Symptoms Of An Impacted Bowel

Knowing which treatments and medications to use for an impacted bowel is of the utmost importance.

If the bowel becomes blocked, it can begin to die, which is a medical emergency. An impacted bowel can be the result of constipation, using laxatives too often, medications, activity level, and bathroom habits. Having an impacted bowel means a solid mass has developed in the colon and the patient cannot push it out. Sometimes, if individuals catch the condition in the beginning, they can use an enema to soften the stool. There are some signs of an impacted bowel that can mimic symptoms of other illnesses. Regardless, patients need to seek medical attention if they experience some of the following symptoms, which can indicate an impacted bowel, particularly when they appear together.

Abdominal Bloating And Pain

One of the biggest indicators of an impacted bowel is abdominal bloating and pain. Abdominal pain can be very uncomfortable and cause a lot of distress. Individuals might think they just have a stomach ache, but if the pain does not go away or gets worse, it could mean the individual has an impacted bowel. The abdomen can fill with gas or air, causing pressure that causes pain as it expands the abdomen, resulting in distension. A distended abdomen can feel hard, tight, swollen, or tender when touched. Furthermore, abdominal pain can cause nausea or vomiting. It is important to seek medical attention when this symptom appears, particularly when it becomes persistent.

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Unexplained Weight Loss

Unexplained weight loss, when it is ultimately due to an impacted bowel, is typically because the individual cannot eat properly. The pain caused by a distended abdomen can reduce their desire to eat, and because there are not enough nutrients being absorbed, it can cause weight loss. If patients cannot eat the foods needed to fuel the body, they cannot maintain their weight. There are various conditions that will result in unexplained weight loss even aside from an impacted bowel, like cancer. Therefore, it is important for patients to make sure they get checked out for other illnesses or diseases. Diagnosing an impacted bowel is sometimes as easy as getting an x-ray. The test can show if there is a mass in the colon and the doctors can determine, based on all symptoms the best course of action to correct the blockage.

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Liquid Stool Leakage

Liquid stool leakage might mean the only stool that can get past the blockage is liquid. If patients have this happen, coupled with other symptoms, they should seek medical attention. This leakage can be involuntary or happen with the passage of gas. If individuals are not getting full bowel movements and only some diarrhea type stool, it can be an indication of an impacted bowel. It is important to realize just because patients have stool leakage does not mean there is not an impacted bowel. Actually, the opposite is true. If patients cannot pass normal stool, there is a problem. As with other illnesses, if patients have this symptom coupled with others, it is important for them to let a doctor know so they can do tests. Ignoring this symptom can lead to a dire situation, perhaps resulting in surgery.

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Loss Of Appetite

When dealing with an impacted bowel, the body will not want more food because it cannot process and evacuate what is in the colon. A loss of appetite can also occur because of the pain and discomfort of a swollen and painful abdomen. If patients are in pain, they might not be hungry. Furthermore, if individuals continue to eat, they may make the impacted bowel worse and more of the bowel will suffer from not getting the right kind of blood flow. If this happens, and surgery is needed, the doctor may need to remove more bowel than if a patient had the situation taken care of earlier. Getting the right diagnosis early can improve the patient's chances of a full recovery and eliminate pain and discomfort.

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Hyperventilation

The pressure created by the impacted bowel can cause so much discomfort and press upon the lungs and diaphragm. This can cause distress and patients may feel like they cannot breathe. Individuals feeling like they cannot breathe causes anxiety and hyperventilation, which causes the levels of carbon dioxide to be too low and it will make individuals feel sick. Patients may not even realize they are hyperventilating until it is too late. The perceived inability to breathe because of the increased pressure in the abdomen can be scary, especially if individuals do not really know why it is happening. Patients need to mention any episodes to the doctor, so they can evaluate this symptom with any other symptoms they might be experiencing.

