Bulge your tummy muscles forward as you take a deep breath in. 'Brace' your tummy to prevent it from bulging further forwards. Do not tighten your tummy. Use your deep breath to increase the pressure in your abdomen and push down towards your anus.
Lean forward and rest your forearms on your thighs. Try to relax. Try to breathe into the lower half of your lungs, and keep your mouth slightly open (to avoid straining which will in turn contract the pelvic floor muscles and make it more difficult to pass a poo). Then brace and bulge, push and close off (see below).
Don't Force Poop Out
Instead, it's important to relax and only go to the bathroom when you feel the “urge.” Once on the toilet, if the feeling or urge to have a bowel movement passes, get up and continue with your day.
Sitting correctly on the toilet and using this technique can help you empty your bowel more easily. Lean forward on the toilet with your forearms resting on your thighs, your legs more than hip width apart and your feet raised up on a small foot stool. Repeat for up to 10 minutes only or until your bowel has emptied.
It's almost always an urgent situation. If you have not been able to pass any stool for at least 4 days (not including sudden development of uncontrollable liquid diarrhea), you should go to the ER for further evaluation and treatment. However, if you also have severe “alarm” symptoms, you should call 911.
When you have a fecal impaction, you'll need to have the hard mass of stool removed from your colon or rectum to get better. It won't go away on its own, and it can lead to death if it's allowed to worsen.
Put the container in a sealed plastic bag and wash your hands well with soap and water. Flush any leftover poop down your toilet. Return the sample to your doctor's office as soon as you can. It can be kept in your refrigerator until then, but for no more than 24 hours.
The mass may have to be broken up by hand. This is called manual removal: A provider will need to insert one or two fingers into the rectum and slowly break up the mass into smaller pieces so that it can come out. This process must be done in small steps to avoid causing injury to the rectum.
Drinking plenty of water: Drinking more water can help soften the stool. Receiving an enema: An enema involves inserting liquid or gas into the rectum in order to empty the bowels or administer medication. Enemas add water to the stool and can stimulate the impulse to poop.
A person with fecal impaction may feel the need to have a bowel movement but be unable to push anything out. Fecal impaction can cause pain and vomiting. People may need emergency treatment or a hospital visit.
For severe constipation—you haven't had a bowel movement in three days—or any time you feel like there's something in your rectum that shouldn't be there, go to urgent care immediately. You might have appendicitis or another serious issue that needs immediate attention from a medical professional.
Eating When you Have Constipation. Try these things to relieve your constipation: Do not skip meals. Avoid processed or fast foods, such as white breads, pastries, doughnuts, sausage, fast-food burgers, potato chips, and French fries.
Dulcolax® Liquid Laxative is a stimulant-free laxative made to relieve occasional constipation fast. Each 15 mL dose contains 1200 mg of the active ingredient, magnesium hydroxide. Within 30 minutes to 6 hours, it works naturally with your body to draw water to the colon and help you go.
Some people have them three times a day. Others have them just a few times a week. Going longer than 3 or more days without one, though, is usually too long. After 3 days, your stool gets harder and more difficult to pass.
A doctor may recommend oral laxatives, such as polyethylene glycol (MiraLax) or bisacodyl (Dulcolax). A person should take the tablet as the doctor, pharmacist, or instruction leaflet advises. Polyethylene glycol comes as a powder to dissolve in water or another drink.
Stimulant Laxatives
Some popular brands include bisacodyl (Correctol, Dulcolax, Feen-a-Mint), and sennosides (Ex-Lax, Senokot). Prunes (dried plums) are also an effective colonic stimulant and taste good, too. Note: Don't use stimulant laxatives daily or regularly.
Constipation should not be ignored. If it is left untreated, serious complications may arise such as hemorrhoids, anal fissure, fecal impaction and rectal prolapse as well as other related diseases that affect to general health in a long run.
Fecal impaction often occurs in people who have had constipation for a long time and have been using laxatives. The problem is even more likely when the laxatives are suddenly stopped. The muscles of the intestines forget how to move stool or feces on their own.
But if you're someone who doesn't usually experience constipation, see a doctor sooner. Dr. Zutshi recommends making an appointment if constipation lasts longer than a week.