Fecal Impaction: What It Is and How It's Treated (2024)

FAQs

What is fecal impaction and how is it treated? ›

Fecal impaction is when a hard, dry mass of stool becomes stuck in the colon or rectum. If laxatives and suppositories do not help, enema, water irrigation, or manual evacuation may be necessary.

Doctors often use an enema as the first line of treatment to remove the feces. An enema is a small, fluid-filled bottle with a nozzle attached. The nozzle inserts into the rectum. To administer, you or someone else squeezes the bottle, releasing the liquid into the rectum and colon.

They may also have overflow diarrhoea, which is when watery poo 'leaks' around harder poo, sometimes causing soiling. The aim of disimpaction is to clear the bowel of the hard, immobile poo. This can take 7-14 days of disimpaction treatment.

Maintain a balanced diet, avoiding foods that are difficult to digest or those that cause inflammation. Drink the recommended amount of water. Exercise regularly at an intensity recommended by your healthcare provider. Manage chronic conditions that can increase your risk of a bowel blockage.

Beneficial drinks for constipation include prune juice, lemon juice, apple juice, and cranberry juice. However, some constipation relief over-the-counter (OTC) medications can also come in a drink format.

Home remedies include increasing your fiber intake or taking a laxative, using a suppository, or taking a stool softener. Trying out a squat position, doing light exercise, or performing a colonic massage may also help. A doctor can check for other conditions affecting constipation and prescribe medication to help.

Depending on the cause, you can try eating more fiber to soften your stool or use an over-the-counter softener like Miralax. Exercise and abdominal massage might also help. If none of these work to release the stool and reduce your pain, see your doctor. Learn more about ways to release hard stool.

What is the 7 second poop trick? ›

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.

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.

Symptoms of faecal impaction

back pain due to the mass of poo pressing on the nerves in your lower back (the sacral nerves) a swollen tummy (abdomen) high or low blood pressure. a fast heart rate.

(Chronic laxative use may cause constipation, so consult with a healthcare provider before using them.) Can you still poop with an impaction? 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.

What to do. Anyone who experiences changes in bowel habits and any concerning symptoms — such as severe abdominal pain or bleeding — should seek emergency medical attention.

For example, the laxatives that will help you poop fastest (within minutes or hours) are enemas and suppositories that inject the medicine directly into your anus. But there are tradeoffs. These types have a greater risk of side effects, like diarrhea and stomach cramps.