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Constipation " � This means your bowel movements are too hard or small, difficult to get out, and happen fewer than 3 times per week.Straining during bowel movementsDiarrhea " � This means your bowel movements are watery or runny and happen more than 3 times a day.Problems in the pelvic area, including weak muscles or a history of pelvic surgery.
What are the symptoms of rectal prolapse in adults? " � The main symptom is bright red tissue sticking out of the anus. The tissue might have mucus or blood on it. Rectal prolapse is not usually painful but can be uncomfortable. The tissue might stay outside the anus or move back inside the body. � �
Other symptoms include: � �
- Trouble starting a bowel movement
- Feeling like you have not fully emptied your bowels
- Leaking solid or liquid bowel movements (called "fecal incontinence " �)
Is there a test for rectal prolapse? " � Your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have the problem by doing an exam. If the tissue has moved back inside your body, your doctor might ask you to squat or sit on the toilet to check if the tissue comes back out of your body. � �
You might need other tests. These tests can also show if you have a different problem. They include: � �
- An MRI " � This test creates pictures of the inside of the body.
- Cystocolpoproctography " � For this test, a doctor fills your bladder, vagina, and rectum with a substance called "contrast material " � that shows up on X-rays. The X-rays show how these parts of your body are working.
- Defecography " � This test also uses contrast material in the rectum and takes X-rays while you have a bowel movement.
- Manometry " � This test measures the pressure inside the rectum. It can show if the muscles that control bowel movements are working correctly.
How is rectal prolapse treated? " � The treatment depends on how serious your symptoms are and if you have other health problems. Whatever treatment you have, your doctor will likely tell you to: � �
- Eat foods that have a lot of fiber. Good choices are fruits, vegetables, prune juice, and cereal (table 1). You should eat between 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day.
- Drink 4 to 8 cups of water or other fluids per day.
Other treatment include: � �
- Laxatives " � These are medicines that help make bowel movements easier to get out. Some are pills that you swallow. Others go into the rectum and are called "suppositories. " �
- Enemas " � For this treatment, a doctor or nurse squirts fluid into your rectum to help empty your bowels.
- Pelvic floor exercises with biofeedback " � These exercises strengthen the muscles that control the flow of urine and bowel movements. They are called "Kegel " � exercises. Biofeedback uses devices called sensors that measure muscle activity. They can tell you if you are using the muscles the right way.
- Surgery " � Doctors use different kinds of surgery to fix rectal prolapse. The surgery is usually done through the belly. But in some cases, it is done through the area between the genitals and the anus, called the "perineum. " �
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. � �
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. � �
Topic 83752 Version 4.0 � �
Release: 22.8 - C22.206 � �
� � 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. � �
figure 1
Diagram of the colon and rectum
This figure shows the different parts of the colon (also known as the large intestine), the rectum, and the anus.
Graphic 58531 Version 6.0
View Originalfigure 1
Diagram of the colon and rectum
This figure shows the different parts of the colon (also known as the large intestine), the rectum, and the anus.
Graphic 58531 Version 6.0
View Original
� �
table 1Amount of fiber in different foodsView Largetable 1Amount of fiber in different foods
Food
Serving
Grams of fiber
Fruits
Apple (with skin)
1 medium apple
4.4
Banana
1 medium banana
3.1
Oranges
1 orange
3.1
Prunes
1 cup, pitted
12.4
Juices
Apple, unsweetened, w/added ascorbic acid
1 cup
0.5
Grapefruit, white, canned, sweetened
1 cup
0.2
Grape, unsweetened, w/added ascorbic acid
1 cup
0.5
Orange
1 cup
0.7
Vegetables
Cooked
Green beans
1 cup
4.0
Carrots
1/2 cup sliced
2.3
Peas
1 cup
8.8
Potato (baked, with skin)
1 medium potato
3.8
Raw
Cucumber (with peel)
1 cucumber
1.5
Lettuce
1 cup shredded
0.5
Tomato
1 medium tomato
1.5
Spinach
1 cup
0.7
Legumes
Baked beans, canned, no salt added
1 cup
13.9
Kidney beans, canned
1 cup
13.6
Lima beans, canned
1 cup
11.6
Lentils, boiled
1 cup
15.6
Breads, pastas, flours
Bran muffins
1 medium muffin
5.2
Oatmeal, cooked
1 cup
4.0
White bread
1 slice
0.6
Whole-wheat bread
1 slice
1.9
Pasta and rice, cooked
Macaroni
1 cup
2.5
Rice, brown
1 cup
3.5
Rice, white
1 cup
0.6
Spaghetti (regular)
1 cup
2.5
Nuts
Almonds
1/2 cup
8.7
Peanuts
1/2 cup
7.9
To learn how much fiber and other nutrients are in different foods, visit the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/.
Graphic 52349 Version 3.0 � �
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