How to Empty Bowels Completely and Treat Tenesmus

Understanding Bowel Movements and Complete Evacuation

Achieving complete and satisfactory bowel evacuation is important for digestive health. However, many people struggle with feeling like they can't fully empty their bowels. This uncomfortable sensation is known as tenesmus.

What is Tenesmus?

Tenesmus refers to the feeling that you need to pass stool or empty your bowels even after going to the bathroom. You may continue to feel the urgent need to go or feel like you didn't completely finish. There are many potential causes behind this troubling symptom that should not be ignored.

Why It's Important Not to Ignore

Trying to force more stool out when your bowels are actually empty can lead to health issues over time. This includes hemorrhoids from excessive straining or anal fissures (small tears in the skin lining of the anus) that wont properly heal since they keep getting reopened. Letting tenesmus go unchecked can severely impact your quality of life.

What Prevents Full Bowel Evacuation

There are a number of possible medical conditions that can make complete bowel emptying difficult including:

• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Anal fissures
• Rectal prolapse
• Nerve damage in the pelvic region
• Spinal cord injuries

The specific treatment options will depend on the underlying cause behind your inability to fully eliminate stool.

Getting an Accurate Diagnosis

Describing your symptoms in detail to your doctor is crucial for getting properly diagnosed if you continually feel the urge to pass stool without result. Be prepared to answer questions on:

• How long youve had issues emptying your bowels
• If you see blood when wiping
• If you have abdominal pain or cramping
• How often you typically have bowel movements
• If you have diarrhea, constipation, or consistently normal stools
• If certain foods make your need to defecate worse

Medical Treatment Options for Tenesmus

Treatment will focus on addressing what's causing your feeling of incomplete defecation. Your doctor may prescribe:

Medications

Such as anti-diarrheal medicines, laxatives, stool softeners, antibiotics, or other drugs to treat underlying infections and conditions related to tenesmus. For example, people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohns disease may be given immune suppressors.

Bowel Retraining Techniques

These help coordinate body and brain for healthier bowel movements by encouraging using the bathroom at routine times.

Biofeedback Therapy

This trains your pelvic floor muscles to relax through painless sensors that monitor bodily functions. It helps those with previous bowel traumas or nervous system issues related to going number two.

Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes

Easy at-home treatments that can provide relief from the feel of tenesmus include:

Stay Hydrated

Drinking adequate fluids helps soften stool consistency for easier passing.

Daily Exercise

Physical activity accelerates digestion and can alleviate constipation.

Eat More Fiber

Fiber-rich foods also help normalize stool and make them easier to pass fully.

Avoid Straining

Take a stool softener or laxative if needed versus straining excessively to empty bowels.

Try Squatting

This position straightens the angle of the rectum for more complete evacuation.

Improve Toilet Posture

Keeping good posture aligned also aids defecation. Perch your feet on a low step stool and stay off phones to avoid distraction.

When to Seek Emergency Care

Consult your doctor right away if you experience:

• Severe rectal pain
• Significantly bloody stool
• New inability to have bowel movements
• Intense bouts of diarrhea
• Severe nausea and vomiting along with tenesmus

These can indicate serious medical problems requiring prompt professional treatment such as an obstruction, rectal prolapse, or colon inflammation.

Achieve Healthy and Complete Bowel Emptying

Tenesmus is a troublesome sensation that makes it feel impossible to void your bowels satisfactorily. Getting to the root cause through accurate diagnosis and following doctor's orders for managing underlying conditions is key to restoring healthy defecation and eliminating frustrating tenesmus so you don't have to strain endlessly in vain again.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.