Impaction, from the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 impingere, is a medical

Medicine

Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

 term used to describe several different types of blockage.

In Reptiles

Impaction occurs in reptile

Reptile

Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...

s when they consume something that they cannot digest

Digestion

Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....

. Common causes of impaction are rocks and sand which might be accidentally consumed when the reptile attacks its prey. Once the substance is ingested it will block the digestive tract

Gastrointestinal tract

The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....

 and, if untreated, cause death.

Symptoms

Some symptoms include a lack of appetite or lethargy. On many animals a large blue seemingly bruised spot will be visible in the abdomen

Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...

; however, this only shows through if the skin on the animal is clear enough to see the lower internal organs.

Treatment

Common treatments involve placing the animal in a lukewarm bath and gently rubbing the area under the impaction to help the passing of the consumed substance, place both thumbs on the back at the middle, put the first two fingers under the belly and rub gently in a circular way until the beaded dragon puffs up, when the lizard puffs up it will go the loo. If this fails, the animal must have an enema

Enema

An enema is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus. The increasing volume of the liquid causes rapid expansion of the lower intestinal tract, often resulting in very uncomfortable bloating, cramping, powerful peristalsis, a feeling of extreme urgency and...

.

In relation to Digestion

Impaction is a pathological condition

Pathology

Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....

 in humans when an impassable mass of stone-like faecal matter collects in the rectum

Rectum

The rectum is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long...

. It frequently occurs as a result of dehydration

Dehydration

In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...

, inactivity, and medications, such as narcotics or psychotropicagents, which slow the peristalsis

Peristalsis

Peristalsis is a radially symmetrical contraction and relaxation of muscles which propagates in a wave down the muscular tube, in an anterograde fashion. In humans, peristalsis is found in the contraction of smooth muscles to propel contents through the digestive tract. Earthworms use a similar...

, and increase the time that the colonic mucosa will extract moisture from the faecal bolus.

Treatment

Treatment involves attempts at moving the impaction by enema

Enema

An enema is the procedure of introducing liquids into the rectum and colon via the anus. The increasing volume of the liquid causes rapid expansion of the lower intestinal tract, often resulting in very uncomfortable bloating, cramping, powerful peristalsis, a feeling of extreme urgency and...

 and, failing that, breaking up the impaction transrectally by using a (gloved) finger, pressing the mass against the coccyx

Coccyx

The coccyx , commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column. Comprising three to five separate or fused vertebrae below the sacrum, it is attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between...

 to fracture it into smaller pieces. Proceeding this, A follow-up enema is usually required in addition to proper ongoing hydration, bulk in the diet

Diet (nutrition)

In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...

, exercise and review of all medications to discontinue all those responsible is important to prevent recurrence.

Impaction is also used, in conjunction with filtration, to remove large dust particles and other foreign objects as they enter the body through the nose.

Informal Definition

Dental impactions are often known to occur when there is not enough room in the jaw for new molar teeth to erupt properly. This can lead to a variety of dental problems, including cysts. There are several types of dental impaction