A fecal impaction is an enormous amount of dry, hard stool that stays immovable in the rectum. It’s commonly seen in sufferers with long-term constipation.
Constipation is if you end up not passing stool as you usually do. Your stool turns into rough and dry, and it is difficult to go.
This condition is commonly found in individuals with chronic constipation and in people had been using laxatives. Impaction is even more noticeable when the laxatives are stopped unexpectedly. The muscle mass of the intestines ignore the transfer of stool or feces on their own.
Those who are at risk for persistent constipation and fecal impaction are those who:
- Do not move around much and spend most of their time in a chair or bed
- Have diseases of the brain or nervous system that damage the nerves that go to the muscles of the intestines
Certain drugs slow the passage of stool through the bowels:
- Anticholinergics
- Narcotic pain medicines including codeine and methadone
- Medicines used to treat diarrhea, if they are taken too frequently
