Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have hard poop? Hard poop isn’t a normal occurrence for most people unless their body has something wrong with it. What causes hard poop? What are the symptoms and what remedies are there? Keep reading to find out.
Causes
There are a variety of causes of hard poop. In order to determine which may be causing yours, you or your doctor, must evaluate your history. Here are some of the most likely causes of your hard poop problems.
Lack of Water
A common cause of many health ailments, not drinking enough water, can also be the cause of dry poop. If you do not intake enough water, there isn’t enough for your body to add liquid to your feces. While the most common cause of lack of water is a failure to drink enough water during the day there are also medications and conditions which can cause increased water needs.
Delaying Bowel Movements (and Constipation)
For some people, the idea of using a public restroom is one of the most unsettling thoughts in the world. Instead of using a public restroom, they will hold their bowel movements. When you hold your bowel movements your poop dries out in the colon.
Constipation can also cause dried poop for the same reason. Constipation results in your body holding feces for longer than normal and thus drying it out.
Lack of Fiber
Fiber is an important part of your diet. One of the many purposes of dietary fiber is that it helps your body to form proper feces. Without fiber, your poops will come out hard as they do not have the required softening ingredients.
Symptoms
The most obvious symptom of hard poop is that your poop will be hard. There are a number of other symptoms that you might experience when you have hard poop. Let’s take a look at them.
- Painful bowel movements
- Constipation
- Fecal impaction (hard poop stuck in the bowel or rectum)
- Rectal bleeding
- Straining during bowel movements
- Pain in the back (lower back mostly)
- Pellet poop
Remedies
The specific remedy for hard poop depends on the cause. Make sure to thoroughly analyze your specific condition and find the cause. We have provided remedies to the most common causes of hard poop.
Remedies for Lack of Water
For those who suffer from hard poop due to a lack of water, it should be fairly simple to remedy the situation. Start drinking more water. An easy way to remember to increase water consumption is to start tracking how much water you drink. There are water bottles that help you to do this as well as apps to help with it.
Remedies for Bowel Movement Delay
For those that hold their poop in, the simple solution is to embrace the fact that it is time to go to the restroom when your body tells you it is time. If you feel like you have to poop, find the closest restroom. If you don’t like public restrooms, carry Clorox wipes or toilet seat covers with you.
Remedies for Constipation Based Hard Poop
Hard poop that is caused by constipation can be a little harder to treat. You need to treat the constipation in order to cure the hard poop problem. Stool softeners and laxatives are two treatment options for constipation; however, you must be careful with such medication because if used for too long, it can create dependency.
Other treatments for constipation include proper dietary care, proper bodily care, and careful use of medications that may cause constipation.
Remedies for Fiber Based Hard Poop
For those who have hard poop stemming from a lack of fiber, you have a couple of options. The best option is to add more fiber to your diet. This can be done by adding a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains to your meals. You can also take dietary supplements for fiber. Fiber based hard poop may take longer to go away than other causes of hard poop because your body has to start absorbing the fiber.
No matter what causes your hard poop we hope that this article has helped you to find the solution that is right for you. Should remedies suggested here not work, it is highly suggested that you contact a physician.
