Curated Content
Published at Health In Aging
We know staying on top of the health conditions and concerns we may face after age 65 is an important part of the forward momentum that comes with aging.
For example, many of us—even if we’re already living with several health conditions—are interested in steps we can take to maintain overall well-being and ensure our needs and preferences still fit into our care.
Here is curated content on care for fecal incontinence. The full article is available at HealthInAging.org.
What Is Fecal Incontinence
This is when you cannot control your bowels long enough to get to a bathroom. Healthcare professionals will diagnose adults with fecal incontinence if this happens more than once for at least a month. Between 2% and 7% of adults have fecal incontinence.
Bowel Control
To control your bowels, the muscles and nerves in your pelvis and in your rectum (the bottom part of your large intestine) have to work properly and in a coordinated way. When everything is working as it should, feces (also called stool) are solid and not liquid by the time they reach the rectum.
In the rectum, circular muscles called sphincters contract like rubber bands to keep feces from leaving the rectum until you are ready to have a bowel movement. Muscles in the bottom of your pelvis (pelvic floor muscles) also help keep stool from leaving the rectum until you are ready.
However, if everything doesn’t work as it should, the result can be incontinence. Certain things can increase your risk of incontinence. They include the following conditions.
Fecal Incontinence Care & Treatment
Depending on what is causing or contributing to fecal incontinence, your healthcare provider may recommend one or more of the following:
- changes in diet
- medications
- pelvic floor muscle exercises
- “bowel training”
- surgery
- other therapies
- a combination of the above
As an example of bowel training, consider that bowel training can be particularly helpful if cognitive problems or physical disabilities contribute to fecal incontinence. Training involves trying to have a bowel movement at scheduled times of each day—for example, after every meal. It can improve constipation by getting the body in the habit of having regular bowel movements.
There is much more in this article. Use the menu on the right side of this article at Health In Aging to go to specific sections.
You will see:
- Basic Facts
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Diagnosis & Test
- Care & Treatment
- Lifestyle & Management
Read the full article at HealthInAging.org
This is a link to the first section on Fecal Incontinence – Basic Facts.
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Through the Health in Aging Foundation, we advance a commitment to helping older adults and caregivers maintain health, independence, and quality of life.