Nobody likes to think about fecal incontinence, but it happens. And when it happens to you there is no choice but to think about it. If you are having trouble controlling your bowels, or if you have stool leaking as you pass gas, you are experiencing fecal incontinence.
While fecal incontinence is certainly more common in older adults, it can occur at any age. However, even in older adults, fecal incontinence should never be considered a natural byproduct of aging. When any type of unexpected leakage from the rectum occurs, it warrants a discussion with your doctor.
Fecal incontinence can severely impact a person’s life in that there may be embarrassment or shame connected with the condition. Many people, who where very social, withdraw from friends and family for fear of being humiliated. The thought of a public accident is enough to keep many fecal incontinence sufferers home. This isolation is a tragic byproduct of bowel incontinence, and it is why you want to discuss this problem with your doctor sooner rather than later.
With the help of your physician many times your symptoms can be lessened or relieved. There are many different causes for fecal incontinence, and your doctor can help you sort out the cause and recommend a course of treatment.
One of the top causes for fecal incontinence is constipation. This condition causes the rectum to become overloaded with hardened stool, and as this mass becomes lodged in place watery stool can seep out around it. This condition can stretch the rectum’s muscles weakening them so that they cannot confidently hold stool, and this results in fecal incontinence. At the other end of the spectrum from constipation is diarrhea, which also causes incontinence. When the stool is loose, it fills the rectum faster and leaks out. While you can suffer from diarrhea as a result of an illness like the flu, when the problem becomes chronic, it is considered to be fecal incontinence.
While constipation can cause muscle damage to the rectum, there are sphincter muscles at either end of the rectum which can sustain damage and also cause incontinence. These sphincter muscles can be damaged in childbirth and hemorrhoid surgery among other things. Along with muscle damage, nerve damage can also cause fecal incontinence. When the nerves, which sense the stool is ready to pass, do not send a message to the brain, you will never know that you have to go to the bathroom. Nerve damage can occur from injury or illness, which can also cause diminished storage capacity and incontinence.
If you are working with your doctor to manage fecal incontinence, there are some practical things that you can do to make your life a little easier. Always have a backpack with a change of clothes with you. Hopefully you will not need it, but if you ever have an accident, it can be a lifesaver. Know where the restrooms are in your day to day travels, so that when you need to relieve yourself, you know exactly where to go. Then to reduce the likelihood of needing an emergency toilet trip while you are out, always go to the bathroom just before leaving your house.
When you think an accident may be likely, wear disposable incontinence pads designed for fecal incontinence. By having the proper incontinence products available, you will be able to go about your day confidently. At DryForLife we have been helping people choose the best incontinence products for their particular situation, and we are always here to help.
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