ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hard sigmoid

Okay kiddo, so first you need to know what the word sigmoid means. It's a fancy way of describing the shape of your colon, which is a tube-shaped part of your digestive system. The sigmoid part of your colon is kind of like a curve, like the letter "S."

Now sometimes, people can have something called a "hard sigmoid." This means that the sigmoid part of their colon feels very firm to the touch, like a rock or a hard lump. This can happen for a few reasons.

One reason might be that someone is constipated, which means they're having a hard time pooping. When you can't poop very well, your colon can fill up with waste and get very full and hard. Sometimes, this can cause the sigmoid part of your colon to feel really stiff.

Another reason someone might have a hard sigmoid is if they have a medical condition like diverticulitis, which is when small pouches in their colon get inflamed and infected. This can cause pain and discomfort, and might make the sigmoid part of their colon feel hard.

If someone has a hard sigmoid, it's important for them to go to the doctor to figure out what's causing it. The doctor might do some tests to see if there's a problem with their colon, and they might give them medicine or other treatments to help them feel better.