A fecal impaction is a large, hard mass of stool that gets stuck so badly in your colon or rectum that you can’t push it out. You may also be unable to sense or respond when stool is in your rectum.

Fecal impaction is when a hard, dry mass of stool becomes stuck in the colon or rectum. If laxatives and suppositories do not help, enema, water irrigation, or manual evacuation may be necessary.

Lindsay Curtis is a health & medical writer in South Florida. She worked as a communications professional for health nonprofits and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of ...