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· 26 Nov 2021

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Why my stool is hard?

In an ideal world, the stool would be easy and soft to pass whenever you needed to go to the bathroom. You may, however, experience firm bowel movements from time to time.

These bowel motions are harder to pass than the soft bowel movements, and they can range from uncomfortable to painful. Hard stools are sometimes referred to as constipation by doctors.

While everyone has hard bowel motions now and then, they can also be a sign of a serious medical ailment. Diverticular illness, intestinal blockages, and hypothyroidism are examples of disorders that cause hard bowel movements. If you have firm stools, there are several things you may do at home to make them easier to pass.

Causes of hard stools
There are a variety of reasons why you might have firm stools. A mixture of variables can sometimes be to blame. A person's stool is typically composed of undigested foodstuff and waste products that combine with water and are excreted through the intestines.

This necessitates motility, or gastrointestinal movement, in order for stool to move along digestive tract and be eliminated. A hard stool can be caused by a problem with one or more of these digestive processes.

Causes linked to medication
That hard stool may be caused by something you ate (or didn't) as well as medications you're taking. Here are several examples:

•    aluminum- and the calcium-containing antacids
•    anticholinergics
•    seizure prevention using anticonvulsants
•    antispasmodics
•    diuretics
•    calcium channel blockers
•    iron supplements
•    Parkinson's disease treatment meds
•    medications utilized to treat depression
•    narcotic painkillers

Causes connected to diet and lifestyle
Dehydration (not drinking sufficient water), as well as a low-fiber diet, are two diet-related triggers of hard stools. The following are some examples of possible lifestyle-related reasons for hard stool:

•    changes to one’s diet
•    adjusting medications
•    not getting enough exercise regularly
•    traveling

If a person ignores the desire to get a bowel movement regularly, stool can become more difficult to pass. This is because delaying bowel motions might produce brain alterations that affect the desire to urinate in the future. Stool can harden inside the digestive tract, making it difficult to pass.

Medical reasons
Hard stools can be caused by an underlying medical issue. These are some examples of these conditions:

•    aging
•    issues with the digestive tract's anatomical structure
•    traumatic brain injuries
•    celiac disease is a type of celiac disease that affects people
•    diverticulitis
•    Hormone-related disorders such as hypothyroidism
•    blockages in the intestine
•    Tumors of the intestine
•    Parkinson's ailment
•    pregnancy
•    proctitis, a condition in which the prostate gland is inflamed
•    damage to the spinal cord

Some of these issues, such as intestinal blockage, can be life-threatening. If stool cannot exit the body, it can cause life-threatening issues if it spills into the intestinal walls.

Hard stool with blood
It's fairly uncommon to notice some blood staining in your stool if it's really difficult to pass. Micro-tears and Irritation in the gut lining might induce bleeding if the stool is hard. You may also see blood in the stool if you have bleeding from some place in your gastrointestinal tract.

If the blood streaking lasts more than a day, consult a doctor to ensure the blood-streaked feces isn't a symptom of an underlying medical problem.

Hard Black stool
The hard stool might appear dark and tarry at times. This could signal that there is bleeding in the upper digestive tract, like the esophagus or stomach. Dark stools can also be caused by certain drugs, such as iron supplements.

Symptoms of hard stools

Rectal hemorrhage or blood in your stool is the most alarming symptom of hard stool. If a person keeps bleeding, immediate medical help may be required.

Other signs of firm stools include:
•    discomfort in the abdomen
•    inability to pass gas
•    discomfort when passing stools
•    squeezing stools when passing them

Many of these signs can make you fearful about passing additional stools. Constipation can be aggravated by this concern.