Hard bowel movements

Normal bowel movements are very important for the general health of every person. However, there are people who have problems with hard bowel movements and for them, it is very important to detect the exact cause of the problem in order to eliminate it.

Causes of hard bowel movements

In the majority of cases, constipation is the prime cause for a hard bowel movement. In the people who are constipated, the stool is dry and hard, thus causing passing very difficult, which can lead to bleeding and pain during the bowel movements.

There are several kinds of foods that can cause hard and dry stools, especially if the person is not physically active. If unhealthy food is the cause for the incidence of hard bowel movements, it is important to avoid foods high in starch and start to eat foods high in fiber.

Stress and depression, as well as the consumtion of certain medicines, may lead to the occurrence of hard bowel movements, furthermore, it is also considered that the overuse of laxatives, which tend to make the muscles in the intestines weaker, which can suppress the urge to empty the bowels may be responsible for the hard bowel movements.

Hard bowel movements tend to cause many uncomfortable conditions to the body, such as pain in the stomach, as well as pain and the bleeding in the rectal area. Other consequences of hard bowel movements include the outbreak of hemorrhoids, either internal or external, and the occurrence of fecal impaction.

Hard bowel movements in infants and toddlers

This condition is quite common in babies and infants, and it occurs due to consumption of certain baby foods or when the mother stops to breastfeed her baby and begins to feed it with the baby formula. The babies who are fed with cow’s milk are prone to develop hard bowel movement, which is why it is recommended that the mother adds brown sugar to the milk in order to relieve the symptoms of this condition. Hard bowel movements in toddlers and infants may be caused by fever when they are ill or by fear that they develop once they experience painful passing of the stools. Lack of the foods high in fiber, as well as physical inactivity of the infants and toddlers, might also be responsible for the incidence of hard bowel movements.