Holding in poop causes constipation in part because you are using your anal and rectal muscles to push the stool back into the colon (large intestine). When this happens, all the water that was inside the stool (which is what makes it easier to pass) comes out of the stool, and the stool becomes dry and hard.
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.
Fecal retention
(Bowel motility refers to how well the digestive system can move contents through it.) If they're eating and not pooping, the colon can become dangerously distended, a condition called "megacolon." The feces can become hard and impacted, and the bowel can actually rupture.
Once treated, fecal impaction goes away quickly. Over-the-counter stool softeners, enemas, rectal suppositories, and oral laxatives can help you soften and eliminate the stool.
The average transit time through the colon in someone who is not constipated is 30 to 40 hours. Up to a maximum of 72 hours is still considered normal, although transit time in women may reach up to around 100 hours.
This is called manual removal: A provider will need to insert one or two fingers into the rectum and slowly break up the mass into smaller pieces so that it can come out. This process must be done in small steps to avoid causing injury to the rectum.
Generally speaking, you can go about five days without pooping before you run into the risk of serious health issues like fecal impaction, hemorrhoids, or a bowel perforation.
The average person's colon can often hold 8 to 25 lbs of accumulated fecal matter.
Stimulant laxatives such as Senokot (made from senna pods) and Dulcolax (active ingredient: bisacodyl) are the fastest-working oral laxatives, with overnight results. They stimulate the muscles lining your gut, helping to move things along.
Functional causes include:
Inability to relax your sphincter muscles and/or push adequately to evacuate your bowels. Rectal hyposensitivity. Loss of sensation in your rectum, possibly due to nerve damage. Psychological disorders.
In some cases, straining to poop can lead to a condition called rectal prolapse. This happens when you push so hard that your rectum drops through your anus, Dr. Schnoll-Sussman says.
These anal fissures are often caused by a large or very hard stool. They cause the muscles around your anus to spasm, so bowel movements hurt. If these tears are the source of your pain, you can try to drink more fluids and add extra fiber to your diet. This will make your stools softer, so they don't hurt as much.
Symptoms of an intestinal blockage include severe belly pain or cramping, vomiting, not being able to pass stool or gas, and other signs of belly distress.
Eating When you Have Constipation. Try these things to relieve your constipation: Do not skip meals. Avoid processed or fast foods, such as white breads, pastries, doughnuts, sausage, fast-food burgers, potato chips, and French fries.
Fecal impaction often occurs in people who have had constipation for a long time and have been using laxatives. The problem is even more likely when the laxatives are suddenly stopped. The muscles of the intestines forget how to move stool or feces on their own.
The physician will many times insert a tube to help decompress the bowel which also provides the patient with significant relief. All in all, it is imperative to learn and understand that the stool is waste matter.
Bisacodyl is a laxative. This type of medicine can help you empty your bowels if you have constipation (difficulty pooing). Bisacodyl is also used in hospitals to help you empty your bowels before surgery or some examinations or treatments. Your hospital will explain how to use it.
If you do not pass any bowel movements for over one week, Dr. Bedford added that is an additional reason to seek medical attention. After seven days, your constipation may not necessarily be an emergency, but a healthcare provider can prevent the situation from becoming one.