STRUGGLING to poop for a few days can make you feel terrible.
Imagine the agony of not being able to reach number two for months on end.
two
two
Horrifying scans have revealed what an extreme case of constipation can look like – and it’s not a pretty sight.
A doctor took Reddit to share scans of one of her patients, who confessed to not pooping properly for not one, not two, but three months.
CT scans showed a large, grainy mass in the center of the patient’s body, which an untrained eye might miss.
The mass was actually feces.
“I had to ask the patient after the exam when the last time he had a bowel movement was,” shared the radiologist.
“He said the last “real shit” was three months ago.”
Redditors reacted on Horror to exams, with one saying: “God, I feel bad about missing two days… I can’t imagine three months.”
“Oh my god! A poop baby!” another wrote.
Duke University neurosurgeon Dr. Oren Gottfried took for X – formerly Twitter – to express your disbelief
“If you feel horrible about not going to number 2 every day, imagine the pure agony of not going for months?” He wrote.
Doctors commenting on the Reddit thread noted that the patient suffered from a condition called fecal impaction.
Also known as chronic constipation, it occurs when large amounts of dry, hard poop become lodged in the rectum after several weeks of not being able to go to the bathroom.
According to Cancer research in the UK (CRUK), the main causes of fecal impaction are similar to constipation and include:
- Side effects of analgesic medications
- Lack of exercise over a long period of time
- A low fiber diet
- Prolonged use of laxatives
- Depression and anxiety
Commenters were also left wondering how to treat the patient’s condition.
“Serious question. Can this go away naturally with medication?” one commenter asked.
“Or what exactly happens to a patient who has this obstruction?”
Another radiologist responded: “I think it would be very unlikely for this to happen naturally.
“I’ve seen calcified stool on scans before and I wonder how long it’s been since the patient has had a bowel movement.”
According to CRUK, doctors and nurses often treat impaction by moistening and softening the poop with an enema or suppositories.
If the enema doesn’t move the poop, a trained nurse or doctor may need to physically remove the hard poop from the anus.
Symptoms of fecal impaction may include:
- Back pain due to mass of poop pressing on nerves in lower back
- A swollen belly
- Fast heart rate, dizziness and sweating
- A high temperature
- Severe diarrhea that you have no control over
- Feeling and being sick
- Severe belly pain
- Dehydration – you may feel dizzy, lightheaded or tired, or have dry mouth, lips and eyes, and urinate small amounts infrequently (less than three or four times a day)
- Swelling around the back passage
- A feeling of numbness around the anus
- Bleeding around the anus
Paradoxically, one of the main symptoms of the disease is overflow diarrhea.
The constipated poop in your intestine is so hard that you can’t expel it, so your intestine starts leaking watery stool around the poop.
The watery poop will pass through the blockage and exit the rectum and may soil your underwear.
Tips to Relive Constipation
IF YOU struggle to poop frequently, some simple diet and lifestyle changes can help ease the struggle.
Adjust your diet
Firstly, drinking plenty of water and fluids will make the poop softer and easier to pass. Alcohol, on the other hand, may just be adding to your problems.
In addition to trying to eat a healthy, balanced diet, eating certain foods can help.
Fruits that contain sorbitol, such as apples, apricots, grapes, raisins, raspberries and strawberries, can make pooping easier.
It’s also worth gradually increasing the amount of fiber you eat.
Foods that contain this constipation-relieving nutrient include legumes such as beans, lentils or chickpeas, wholemeal bread and pasta, unpeeled potatoes, Weetabix or oat porridge.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, rye crackers, and unsalted nuts or seeds will also add a hit of fiber.
There are also some changes you can make to your bathroom routine that may help relieve your constipation.
Improve your bathroom routine
It is helpful to set aside enough time to complete your task.
And one of the worst things you can do is delay going to the bathroom when you feel the urge to poop.
To make pooping easier, try resting your feet on a low stool while you go to the bathroom. If possible, raise your knees above your hips.
Move yourself
Constipation can be caused by low activity levels, so a daily walk or run can help you poop more regularly.
If none of these adjustments work, talk to a pharmacist about your difficulties.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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