Faecal incontinence or bowel incontinence is a subject that is rarely discussed much less understood yet it affects 2% of the world's population and is the principal reason people enter rest homes.
This condition can be caused by a number of things some that can be reversed and some that can be managed.
Common causes of bowel incontinence include: Chronic Diarrhea Stools that are solid are far easier to control than those that are more liquid than solid.
Diarrhea can be caused by excessive use of laxatives or laxative abuse or gastrointestinal disorder like colitis or Crohn's disease.
Obviously if the underlying condition of the diarrhea can be determined and treated, the problem of faecal incontinence will go away.
Constipation Ironically constipation can cause incontinence.
When a hard stool becomes lodged in the rectum the stool behind it may seep around the blockage and be impossible to control.
Constipation is actually a very common cause of bowel incontinence.
Nerve Damage If you think about the number of muscles involved in controlling bowel movements then you have an idea how many nerve endings it takes to do it right.
If there has been damage to a nerve in the rectum, anus or sphincter muscles then control of the movement can be difficult.
Common causes of nerve damage include MS, diabetes, stroke and spinal cord injuries.
Surgeries Surgery performed to treat hemorrhoids or colon cancer can result in damage done to nerves and muscles in the anus causing difficulty in both recognizing the need to empty your bowels and controlling the movement.
Obviously if you suffer from bowel incontinence or you know somebody who does, the first stop should be the doctor's office to determine what underlying cause is at the heart of the problem Once that's determined then the doctor can start a therapy to treat it and either eliminate the incontinence or manage it.