Constipation

Constipation is defined as having bowel movements less than 3 times per week. You may also be constipated if stools are very hard or difficult to pass, even if you go to the washroom more often than this. It is one of the most common causes of faecal incontinence. When a person is constipated, hard stools may become lodged in the rectum. This condition can cause the rectal muscles to stretch, which weakens the muscles; over time, this can make it dificult for the rectum to hold stool in long enough for a person to reach a bathroom. Sometimes watery stool can leak around the hardened stool.

Muscle Damage

Injury to the internal and external anal sphincters can also cause faecal incontinence. When these ring-like muscles are damaged, the muscles weaken and the sphincters cannot keep the stool inside. This is common in woman after giving birth, especially if forceps or an episiotomy is performed to deliver the baby.

Nerve Damage

Damage to the nerves that “sense” stool in the rectum or to the nerves that control the anal sphincters can lead to faecal incontinence. Once the nerves are damaged or injured, the muscles will not work properly, resulting in incontinence. This is common following childbirth, and also occurs in diseases and conditions such as diabetes, spinal cord injury, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.

Loss of Storage Capacity

Normally, the rectum stretches to accommodate stool. If the rectum is scarred or injured due to radiation, surgery, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), the walls of the rectum become stiffened and less elastic. The rectum then cannot stretch to accommodate stool, resulting in incontinence.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is defined as an abnormally frequent discharge of semisolid or fluid faecal matter from the bowel. With diarrhea, the rectum fills with stool at a faster rate, making it more difficult to control than solid stool. Diarrhea is classified as acute, lasting from one to two weeks and chronic, lasting for more than 3 weeks.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

Weakness or abnormalities of the pelvic floor nerves and muscles can cause faecal incontinence. These include rectal prolapse or dropping down of the rectum, impaired ability to sense stool, decreased ability to contract sphincter muscles, rectocele or protrusion of the rectum through the vagina, and weakness or sagging of the pelvic floor musculature due to age, rectal cancer, and hemorrhoids. Childbirth is one of the leading cause of pelvic floor dysfunction, but incontinence does not usually appear until later in life.

Chronic Laxative Abuse

Relying on or overusing laxatives to maintain a regular bowel movement can also lead to incontinence.

For more information, you can download our DryForLife Guide to Living with Incontinence. You can also email or call our Discreet Advice Helpline or Freephone 0800 180 4325 to find out more about incontinence products available to help you cope on a day-to-day basis.

Further Faecal Incontinence Articles

• What to Look For in Faecal Incontinence Products
• Episiotomy and Faecal Incontinence
• Faecal Incontinence
• What Causes Faecal Incontinence?