Tenesmus

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Lower digestive anatomy

Tenesmus is the feeling that you constantly need to pass stools, even though your bowels are already empty. It may involve straining, pain, and cramping.

Pain - passing stool; Painful stools; Difficulty passing stool

Tenesmus usually occurs with inflammatory diseases of the bowels. These diseases may be caused by an infection or other conditions.

It can also occur with diseases that affect the normal movements of the intestines. Such diseases are called motility disorders.

Persons with tenesmus may push very hard (strain) to try to empty their bowels, but they pass little stool.

• Anorectal abscess
• Colorectal cancer or tumors
• Crohn's disease
• Infection of the colon (infectious colitis)
• Inflammation of the colon or rectum from radiation (radiation proctitis or colitis)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Movement (motility) disorder of the intestines
• Ulcerative colitis

Review Date: 07/07/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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