Defecation is an integral process of human life. Going to the restroom every day is normal for a healthy body. If the elimination process is disrupted, then stagnation begins to form in the intestines. Formed fecal stones not only block the passage, preventing waste from passing through to the exit, but also stimulate the process of rotting and decomposition, which leads to intoxication of the entire body. How to cleanse the intestines of feces?
To eliminate intestinal obstruction, you need to take measures: seek medical help or try to cleanse the intestines of feces on your own.
Very hard stool
Excessively hard feces is a pathology, since it cannot leave the intestines and remains in the body, thereby poisoning it. If the urge to defecate occurs, it causes severe pain, which a person cannot always cope with on his own. In addition, if part of the feces does leave the body, there may be a feeling of incomplete bowel movement - this is also a sign of disorders.
Excessively hard feces is a pathology because it cannot leave the intestines and remains in the body, thereby poisoning it.
The reasons for the formation of hard feces are the following factors:
- lack of fiber in the diet: (if a person mainly eats meat products and semi-finished products, this affects the formation of excessively dense feces);
- pregnancy; (hormonal changes and stress on the intestines often cause constipation in expectant mothers);
- insufficient fluid intake; (if a person drinks too little clean water, this leads to intestinal dysfunction);
- diseases and inflammations of the gastrointestinal tract;
- sedentary lifestyle: (if a person moves little himself, then the movement of feces in the intestine stops);
- side effects of certain medications.
If feces do not leave the body for more than seven days, this leads to surgery and major complications.
Symptoms
Regular daily bowel movements are necessary for a teenager as well as adequate sleep and regular meals. It is also necessary to take into account the individual physiological norm and take into account such an essential factor as the completeness of intestinal cleansing. If a teenager has bowel movements at a normal frequency, but there is no feeling of complete release, this may be a signal that the teenager is facing a problem with constipation.
What signs may indicate constipation in a teenager? Typically, constipation is diagnosed if a teenager has at least 2 of the following symptoms4:
- 2 or fewer trips to the toilet per week;
- prolonged stool retention;
- painful or difficult bowel movements;
- prolonged straining when going to the toilet, a feeling of incomplete bowel movement;
- change in the nature and consistency of stool (dense, lumps or large diameter);
- symptoms occur at least once a week for 2 months.
Even knowing the main symptoms of constipation, it is quite problematic to identify them in children during adolescence. After all, the frequency of trips to the toilet may remain normal, then it seems that the teenager does not have any problems with the intestines. Since the problem is sensitive, the teenager does not want to share it with anyone, and talking about it can cause an emotional reaction associated with a feeling of shame and complete denial of the problem.
Show care and attention to your child and find a way to find out the reasons for his distress. Confidential communication, even on such a sensitive topic, will help you notice the symptoms of constipation in a teenager in time and seek help so as not to aggravate the situation.
Very hard stool does not pass
Normally, a person's intestines form tight and dense feces. At the exit into the rectum, it already has an even denser state. Thick poop that is relatively dense is normal for humans. If it’s a little softer, then this is also normal, since each person’s stool will have its own shape (the stool may be soft or slightly hardened, but not stone-like).
If the stool is hard and does not come out of the rectum, if it is stuck in the small or large intestine, then this is constipation. Constipation is characterized by the fact that the first portion is hard, followed by soft but thick feces. If the formed fecal lump does not completely come out of the rectum, causes discomfort and pain, and after the act of defecation feels incomplete, then this also indicates pathology.
Another sign of constipation is stool that looks like sheep poop, or stool that looks like rocks. If stool is stuck, and then a fecal plug comes out of the intestine during a bowel movement with straining, and then liquid stool comes out, then this is not diarrhea; this phenomenon is also observed with constipation.
Very often, men and women suffer from a very sensitive and delicate problem - they are unable to go to the toilet normally
It is important to break up hardened stool in the intestines before a large lump forms in the rectum, causing an intestinal obstruction that can only be corrected by surgery.
How to cleanse the intestines of feces at home
If the intestines are not cleansed in a timely manner, fecal stones are formed.
If a problem with bowel movements and intestinal obstruction is detected, you should immediately consult a doctor. The downside of constipation is the fact that an experienced doctor is not always able to detect stagnation of waste and the formation of fecal stones by palpation.
Very hard stool in an adult
Very often, men and women suffer from a very sensitive and delicate problem - they are unable to go to the toilet normally. And the reason for this is hard feces, which appears with a seemingly normal diet, visible physical health and the usual rhythm of life.
Hard stool in adults may be caused by poor diet. The diet contains few foods rich in coarse fiber, which stimulates the intestines and promotes the elimination of waste and toxins in the feces. Also, a sedentary mode of work and low physical activity lead to improper functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract, intestinal motility decreases, motor and transport functions are impaired, which leads to constipation.
Hard stool in adults may be caused by poor diet.
