When Does Constipation Become an Emergency?

For the most part, constipation is not an uncommon occurrence. It affects 16 out of 100 adults who experience constipation symptoms.

When constipation is an emergency, your inability to pass stool may also include debilitating abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting—among other severe symptoms. Here's what to know about the more alarming symptoms of constipation and what treatment looks like.

What Is Constipation?

When you consume food, your large intestine absorbs the water from that food, creating waste products—or stool. Normally, stool evacuates through your anus.

If you become constipated, stool slowly moves through and builds up inside your colon. You may be constipated if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Experiencing pain or difficulty while passing stool
• Feeling like stool has not completely passed after having a bowel movement
• Having less than three bowel movements during one week
  
• Passing stool that appears lumpy or hard—caused by your colon absorbing water from backed-up stool

However, just because constipation happens doesn't mean it's normal. "There's no such thing as normal constipation," Rudolph A. Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., told Health. "Constipation in itself is an abnormal condition, which you should do whatever you need to do to avoid."

When To See a Healthcare Provider About Constipation

While backed-up stool eventually passes, constipation may sometimes become serious. It can be part of an underlying condition—like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—or even lead to serious problems for your colon. You should consult a healthcare provider as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms.

Severe Abdominal Pain

Constipation can cause feelings of discomfort. However, if your situation bypasses uncomfortable and becomes debilitatingly painful, it is time to seek help.

"[Constipation] can sometimes feel worse than labor pain," Elana Maser, MD, assistant professor of gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and gastroenterologist at the Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center at Mount Sinai in New York City, told Health. "The emergency is the pain."

Researchers found that chronic constipation may cause bowel perforation—or holes that form in the lining of your colon—due to lumpy and hard stool.

Those holes may be the culprit of severe abdominal pain. The researchers noted that although bowel perforation as a result of chronic constipation is rare, it is a situation that requires immediate medical attention.

Blood in Your Stool

Passing stool and noticing it contains blood is another reason to seek immediate medical care. Blood in your stool could indicate various conditions, from colorectal cancer to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Whatever the cause, it's essential to consult a healthcare provider to receive the necessary treatment.

Fever

Constipation itself does not cause a fever. If you are constipated and develop a fever, that may be a sign of diverticulitis. Diverticulitis occurs when diverticula, or small pouches, form in the colon. Those pouches usually do not cause problems but can sometimes become inflamed or infected.

Even in mild cases, you will likely need to complete a round of antibiotics to treat bouts of diverticulitis. In serious cases of the condition, the colon may bleed or tear.

Inability to Pass Gas

If you're constipated and can't pass gas, you may be experiencing a bowel obstruction. The obstruction can be in the small or large intestine and keep the body from moving digested products through your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

No Bowel Movements for More Than One Week

After seven days, your constipation may not necessarily be an emergency, but a healthcare provider can prevent the situation from becoming one.

Too many days with no bowel movements could lead to fecal impaction, where stool hardens and remains in the rectum. Although fecal impaction is more common among older adults and people with underlying conditions complicating their constipation, it can still be a threat.

Healthcare providers can stop fecal impaction from becoming serious by issuing an enema to soften your stool. They may also insert a finger into your rectum to separate large waste products into smaller pieces easier for you to pass.

Vomiting

Vomiting while experiencing constipation may indicate that impacted stool has seriously blocked your colon. Several conditions can cause nausea and vomiting, including fecal impaction, so consult a healthcare provider.

Constipation in Children

Constipation can look different for babies and young children. The symptoms include not only changes in bowel movements but also behavioral changes.

Symptoms in Babies

Infants may have the following symptoms:

• Crying during a bowel movement
• Hard or pellet-like bowel movements
• Less frequent bowel movements than usual

Symptoms in Young Children

When toddlers are constipated and feel like they have to have a bowel movement, they may start:

• Arching their back
• Crossing their legs
• Rocking back and forth with stiff buttocks and legs
• Squatting
• Standing on their tiptoes
• Wriggling or fidgeting

Symptoms that Warrant Immediate Medical Attention

Take your child to see a healthcare provider if you're concerned about their bowel habits or if you notice the following:

• For infants younger than four months old: Excessive crying, fewer than three bowel movements weekly, hard stools, and vomiting
• For older infants: A lack of desire to eat, blood in diaper, distended abdomen, vomiting, and weight loss
• For children: A lack of desire to eat, blood in bowel movements, pain complaints during bowel movements, repeated constipation episodes, and toilet training trouble

Treatments for Infants and Children

Talk with a healthcare provider to determine how to treat constipation in infants under four months old. For infants aged four months and older, consider the following remedies:

• Dark corn syrup
• Formulas with iron
• Fruit juice in small amounts and no longer than one to two weeks
• High-fiber foods for babies who can eat solid foods
  

Treatment for younger children can include:

• Offering fruit juice for no longer than one to two weeks and a well-balanced diet
• Encouraging healthy toilet habits for toilet-trained children
• Refraining from toilet training for two to three months
  

Treating Constipation

To get relief from constipation, you can try some of the following options at home:

• Eating high-fiber foods
• Engaging in bowel training (i.e., going to the restroom every day at the same time)
• Exercising regularly
• Going to the restroom when you have to go instead of waiting or holding it
• Taking provider-prescribed laxatives
• Using over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives or enemas if necessary
  

A Quick Review

Constipation is not normal, but severe symptoms of constipation can include an inability to pass gas, bloody stools, or vomiting. Also, be aware of constipation symptoms in younger children, such as excessive crying and movements like squatting or fidgeting.

In most cases, constipation can be resolved with behavioral and dietary changes, but speak with a healthcare provider if you're worried about constipation symptoms.