Symptoms Of An Impacted Bowel

Dehydration

Dehydration could occur with a particularly advanced case of an impacted bowel. 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 that 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 as well, and they could feel irritable or drowsy. Patients who are moderately to severely dehydrated should seek immediate medical attention, particularly if they believe they may also have an impacted bowel or are constipated. Doctors may need to administer intravenous fluids to treat this condition, depending on the patient's dehydration level.

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 the color of their urine. Pale yellow urine generally indicates that the patient is well-hydrated, and dark yellow urine usually means the patient needs to drink more water.

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Incontinence

Patients who have severe bowel impactions could develop urinary or fecal incontinence. Some patients might experience both of these. When fecal incontinence occurs due to an impacted bowel, it is sometimes referred to as overflow diarrhea or incontinence. As the individual's stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass, loose stool 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 doctor will ask questions about the type of incontinence they are experiencing. They will also want to know if 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 generally go away once the impaction has been removed. Doctors will provide individualized advice about how to prevent future incontinence and impactions to each patient. Patients who have had incontinence may need to have follow-up appointments as part of the recovery process.

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