How Can I Manage Fecal Incontinence?

Do you wear absorbent pads?

Do use pills to reduce the smell of stool and gas, which are available over-the-counter?

Do you always use the toilet just before you go out, and carry cleaning and changing supplies with you?

Have you made any dietary changes working together with your doctor?

Do you use over-the-counter or prescription drugs that can help reduce fecal incontinence based on a doctor's recommendation?

Do you train to empty your bowels at certain times of the day (for example, after a meal)?

Do you do pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegel exercises)?

Do you use biofeedback therapy?

Do you use injections of nonabsorbable bulking agents?

If you are a woman, do you use a vaginal balloon?

Have you tried sacral nerve stimulation (SNS)?

Do you know that there are a variety of surgical treatments to treat fecal incontinence (e.g. sphincteroplasty, artificial anal sphincter, colostomy)?

Based on your answers, there are several other ways that can help you manage fecal incontinence. If you have a mild form of fecal incontinence, wearing absorbent pads in your underwear and using over-the-counter medications that reduce the smell of stools and gas can improve your quality of life. Talk to your doctor about changes in your diet. Your doctor will advise you to keep a diet diary where you will, among other things, record which food or drinks make your fecal incontinence better or worse. You can also reduce the symptoms of fecal incontinence if you train to empty your bowels at certain times of the day.

Based on your answers, you know a lot about how to manage fecal incontinence. Several times a day, you could do exercises to strengthening your pelvic floor muscles (Kegel exercises). Talk to your doctor about the proper way to do them. Your doctor may also recommend biofeedback therapy, which can help you gain more control over your bowel movements. Depending on the cause, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter medications or prescribe medications to help reduce fecal incontinence. Various treatments for fecal incontinence are available today, including injections of nonabsorbable bulking agents that can fill the tissue around your anus, helping the sphincters to close better.