Bowel incontinence

• Fecal urgency — the sudden urge to pass stool
• Urgency fecal incontinence — an inability to stop the urge to pass stool
• Passive bowel incontinence — leakage of stool during activity or without awareness

Your treatment journey starts with a conversation. Schedule an appointment with a provider who specializes in incontinence, who can evaluate symptoms and guide next steps. 

The first step is to talk to a provider who specializes in incontinence. They can confirm the type of incontinence you may have and rule out other causes.

• Discuss your symptoms
  • Tracking bathroom visits and food intake over several days helps paint a clearer picture of bowel behavior
• Start a baseline bowel diary
  • Track daily habits, fluid intake, and bowel patterns. This step provides valuable insight for tailoring care
• Undergo recommended diagnostic tests
  • Your doctor may recommend tests to better understand bowel function and rule out other conditions
• Discuss treatment options
  • Based on symptoms and test results, a doctor can recommend a personalized treatment plan

Your doctor may recommend the following approaches first:

• Dietary changes
  • Adjusting what you eat and drink may help reduce symptoms and improve bowel control.
• Sphincter and pelvic floor exercises
  • Strengthening these muscles may support better bowel function and control.
• Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications
  • Medications may help reduce urgency and frequency of bowel movements.
• Pessary (for women only)
  • This device, placed in the vagina, may provide support and may improve bowel control in some cases.
• Anal Inserts
  • A device that can be inserted into the rectum to prevent the leakage of stool.
• Percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation
  • A non-surgical treatment option delivered by a slim needle that is placed in the ankle where the tibial nerve is located. Initial treatments are delivered in an office setting over the course of 5 to 7 weeks.

If you were not satisfied with the results, there are advanced options that may provide lasting relief.

• Sacral Neuromodulation (SNM)
  • This minimally invasive therapy may help restore normal communication between the brain and the bladder and bowel by providing gentle stimulation.
• Injectable anal bulking agent
  • A minimally invasive treatment option where a bulking agent is injected either around or near the anal sphincter to  narrow the opening and help prevent stool from leaking.
• Surgical intervention
  • This may include surgical sphincter repair to restore muscle function and improve bowel control.