• Avoid refined foods such as white bread, starchy desserts and candy. Also avoid chocolates, cheese and eggs,
since these can be constipating.
• To make your bowel movements more regular, take prunes or a glass of prune juice in the morning or at night
before bed. Prunes contain a natural laxative as well as fiber. Warmed prune juice and stewed prunes will be the
most effective.
• Eat a large breakfast with some type of hot beverage, such as tea, hot lemon water or decaffeinated coffee.
• Get enough rest and eat at regular times in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Get some exercise to stimulate your intestinal reflexes and help restore normal elimination.
Treating Stool Impaction A stool impaction develops when all of a stool doesn't pass through the colon or rectum. The stool gradually gets harder and harder as water is absorbed by the bowel. Then the stool gets larger and larger. If you can't pass it, it may partially obstruct the bowel or cause irritation of the rectum or anus. If you do pass it, it may cause small tears or fissures in the anus.
The primary treatment is to get fluids into the bowel to soften the stool so it can be passed or removed. Using enemas— either oil-retention, tap water or phosphate (Fleet's)—may help accomplish this goal. Sometimes it might be necessary for a health professional to use a gloved finger in the rectum to break up a large bulky mass or to extract the stool.
