What causes heavy and bloated stools?

If you feel a distended feeling in your anus, you should pay attention to a comprehensive examination. Common anal distended problems are caused by anorectal diseases, such as rectal sinusitis or hemorrhoids, as well as rectal prolapse, which may manifest these symptoms.

1. Anal swelling is one of the difficult diseases in anorectal medicine. It is not an independent disease, but a symptom caused by multiple systemic diseases. Patients often feel an unbearable swelling in the anus, which sometimes radiates to the lumbar spine, buttocks and thighs, and may be accompanied by tenesmus and frequent urge to defecate. Symptoms often recur and linger, lasting from a few days in mild cases to months or even years in severe cases. They are difficult to cure and seriously affect the patient's quality of life.

2. Inflammation of the rectum and anal sinus: Inflammation is one of the main causes of anal swelling. The course of the disease varies. Symptoms include frequent urge to defecate, increased heaviness and distension during defecation, or pain and distension radiating to the sacrum and coccyx causing pain, or thin stools, or stools with a small amount of mucus and blood. During rectal examination, if it is proctitis, the mucosa in the middle and lower rectum will be congested and edematous, or there will be a large amount of secretions attached, or there will be ulcers and bleeding; if it is anal sinusitis, the diseased anal sinus opening will be congested, or a small amount of purulent secretions will overflow, and there will be a sore and swollen feeling when pressing this area.

3. Internal rectal prolapse: Internal rectal prolapse refers to the situation in which the entire layer of the proximal rectal wall or just the mucosal layer is folded into the distal intestinal cavity or anal canal during defecation, does not extend beyond the outer edge of the anus, and persists after the feces are discharged. The most prominent symptoms of internal rectal prolapse are time-consuming and laborious defecation, anal distension, increased frequency of bowel movements, and incomplete emptying of the rectum. Other common symptoms include mucus and blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and abnormal urination. These symptoms seem to be non-characteristic.