Impacted bowel is also known under the name fecal impaction, and it is a condition marked by the development of dry and hard stools in the rectum. Fecal impaction therefore causes severe constipation, but bowel obstruction may appear along with diarrhea. This happens when the watery stool is above the large hard mass and then moves around that mass. Since this condition may induce some other health problems, it is important to treat it promptly.
The most common symptoms of the bowel obstruction are rectal bleeding, stomach cramps and frequent straining with the passage of liquid. Furthermore, those people who suffer from fecal impaction may experience sudden watery diarrhea and chronic constipation, as well as semi-formed stools that are usually small in size.
Causes of impacted bowel
The bowel obstruction is a condition to which many people are susceptible, but some people are more susceptible than others. For example, those people who are bedridden because of several of reasons, usually tend to develop impacted bowel. Furthermore, people with nervous system diseases are also at high risk to experience this uncomfortable condition.
Certain medications may cause constipation and fecal impaction, so therefore, those people who take medicines for diarrhea or narcotic pain medicines are likely to get bowel obstruction. Moreover, anti-cholinergics drug and methadone are also some of the responsible causes for the occurrence of this annoying bowel disorder.
Treatment of impacted bowel
A doctor should be visited if one notices the symptoms of this condition, which include abdominal pain, constipation, bloody or tin pencil like stools. The doctor will perform rectal exam, which will show if bowel obstruction occurred. A colonoscopy procedure is usually recommended by doctors to examine the rectum and colon in order to be sure that rectal or colon cancer is not present. Certain medicines, stool softeners and laxatives are recommended, since, they are very effective in preventing further bowel obstruction and they help the stools to come out easily.
The people with bowel problems should eat a lot of fiber, which can be found in dark green vegetables, fresh fruits and legumes. Furthermore, drinking as much liquids as possible is recommended for those who suffer from bowel obstruction Regular exercises are also suggested to keep the normal bowel movement. Moreover, one of the ways to treat impacted bowels is to administer a mineral oil edema. When bowel obstruction is severe and the mass cannot be expelled, then the immediate surgery is necessary.
Your thoughts on this
Loading...