Exposure to stress, nervous stress, causing depression. In such cases, the entire body works in “emergency” mode, which also affects the digestive system and excretion of feces. The cause of hard feces in adults can be diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: colitis of various etiologies, enterocolitis, enteritis, pathologies of the pancreas; oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the large intestine.
To avoid constipation as an adult, you need to eat right, follow a daily routine, take daily walks in the fresh air (at least on the way home from work), play sports, not expose yourself to stress and get proper rest. Then your intestines will work like a clock.
Causes of very hard stool
Constipation often occurs in an adult, sometimes people simply do not pay attention to it and, if there is no serious pathology, then everything quickly returns to normal.
Lack of fluid may cause hard stool
If the body lacks moisture, the intestinal contents become more viscous, clay-like, and dry, which leads to hard stool or constipation.
An unbalanced diet may cause hard stool
Fiber is necessary for normal bowel function. We get it with vegetables, fruits, cereals, whole grain bread, and bran. If there is a lack of such products, the expected problems with stool arise. Especially if you also lean on baked goods and protein foods, such as meat, sour milk, eggs.
The more you sit or lie, the higher your risk of constipation.
A sedentary lifestyle may be the cause of hard stool
Lack of physical activity reduces muscle tone, including those directly responsible for regular bowel movements. The more you sit or lie, the higher your risk of constipation.
Age-related changes in the body can cause hard stool
As we age, muscle tone decreases and regular constipation is an expected consequence of this. It is especially important for older people to remain physically active.
Stress may cause hard stool
Especially protracted. With constipation, there is a multifactorial connection: stress worsens digestion, and also provokes a person to an unhealthy lifestyle (less sleep, more fast food and snacks on the go, coffee instead of water and the required amount of fluid in general).
Causes of constipation in teenagers
In the mechanism of development of constipation, 2 components can be distinguished:
- Slowing down the movement of contents through the intestines;
- Violation of the emptying process itself.
There are many factors that can contribute to this, for example3:
- Physical inactivity
Lessons at school during the day, doing a large amount of homework in the evening, preparing for quizzes and tests, the desire to spend free time on a computer or tablet rather than in the fresh air lead to a decrease in the physical activity of a teenager. Lack of sports activities, walks and active outdoor games with peers can lead to a decrease in muscle tone and negatively affect intestinal function.
- Poor nutrition
Often, an unbalanced diet and an incorrectly selected diet can harm a teenager’s digestive system. Foods containing little fiber and rich in carbohydrates are absorbed by the body without residue, which can lead to a decrease in natural stimulation of the intestines. Excessive amounts of protein and fat can also be harmful to digestion. Teenagers' love of fast food, sugary snacks and tasteless school meals exacerbate this problem. And teenagers who are dissatisfied with their appearance may independently begin to adhere to strict diets, which can also negatively affect intestinal function. You can read more about what proper nutrition should be like for a teenager in the article “How to choose the right foods and create a teenager’s diet.”
- Lack of fluid
Teenagers often prefer sugary carbonated drinks to clean drinking water. And a lack of fluid affects the speed of movement of contents through the intestines and can cause problems with stool.
- Daily regime
Late rise, morning rush, classes in different shifts, the “ragged” rhythm of the day force a teenager to push important things “for later.” This disrupts the reflexes necessary for proper bowel function.
- Psychological aspect
Teenagers can face serious stress during school and beyond (conflicts with peers, etc.). Also, sometimes teenagers ignore the urge to go to the toilet in educational institutions due to embarrassment, a false sense of shame, and fear of ridicule. All this can disrupt the natural rhythm of the intestines.
- Medications
Some medications, such as antibiotics, pain relievers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), may cause constipation as a side effect2.
Very hard stool what to do
Painful passage of feces, abdominal pain, nausea, weakness - these are just the first symptoms of the disease, and then it will only get worse. In order to go to the toilet in a big way, you need to take certain measures, take thinning and emollients, and not hope for self-healing.
Preventive measures will help reduce the risk of hard feces if the problem is not caused by pathological diseases. This requires walks in the fresh air for 40-50 minutes every evening, separate meals, exclusion of fatty, fried foods, marinades and preserves. The consumption of clean, non-carbonated water should be increased to 2-2.5 liters per day. When nutrition does not help establish hard stools, medical help is required.
You can do cleansing enemas that improve intestinal permeability. Microenemas and enemas with decoctions of such medicinal herbs as motherwort, linden blossom, and chamomile have a good effect. It is recommended to do enemas daily for a week, then take a week break and repeat the treatment course again.
What else can you do to soften hard stool:
- replacing medications that cause constipation (if a person uses something to treat other ailments);
- prescription of mild laxatives – Mucofalk, Methylcellulose, etc.;
- use of medications with an osmotic effect: Sorbitol, Duphalac (not prescribed for gastrointestinal diseases);
- the purpose of glycerin and vaseline lubricants.
- physiotherapy;
- taking vitamins B1, ascorbic acid, retinol.
It is necessary to moisturize feces; to do this, drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day.
