Fecal Impaction
People who have had constipation for a long time and have been using laxatives for it are more vulnerable to fecal impaction.
-
Moreover, the impaction will mostly happen when the laxatives are stopped abruptly as the muscles in the intestines will not likely to move the stool or fecal wastes as naturally as when they used to.
-
Constipation is a condition, in which, you are having difficulty in passing the stool, which often results to seldom incidence of eliminating such wastes.
-
People who are susceptible to constipation, and thereby, to fecal impaction are:
-
People who are not physically active and are rather inclined to stay on bed or a chair.
-
People who suffer from illnesses of the nervous system or brain that damage the nerves that proceed to the muscles of the intestines.
-
-
There are also drugs that can slow down the passage of fecal wastes, and these are:
-
Narcotic medication for pain like methadone and codeine.
-
Medicines to cure diarrhea—when they are taken very often
-
Anticholinergics, which interfere with the interaction between the muscles and muscles of the bowel
-
Diet also plays a role such as insufficient intake of fiber can contribute to the chances of getting constipation.
-
Fecal Impaction Symptoms
There are fecal impaction symptoms that you can observe to determine that your condition is indeed fecal impaction. Among these are:
-
Having the intense urge to pass the stool, yet, when you are at it, you have inability to move the bowel.
-
Rectal pain
-
Nausea
-
Abdominal cramping and bloating
-
Chronic constipation
-
Watery stool
-
Fecal incontinence
-
Overflow of diarrhea or encopresis
-
Rectal bleeding
-
Straining when you pass the stool
-
Having small and semi-formed stools
-
Other symptoms can be:
-
Lower back pain
-
Rapid heartbeat
-
Lightheadedness from straining in passing the stool
-
Bladder pressure or loss of bladder control
-
Treatment for Fecal Impaction
Fecal impaction is not without treatment. The first cure to perform is, of course, the removal of the impacted stool. The removal of the impacted stool is done by hand. The following steps are helpful in effective treatment:
-
Use warm mineral oil enema to soften the stool.
-
Sometimes, the stool should be broken down into smaller pieces by hand. This is done by inserting fingers into the rectum by a health care provider