12 Signs of Constipation
The wise Dawn Salicidi PT, RCMT, BCB-PMD is well known for teaching health care practitioners about Pediatric voiding issues including problems of the bladder and bowels. My favorite quote from her course was “constipated until proven otherwise.” When I took this course, 6 years ago, this concept was foreign to me. What does she mean?
Constipation can be tricky in all individuals, but especially children. Once our children are potty trained and independent with wiping, we may not be seeing their poop or being as aware of their bowel habits unless something is going wrong.
Did you know that a person can poop everyday and still be constipated? A person can have a bowel movement MULTIPLE times a day and still show up with lots of stool in their abdomen with x-ray. Frequency of BMs is not a great indicator of constipation status.
If you’ve been here a while, you know STOOL CONSISTENCY is the key to knowing how the bowels are working. We want soft, smooshy, easy to pass poop that comes out like soft mushy blobs, soft serve ice cream or smooth snakes!
Looking for some signs about if you or your child (or your husband who poops for 45 minutes everyday) is constipated?
Top 12 from Pediatric Urology Specialist, Steve Hodges, MD!
1) Extra large poops: clog the toilets, what coming out doesn’t seem equivalent to what went in recently
2) Very firm poops: logs, pellets, thick bumpy sausages, really heavy ploppers
3) Poop accidents, leaks, smears…oh my!
4) Bedwetting, nighttime frequency or daytime leaks
5) Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
6) Extremely frequent and/or urgent peeing
7) Infrequent pooping: only goes 1 x per week
8) Pooping more than 2 x per day
9) Belly pain/ bloating
10) Skid marks in their underwear or itchy anus
11) Super loose poop: forever diarrhea
12) Bad breath
If an individual has more than 2 of these symptoms, they are likely constipated and could benefit from Pelvic Floor PT to help them have healthy bowels!
Want to do an in person or virtual consultation to help with poop problems?
Email me at practicallyperfectPT@gmail.com
Practically Yours,
Mora Pluchino
Link to Dr. Steve Hodges’s Website: www.bedwettingandaccidents.com
