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24 years
I had a severe constipation this week associated with pain whenever I went to the toilet; so now I'm worried because of the pain. It's the third day I don't excrete, what should I do?
Oct 23, 2014

Dr. Zakia Dimassi Pediatrics
Four days without passing bowel movement means that you most likely have fecal loading, whereby stools build up and fill the entire length of the colon.
If you are otherwise healthy and have no medical problems such as bleeding tendency, you can try enema at home (usually 2 doses are required for an adult to produce significant relief from constipation). You may apply Vaseline petroleum jelly to the anal area to facilitate passage of stools without developing anal fissures (considering that the stools will be hard).
This is for the short-term. As for the long-term, you will have to follow certain measures to avoid having severe constipation again, starting from adequate oral hydration (2 liters of water daily), a fiber-rich diet, fiber supplements (fiber sachets, sometimes in combination with mild natural laxatives, are available in sachets in pharmacies), and regular exercise (allows the abdominal muscles to contract which promotes intestinal motility).
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