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Nausea And Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting may occur for some patients with an impacted bowel. The patient could become unable to keep food or liquids down, and this may lead to weakness. Since nausea and vomiting may be serious, patients who have experienced these for more than twenty-four hours should consult their doctor, particularly if they have not had a bowel movement for two or more days. If the patient cannot get an appointment with their primary care doctor, treatment should be sought at an urgent care center or in the emergency room. Doctors will carry out an examination to determine the cause of the patient's nausea and vomiting, and medications can be given to ease these. Vomiting and nausea usually resolve for most patients once the impacted bowel has been successfully treated.

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Dehydration

Dehydration could occur with a particularly advanced case of fecal impaction, and insufficient hydration generally worsens the degree of a patient's constipation too. Early signs of dehydration include headaches, muscle cramps, dark urine, and feeling thirsty or having a dry mouth. Individuals may also notice they have decreased urine output. As patients become moderately to severely dehydrated, they could develop a fever, and the heartbeat may be very rapid. Their breathing might become shallow and rapid, and they could feel irritable or drowsy. Patients who have any symptoms of moderate to severe dehydration should seek immediate medical care, particularly if they believe they may also have a fecal impaction or are experiencing constipation. Depending on the patient's level of dehydration, doctors may need to administer intravenous fluids to treat this condition.

To reduce the risk of dehydration and fecal impaction, patients should follow their physician's instructions on appropriate daily fluid intake for their health needs. Most major health organizations recommend that healthy individuals drink roughly two liters of water each day. Patients with certain health conditions may need more or less than this amount. To estimate hydration levels, patients can check their urine color. Pale yellow urine generally indicates the patient has a healthy level of hydration, and dark yellow urine usually means the patient needs to drink more water.

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Incontinence

Patients who have severe fecal impactions could develop urinary or fecal incontinence, and some patients might experience both of these. When fecal incontinence occurs as a result of impaction, it is sometimes referred to as overflow diarrhea or overflow incontinence. As the individual's stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass, loose stool located behind the area of the impaction could begin to leak. Patients who exhibit signs of any type of incontinence should have a physical examination with their healthcare provider. The clinician will ask questions about the type of incontinence the patient is experiencing, and they will also want to know about whether the leakage occurs during particular activities.

To find out more about this symptom, doctors may need to perform x-rays or other imaging studies, and patients might wish to use products that can absorb leaks. If the incontinence is a direct result of the impaction, it will normally go away once the impaction has been removed. Clinicians will provide individualized advice about how to prevent future incontinence and impactions, and patients who have had incontinence may need to have follow-up appointments as part of the recovery process.

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Fever

In rare cases, fecal impaction could cause a fever, and this may occur in conjunction with general malaise and severe abdominal pain. Patients who believe they may have a fever should check their temperature at least once an hour, and they may wish to keep a journal of their temperature readings to share with their doctor. If the fever is 102 degrees Fahrenheit or above, individuals should seek medical care at an urgent care center or in the emergency room. Immediate care is also necessary for patients who have fevers of less than 102 degrees Fahrenheit that continue for four days or more. To reduce fever, patients could consider taking an over-the-counter medication such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. However, individuals should consult with their doctor prior to taking these, as they may not be appropriate if a fecal impaction is confirmed. Placing a cool cloth on the forehead could be soothing as the patient recovers from a fever.

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Rapid Heart Rate

A rapid heart rate commonly develops with advanced fecal impactions. Doctors define a rapid heartbeat as higher than one hundred beats per minute. Patients with a rapid heart rate may feel dizzy, and they could also experience chest pain and heart palpitations. Individuals with a rapid heartbeat should note the time this symptom begins, and they should seek emergency medical attention if their heart rate is 160 or higher. Emergency attention should be sought if the patient has a heart rate between one hundred and 150 accompanied by pain, feeling faint, or shortness of breath. To assess the heart rate, doctors will perform an electrocardiogram, and patients might need to have an echocardiogram or other cardiac imaging studies. Normally, patients who have an elevated heart rate as a result of a fecal impaction should see their heart rate return to normal after the fecal impaction is treated. In some cases, individuals may need to have a follow-up appointment with a cardiologist for more detailed investigations.