Stool Hardness

Supplements That Make Stool Soft

Hard, dry stools are commonly associated with constipation. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, constipation can occur in people of all ages, though it most often affects women, especially pregnant women, and...

Constipation Symptoms During Pregnancy

Constipation affects about half of all women during pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association. There are a number of reasons women are impacted by this uncomfortable problem. Pregnant women tend to become less physically active,...

Home Remedies for Stool Softening

Stool softening will relieve the pain and discomfort of constipation. When an person becomes constipated, her stools are hard, making them difficult and painful to pass. Some hard stools may remain in the rectal vault, increasing discomfort....

Decreased Bowel Movements in an Infant

A decrease in bowel movements does not necessarily mean your infant is suffering from constipation. The infant should also display signs that she is uncomfortable when having a bowel movement. If stools are hard and dry when passed, this is...

Causes of an Impacted Colon

Impacted colon, also known as fecal impaction, occurs when stool becomes hard and dry and is difficult to eliminate from the rectum. As the impaction worsens, it may cause symptoms such as small stools, straining during bowel movements and rectal...

Chronic Constipation Symptoms

Constipation is a gastrointestinal condition where an individual experiences less bowel movements than normal, stools are hard or patients have to strain during bowel movements. Chronic constipation is characterized by the frequent occurrence of...

Abnormal Bowel Movements in Toddlers

There is no real "normal" bowel movement when it comes to toddlers. This is because what your child drinks, eats and how physically active he is varies from day to day and greatly affects what type of bowel movement he has. However, abnormal bowel...

Healthy Stool Softener for Children

Constipation can make kids miserable. Trying to pass large stools is difficult for both children and their parents who watch them suffer. This can inspire parents to do something to help their children. Some stool softeners can relieve the...

Can I Give My Newborn Prune Juice for Constipation?

Having a newborn at home is a joyous and exhilarating time, but also can cause a lot of stress and anxiety, especially when dealing with possible medical issues. If your newborn has not passed a stool in several days or stools are hard and...

How to Help Improve Bowel Movements in Children

Constipation doesn't usually indicate a serious problem in children and can usually be remedied with a change in dietary and exercise habits, according to Kids Health. Constipation in children is characterized by less frequent bowel movements or...

Abdominal Pain & Constipation in Children

Constipation is a common gastrointestinal problem that happens to both children and adults. The condition is usually characterized by fewer than three bowel movements a week, bowel movements that are difficult or painful to pass or stools that are...

How to Cleanse the Colon of Constipation Naturally

The Mayo Clinic states that the "root cause" of constipation is when the colon muscles move too slowly or the colon itself absorbs too much water, resulting in stools that are hard, dry or difficult to pass. Many of the constipation culprits cited...

Hemorrhoid Diet

Hemorrhoids are caused when intense pressure is put on the veins in the anus, causing them to expand and swell due to the pressure. Hemorrhoids can develop inside the anus or protrude out from the opening of the anus. They are common during...

Constipation in Preemie Newborns

Preemie babies have more trouble with constipation than full-term babies for several reasons. Decreased muscle tone, preemie formulas and a history of bowel infections can all contribute to problems with stools in premature babies, even after they...

High Fiber Foods That Add Bulk to Your Stools

Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. Most Americans don't eat enough fiber and this can have real health consequences. One common consequence of a low-fiber diet is constipation or the presence of hard stools that are difficult to...

Quick Home Remedy for Children's Constipation

A child is considered constipated when he difficulty having bowel movements. Constipated children usually have less than three bowel movements in a week. When they do manage to have a bowel movement, the stools have a tendency to be dry, hard...

Over the Counter Medications for the Relief of Constipation

The colon, also known as the large intestine, is located in the digestive tract and absorbs water, salts and minerals into the body. The remains of the food then pass into the rectum as feces and are excreted from the body through the anus....

Constipation & Diet For Toddlers

When a toddler is constipated, she will have difficulty passing stools, and the stools will be hard and dry and may have blood on the outside. Not passing stools often doesn't necessarily mean your toddler is constipated, since it is the...

Dietary Choices for Severe & Chronic Constipation

Constipation happens to everyone at some time in their lives. A person may encounter severe and chronic constipation. Constipation can be defined as infrequent or hard stools, pain during the passage of stool, the inability to pass stool after 10...

High Protein Diet and Constipation

Because high protein diets often rely on animal-based foods that do not contain fiber, constipation can be an uncomfortable side effect. Long-term constipation can lead to heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer.

How Does Food Affect the Colon?

Your colon is the end of the trail for your digestive system. Food digestion starts in your mouth, continues in the stomach, takes place primarily in the small intestine and ends in the large intestine, or colon. By the time food reaches the...

Changes to Bowel Habits With a Low-Carb Diet

Low-carbohydrate diets have been around in one form or another since the 1970s, when Dr. Robert Atkins first published "Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution," a book on what is probably the best known low-carb diet. Constipation, however, is a fairly common...

Signs of an Impacted Colon

An impacted colon is the presence of hard, dry stool in the rectum. This condition is also known as a fecal impaction. There are several signs of an impacted colon that give health professionals the information they need to make an accurate...

Fiber and Constipation in Children

Constipation can be a painful condition that makes your child cry, irritated and miserable. The frequency of bowel movements can vary, and thus it may be difficult to determine whether your child is constipated or not. Signs of constipation...

Impacted Stool Diet

Impacted stool occurs when feces becomes blocked in the rectum. It has a number of causes, such as too little fiber in the diet, gastrointestinal disorders and dehydration. You can relieve and prevent impacted stool by adjusting your diet.

End Signs of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive condition in which the central nervous system gradually loses the ability to control muscular movements. It is characterized by tremor in the hands, fingers and feet, rigid or stiff muscles, poor balance...

Remedies for Chronic Constipation

Constipation occurs when bowel movements are sporadic or incomplete. Stools that are hard, dry and painful to expel as well as abdominal discomfort and pain during a daily bowel movement may also signal constipation. The Mayo Clinic notes that...

Natural Ways to Relieve Constipation

Your stool contains toxins, byproducts of body systems and components from your food that you don't need or can't use. It's stuff you don't want hanging around in your body for longer than it has to. You should eliminate this stool regularly,...

Constipation Health Video (Video)

Constipation is the condition of experiencing hard feces which are difficult to pass. Learn remedies and treatment options for constipation in this health video.