How to Identify Symptoms of Prolapsed Colon and Its Treatments

Prolapsed Colon Symptoms

Symptoms usually take those that appear when patients have hemorrhoids but occur higher in the body. These symptoms include the following:

Patients will feel pain during bowel movements and can feel a mass that is protruding directly from the anus.
A bloody or mucosal discharge that originates from the protruding tissue which makes the patient appears to be wetting his or her pants constantly.

This is caused by non-stop discharging of the mucosa of the rectum which is exposed to the outside environment.
Patients will lose the ability to control bowel movements or what is known as fecal incontinence.
When large prolapses occur, patients will lose the feeling or urge to defecate.
When wiping or cleaning the anal area, patients will feel a mass that is protruding. This will usually retract upon standing up, but when the condition progresses, the mass will protrude more often especially when blowing the nose or when sneezing.
During examination, the protruding mass will present concentrated rings of mucus.

As mentioned, a prolapsed colon is caused by the weakening of the ligaments and muscles that holds the colon in place.

This weakening is brought about by the following conditions:

Aging process. Advanced aged patients will have greater risks in having a prolapsed colon.
Long lasting constipation
Long term diarrhea
Long term straining when defecating
Pregnancy and stress to the colon area during labor and childbirth.
Previous surgical procedures done in the area.
Cystic fibrosis. This is a grave genetic disorder that targets the exocrine glands making it secrete large abnormal amounts of fluid which leads to building up of mucus.
Obstructive pulmonary disease that is characterized as chronic.
Whopping cough. This is an infectious disease that attacks the respiratory passages making the patient experience bouts of coughing episodes.
Multiple sclerosis
Paralysis
Anal sex
Overload of gastrointestinal helminthes which is a kind of eukaryotic parasitic worm.
Long term occurrence of hemorrhoids.

Administration of stool softeners, bulking agents such as psyllium and suppositories are used to temporarily relieve the symptoms experienced and prepare patients for surgery.
Surgery. This will be done to correct the prolapse and secure the colon to its proper position. This can be done through the abdomen or the perineum.
For younger patients and for individuals who are experiencing severe prolapse conditions, surgery done through the abdomen. This will need the administration of a general anesthesia and involves a 3 day to a week stay at the hospital. It is considered to have a higher morbidity rate compared to surgery done in the perineum but offers a much lower rate of recurrence.
Surgery through the perineum is performed on elderly patients and those who have low tolerance levels when it comes to general anesthesia.