avoid impatience and the urge to strain.
There are many ways to treat and prevent constipation. One method is using your fingers to manually remove the stool from your rectum. This is sometimes called digital disimpaction or manual elimination. Using your fingers to remove stool can be helpful when you're not getting relief from other relief techniques.
A fecal impaction is a large, hard mass of stool that gets stuck so badly in your colon or rectum that you can't push it out. This problem can be very severe. It can cause grave illness or even death if it's not treated. It's more common among older adults who have bowel problems.
Poop that is hard and shaped like tiny rocks or pebbles is likely just a sign of constipation. You can still be considered constipated even if you are able to pass a small amount of stool. The large intestine helps to concentrate waste by absorbing water.
Laxatives: You can drink a polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution or use an over-the counter (OTC) laxative to cleanse your colon. Surgery: If you have severe fecal impaction, your healthcare provider will perform surgery, especially to target symptoms of bleeding due to a tear in your bowel (bowel perforation).
This process may take up to two weeks, and sometimes longer.
If stool softeners aren't providing enough help, the osmotic laxative polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX or a generic version) is good next step. These products hold water in stool to soften it and increase bowel movements.
You usually will not poop if you are experiencing fecal impaction. If you do, the stool you pass will be watery, or very hard and small, or you may experience stool leakage.
Poop that is hard and shaped like tiny rocks or pebbles is likely just a sign of constipation. You can still be considered constipated even if you are able to pass a small amount of stool. The large intestine helps to concentrate waste by absorbing water.
Constipation occurs when bowel movements become less frequent and stools become difficult to pass. It happens most often due to changes in diet or routine, or due to inadequate intake of fiber. You should call your doctor if you have severe pain, blood in your stools, or constipation that lasts longer than three weeks.
Identifying Bowel Obstruction Symptoms
Most people affected by a bowel obstruction are unable to pass gas or have a bowel movement, and may have a swollen abdomen. Infrequent bowel movements or hard stools usually do not indicate obstruction.
Sometimes it's only a few days, sometimes as long as three weeks. With fluids, survival time may be extended by a few weeks or even a month or two. With a bowel obstruction, things may go better than expected, but it's important to prepare for sudden, unexpected changes.
You may wish to contact your primary health care provider if your hard stools cause you to experience symptoms like abdominal pain or other severe discomforts. If your hard stools are the result of constipation, you could end up with more serious complications without timely treatment.
You may think that cutting back on food will help “clear out” your colon. That's not the case. Do this: Eating, especially healthy whole foods that contain fiber, helps your body move stool.
Try a combination of oatmeal and flax meal. Flax meal is ground flax seeds, which are extremely rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. You can further increase the fiber factor by stirring in some raisins. Dried fruit is very high in fiber too.
“The BRAT diet ― bananas, rice, applesauce and toast ― is one we recommend for a range of digestive issues, and it can help with both constipation and diarrhea.
Foods that help ease constipation
Consider adding some the following fibre-rich foods to your diet to help ease constipation: High fibre cereals such as: bran flakes, Weetabix, porridge, muesli and shredded wheat.
Not only that, the sodium bicarbonate in Coke has a loosening effect that, when combined with bubbles from carbon dioxide, may have aided in dissolving the blockages. Diet Coke and Coke Zero worked just as well as the sugared versions because they contain the same basic ingredients.
Seek immediate medical advice and treatment if you experience the following: symptoms don't get better or they become worse even after trying self-care measures at home, including laxatives. continued pain after trying to have bowel movements or pain that gets worse. constipation that alternates with diarrhea.