Fecal impaction typically occurs when a person has not had a bowel movement for many days. Several lifestyle factors and medical conditions increase the risk of fecal impaction. Some populations ...

Paradoxical diarrhea is caused by fecal impaction when a hard stool gets "stuck" in the colon, causing watery stool to leak around the impaction. Long-term laxative use can contribute to this.

However, bowel movement patterns naturally vary from ... It can also cause fecal impaction, in which hard stool becomes stuck in the rectum, preventing the person from passing stool effectively.