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Archive for the ‘Bowel Incontinence’ Category

Common Causes of Bowel Incontinence

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Bowel incontinence, also known as faecal incontinence, can be caused by numerous conditions, such as diarrhea, constipation, nerve damage to the anal sphincter, muscle or nerve damage to the rectum and anus and surgical procedures. Identifying the cause of bowel incontinence is important when determining the correct treatment for the condition.

Diarrhea: It is much easier to “hold” your bowels when stool is solid. When an individual experiences frequent diarrhea, the ability to control bowels may be partially or completely absent. Diarrhea itself can be caused by many conditions, such as chronic laxative use or abuse and gastrointestinal disorders, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Getting to the bottom of what is causing the diarrhea may aid in regaining bowel control.

Constipation: It may seem incongruous that constipation can lead to bowel incontinence, but constipation can actually be a common cause of bowel incontinence. When constipation occurs, stool can become trapped in the rectum, which causes stool behind the impaction to leak around the impaction, resulting in the leakage of liquid stool.

Nerve damage: Nerve damage to the anus or rectum may result in incontinence. Nerves supplying the anus or rectum can interfere with the ability to sense when a bowel movement is imminent, and may also prevent the anus from closing properly as it should between bowel movements. Nerve damage may occur in an individual who has Multiple Sclerosis, stroke, diabetes or spinal cord injury.

Muscle Damage: The muscles surrounding the anus, which prevent stool from exiting the body without conscious control, can become damaged resulting in bowel incontinence. Childbirth is one event that can lead to muscle damage. These muscles may become damaged by giving birth to a large infant, especially if forceps are used or an episiotomy is done.

Surgery: Surgery performed to treat hemorrhoids may result in damage to the anus or rectum, causing bowel incontinence. Surgery to treat anal or rectal cancer may also result in bowel incontinence.
Many of the causes of bowel incontinence can be easily identified and treated, making it imperative that anyone suffering from bowel incontinence seek advice from their physician.

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Nobody Wants to Think About Fecal Incontinence

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

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.

Further Bowel Incontinence Articles

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Leaking Bowels Can be a Lot to Manage

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

If you are experiencing a decreased ability to control gas or stool, poorly controlled bowel motions or leaking bowels, then you are dealing with faecal incontinence or bowel incontinence. The symptoms for faecal incontinence can vary from an involuntary passing of gas to a complete loss of control. Affecting both women and men this type of incontinence can cause a great deal of anxiety in those suffering from it.

It can adversely affect your daily life and cause problems with your social life, your work life and your life in general. In elderly people, it is one of the most common reasons that they are placed in a nursing home. Even though this condition is relatively common, there is still a lot of reluctance discussing it, so many people never find the proper help that they need to manage the condition to their best advantage.

Passing a stool involves two sphincters, which are the muscles that hold the stool in the anal canal. There is an involuntary internal sphincter, which you do not consciously control, and there is a voluntarily external sphincter, which you can control. You can consciously squeeze the external muscles to prevent leaking bowels when you sneeze or cough for example. While ageing is certainly a contributing factor to faecal incontinence, there are other factors that can cause this condition as well. For example, in women childbirth is one of the biggest contributors to this type of incontinence. Small injuries to the sphincter muscles can occur from tears, infections, eposiotomies or a prolonged labor and may not show up for years. Then as the muscles weaken with age, the injury becomes an issue causing leaking bowels.

Abnormalities of the rectum can also cause this type of incontinence, whether from disease, genetics or injury. Other injuries like spinal cord injuries can also result in leaking bowels. Any time the nerve function is damaged, you can lose the ability to feel when you need to have a bowel movement. Suddenly it is impossible to tell the difference between the need to pass gas or a stool. As with any type of incontinence the treatments depend on the causes of the condition. Sometimes just a change in diet or simple medication can take care of the problem, and in other cases physical therapy to build muscle strength or to sense a stool can take care of the problem. Even surgical repairs are successful in correcting injury to anal muscles and restoring faecal continence.

So the first person that you want to consult, if you are having problems with leaking bowels, is your doctor, because your medical professional is the one who can help you efficiently resolve your problem. While you are working with your doctor to manage your bowel incontinence using the proper incontinence products can help you to stay active and engaged socially. DryForLife offers a complete line of incontinence pads and products, which can be ordered online or by phone and delivered discreetly right to your front door.

Further Bowel Incontinence Articles

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Overactive Bowel – Irregularity and Fiber

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Irregularity is a condition that affects both men and women. For some it can be overactive bowel: for others it can be constipation. Focusing on overactive bowel, the symptoms can be frequent stools or it can be diarrhea. It is very bothersome through the aging process. There are many diseases that cause overactive bowel, for example: Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis or diverticulosis, polyps and even constipation.
These bowel conditions require careful diagnosis. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis can be serious chronic conditions and can develop at very young age. These diseases can be treated or be in remission, but depending on the severity of the illness, and how your health is affected, a colostomy may be necessary. If you notice any symptoms such a mucous- looking stool, blood in the stool, watery stools or even a pattern of diarrhea and constipation you should consult your physician.
Gatroenterologists, doctors that specializes in problems of the digestive tract, agree that fiber helps your digestive system function regularly to prevent overactive bowel. There are two types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber slows digestion: it forms a gel when it mixes with water and will make loose stools more solid. In addition, it binds to fat in the digestive system to help eliminate them. Some examples are oatmeal, nuts and seeds, dried beans, peas, lentils, strawberries, blueberries, apples and citrus fruit. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to stools to help food move through your digestive system. It holds water so it softens stool to prevent constipation and promotes regularity. Insoluble fiber is found in foods like seeds, popcorn, wheat bran, whole grains (such as, whole wheat bread and brown rice), and most vegetables including carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.
You should include both types of fiber in your diet. However, if you are using fiber to treat overactive bowel symptoms talk to your doctor about how much of each type of fiber you need. Normally, you need 21-38 grams of fiber per day depending on your age and sex.
The amount of fiber in foods is listed on the “NUTRITION FACTS” label of all foods. It is part of the carbohydrate category. You should add fiber to your diet gradually increasing a small amount daily to avoid bloating, cramping or gas. You need to give your body time to adjust. It is also important to increase the amount of water you drink as you increase your fiber intake. So there you have it, a way a natural way to treat overactive bowel.
As you are adjusting your diet to improve your symptoms remember that DryForLife offers a discreet and completely confidential solution to all your incontinence needs.  We are here to help, and we have been providing incontinence products for over forty years.

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