What should you do if you have a hard chair? Therapy and natural remedies

Fecal stones (fekalom) are stone-like structures of thickened faeces that form in the intestine (Aiyappan et al. – 2013).
Fecal stones occur mainly in patients with the following diseases:

  1. Hirschsprung disease,
  2. Chagas disease,
  3. lesions on the spine,
  4. Behavioral
  5. elderly patients with chronic constipation (Rajagopal et al. – 2002).

Contents

Therapy for hard stools

The doctor and a specialist nurse must be aware of the following points:

  1. the patient’s medical history,
  2. the diet,
  3. the type of stool,
  4. the use of laxatives and medications
  5. other diseases present.

Treatment of fecal stones consists in clearing out the clamped chair.
After that, further stool hardening must be avoided.
The most immediate treatment for softening and softening the stool is the administration of a heated enema (Cid et al. – 1981) with mineral oil or olive oil.
Usually, however, an enema alone is not enough to remove a large fecaloma.

If the chair does not exit, manual removal is required.
A doctor or nurse inserts one or two of his fingers into the rectum and breaks the stool mass into smaller pieces so that they can exit (Kim et al. – 2007).
This process must be done gradually to prevent the rectum from being injured.
Normally, the stool is stuck in the sigmoid colon, rectal ampoule or rectum.
Suppositories inserted into the rectum may be administered to remove hard-to-expel stool.

Rarely, surgical surgery is performed to treat fecalom (CURRÒ et al. – 2017).
An emergency intervention is carried out in:

  • toxic megacolon, that is, excessive dilation of the intestine due to intestinal gas accumulation;
  • complete intestinal obstruction.

Almost everyone who has ever had a fecaloma needs an intestinal training program.

What should you do if you have a hard chair? Natural remedies

Treatment of constipation
If the cause of hard stools is constipation, one should determine the cause.
An accurate diagnosis is essential to develop a treatment program.

High-fiber diet
A solution against constipation can be soluble fiber (Cheskin et al. – 1995).
These dissolve in water and thus soften the stool.
Soluble fiber is found in many fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. Psyllium seeds (Plantago psyllium) and flaxseed are excellent sources of soluble fiber.
These ingredients can significantly soften the stool.

Regular exercise
Physical activity can help stimulate intestinal activity.

Fluid intake
Drinking plenty of water and other liquids helps keep the stool soft.

Going
to the toilet 
You should take enough time to go to the toilet.
Urge to defecate should not be ignored.

Alternative therapies

There are several alternative approaches that could provide relief, even if they have not yet been studied in more detail.

Massage. Massage therapy to support the colon with compression, manipulation and vibration favors defecation.
Abdominal massage can relax all the muscles that support the bladder and intestines. It therefore promotes intestinal activity.
Natural treatments also include acupuncture and shiatsu.

Acupuncture. This traditional Chinese medicine involves the manipulation and insertion of very fine needles into various areas of the body.
This therapy stimulates the colon and can reduce pain during constipation, although there is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture on hard stools.

Herbal tea. Among the proven home remedies for constipation, there are herbal teas, which can contain buckthorn bark, fennel, licorice, chamomile or lemon balm.

Plasticizer for the chair
There are over-the-counter products that are considered emollients for the stool and stimulate the intestinal muscles.
Emollients for the stool decrease the amount of fluid absorbed by the intestine and leave more water in the stool.
These products work differently than suppositories (which are a form of stimulating laxatives).
In general, plasticizers are considered a safer alternative.
You should always check the over-the-counter products together with the doctor before taking them.

Recommended foods

CategoryFood
BreadMuesli, wheat bran muffins, whole wheat bread
Cereals and cerealsCornflakes, corn flakes, bran flakes, wheat meal, oat flour, bran sticks, all-bran, bran, corn bran, oat bran, whole grain rice, rye bread
VegetableArtichokes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, rocket, chard, carrots, peas, green beans, sweet corn, spinach, pumpkin, potatoes with peel, beets
Pulsescooked lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, lima beans, pinto beans, chili with beans
Fruitavocado, orange, papaya, nectarines, kiwi, pears, blackberries, raspberries, mango, strawberries, plums
Othercoarse peanut butter, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, dried figs, sunflower seeds, tomato paste, applesauce, raisins
Yogurt
(Rajala et al. – 1988)

Foods to avoid

Foods with low fiber content
Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods and important for softening the stool because it absorbs a large amount of fluid.

Fatty foods
The stool that comes from fatty foods is rather hard.
Fatty foods pass through the intestines slowly. This leads to greater absorption of fluids from the stool.

Limit the consumption of fatty foods, such as:

  • Whole milk
  • Ice
  • Chips
  • fine peanut butter
  • Butter
  • Margarine
  • Salad dressings

Processed foods
The consumption of processed foods should be limited because they contain little fiber.
Examples of processed foods:

  • Cracker
  • Meals
  • Cake
  • Cruller

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