Why holding your poop is bad

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This U-shaped muscle supports the anal canal. It also creates an angle at the anorectal junction. This is between the rectum and the anal canal. When it contracts, it pulls the rectum tight, like a shut-off valve, restricting flow. Circling the outside wall of your anal canal and anal opening is a layer of voluntary muscle known as your external sphincter.

At will, you can cause it to contract close and expand open to either hold in poop or have a bowel movement. When your rectum , a tube-shaped organ at the end of your colon, fills with poop, it stretches.

To hold it in, the muscles around the rectum will tighten. Regularly ignoring this urge to poop can lead to constipation. Constipation is defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week. You may also strain when you do have a bowel movement and pass hard, dry stools. For some, having a bowel movement three times per day is normal. Others may poop just three times per week. But how long can you go without pooping?

It varies from person to person. However, a case study describes a year-old woman who went 75 days without a bowel movement.

This is a large, solid accumulation of feces that gets stuck and is unable to be pushed out. Another result of not having bowel movements might be a gastrointestinal perforation. This is a hole that develops in the gastrointestinal tract due to the pressure of the excess fecal matter on your intestines. If this occurs and fecal matter spills into your abdominal cavity, its bacteria can cause severe and even life-threatening symptoms. A study found that an increased fecal load in the colon increases bacterial counts and creates long-term inflammation of the inner lining of the colon.

This is a risk factor for cancer. The study also suggests that voluntarily holding in your poop might also be associated with appendicitis and hemorrhoids. World J Gastroenterol. Rectal hyposensitivity. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. Mount Sinai. Constipation and stool withholding. Published October 19, Grothe R.

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These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Ignoring the Urge.

Predicting the Urge. Withholding in Children. Frequently Asked Questions If rectal muscles are stretched and feeling or the urge to "go" is lost, how does a doctor treat this condition? How do you know if your child is withholding stool? How can I help my child if they suffer from stool withholding? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Related Articles. What Is Paradoxical Diarrhea? Can Constipation Cause Headaches? Trouble Pooping After Surgery? Here's How to Fix It.