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.
Laxative use can result in rebound constipation, which may include trapped gas in the intestines. This can cause the laxative user to constantly try to treat those symptoms with more laxatives, and a vicious cycle of laxative use may follow.
Your doctor or other health care provider can help you decide which laxatives may be best for you. If these changes don't work or you are experiencing pain, bleeding, or other serious symptoms, talk with your doctor about other treatments.
The right choice depends on whether you're having a one-time or chronic problem, says gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, MD. If pooping isn't generally an issue for you and you just need some help for the moment, a stimulant laxative like bisacodyl (Dulcolax) or senna (Sennokot) will do.
Many people poop once or a few times per day or every couple of days. Constipation, which is a symptom of many other conditions, refers to having fewer than three bowel movements per week . People who go more than a week without pooping may have severe constipation and should talk with a doctor.
If you are unable to have a bowel movement in one week (six days), it's time to seek help from a doctor. Bacteria from fecal matter that collects around your colon could spread and cause infections in other parts of your body. Rectal bleeding may be one of these signs.
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.
Sitting correctly on the toilet and using this technique can help you empty your bowel more easily. Lean forward on the toilet with your forearms resting on your thighs, your legs more than hip width apart and your feet raised up on a small foot stool. Repeat for up to 10 minutes only or until your bowel has emptied.
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.
Additionally, intestinal blockage (such as a tumor), damage to anal muscles, and unhealthy bowel habits (such as delaying bowel movements) may also directly impact intestinal health, leading to lazy bowel syndrome.
Crouching on a chair. Sitting a certain way for seven seconds is not proven to help constipation. However, changing your body posture while on the toilet can make things easier. Place your feet on a stool to place your knees higher than your hips.
The intestines can hold as little as 5 pounds and as much as 25 pounds of waste at any given time, varying greatly depending on your weight and diet. This is because your body is physically unable to completely digest all the foods you consume and some of them can get stuck in the lining of your intestines.
On your side with a pillow between your legs
Sleeping on your left side might be the best way to keep your small and large intestines at ease, but if it's uncomfortable, that's a problem too.
If left untreated, complications such as a ruptured bowel can occur which is definitely a surgical emergency. The physician will many times insert a tube to help decompress the bowel which also provides the patient with significant relief.
Here's how this sleeping position helps with chronic constipation. "Although our bodies are largely symmetrical on the outside, the placement of our organs internally is largely asymmetrical. Therefore, left side sleeping aids movement of the faecal matter.
If laxatives don't work, ask for help. You should see your doctor and discuss it if you are constantly needing to take laxatives.
Try: Drinking as much as you can (but not dehydrating booze!) Fluids make your poop softer and easier to pass. And nosh on high-fiber apples and other fruits (with peels, where half the fiber comes from), since that roughage helps bring H2O into your intestines. Any exercise can also help get things moving.
Drinking plenty of water: Drinking more water can help soften the stool. Receiving an enema: An enema involves inserting liquid or gas into the rectum in order to empty the bowels or administer medication. Enemas add water to the stool and can stimulate the impulse to poop.
When you have a fecal impaction, you'll need to have the hard mass of stool removed from your colon or rectum to get better. It won't go away on its own, and it can lead to death if it's allowed to worsen.