Remedies For Fecal Incontinence
November 9, 2009
Loss of control over bowel movement can be quite an embarrassing experience. Failure to control bowel movement is known as fecal incontinence. Often sudden leakage of bowel from rectum occurs while passing gas or from diarrhea. Sometimes a more serious underlying condition such as nerve or muscle damage could lead to complete loss of control over bowel movement.
Causes of fecal incontinence
Diarrhea is the commonest cause of fecal incontinence. However, after recovering from diarrhea, the patient naturally regains control over bowel movement. Although it is easier to retain solid stool in the rectum, chronic constipation could increase the risk of fecal incontinence. In case of chronic constipation, presence of a large mass of hard stool exerts pressure on the muscles and nerves of the rectum and intestine. This weakens and slackens these muscles, causing watery stool, present higher up in the digestive tract, to leak out causing fecal incontinence.
Sometimes injury to the anal sphincter or muscles present at the end of the rectum can cause fecal incontinence. Injury to the anal sphincter could occur during childbirth. If the nerves controlling the anal sphincter are damaged during childbirth or due to chronic constipation, stroke or spinal cord injury, fecal incontinence could occur. Diabetes and multiple sclerosis could also cause nerve damage, causing fecal incontinence. With age, the rectum muscles might become weak, developing fecal incontinence.
If the anus is damaged from hemorrhoid surgery, fecal incontinence can develop. Inability to store stools in the rectum can also occur due to scarring or stiffening of the rectum. Ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, surgery and radiation treatment could damage the rectum walls, leading to fecal incontinence. Cancer of the rectum could cause fecal incontinence. Sometimes excessive use of strong laxatives could be responsible for fecal incontinence.
Fecal incontinence remedies
Your diet could help to regulate your bowel movement, reducing the incidence of fecal incontinence. If you are prone to fecal incontinence, avoid foods that increase the risk of gas formation or could cause diarrhea. Spicy and fatty foods, carbonated beverages, processed meat, artificial sweeteners and caffeine could worsen fecal incontinence.
To prevent fecal incontinence, instead of having three large meals, have five to six small meals throughout the day. Include fiber rich foods in your regular diet. Having one to two teaspoons of psyllium seed husk with a glass or water or warm milk can help to regulate your bowel movement.
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