What can cause the feeling of stool being stuck in the rectum or anus?

M.M.

In many cases, the sensation that stool is stuck in the rectum is based in reality. People suffering from chronic constipation often do not completely evacuate hardened stool. However, in other instances, such as in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, a sensation of incomplete evacuation may occur even when there is no stool left in the rectum. In such people, an abnormally sensitive rectum may falsely give the impression of incomplete evacuation.

Other causes of this uncomfortable sensation may stem from obstructions in the rectum or anus. Sometimes hemorrhoids can grow large enough to block the free flow of stool. Such hemorrhoids are sometimes found only in the rectum and thus not be visible at the anus. Although hemorrhoids typically will also cause pain as they attain large sizes, this is not always the case. Polyps and tumors in the rectum can also impede the movement of stool out of the anus and give the feeling of stool remaining stuck in the rectum. It is also important for doctors to consider a foreign body, either swallowed or placed into the rectum, as a potential cause for obstruction at the anus.

The symptom you describe should be evaluated by a physician. An anal and rectal exam must be done. It is also likely that you will be referred for a proctosigmoidoscopy. This test, done by a gastroenterologist using a flexible scope, allows for complete visualization of the lower colon and rectum to fully evaluate the potential problem.