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Treatments for Bowel Incontinence
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Bowel incontinence refers to the inability to control bowel movements. Stool leaks out of a person’s rectum at unwanted times. Since the leakage occurs inconsistently, it can interfere with the daily activities of a person. The good news for people who suffer from bowel incontinence is that they don’t have to suffer forever. There are several treatments available for bowel incontinence that can help a person regain control of their life.
In this post, we will highlight the treatment options for bowel incontinence.
Medications
In some cases, bowel incontinence can be treated through medications. Medications can slow down the food’s movement through the intestine and improve the stool’s consistency. Options include bulk laxatives like Citrucel and Metamucil and anti-diarrheal drugs like ImodiumA-D and Lomotil.
Dietary Changes
Everything a person eats and drinks affect the consistency of their stools. Dietary changes can make the stool more consistent by preventing episodes of incontinence. A person who suffers from constipation should eat plenty of high-fiber foods and drink fluids. Getting plenty of fiber in the diet can bulk up stools when diarrhea is causing incontinence.
Exercise
In some cases, muscle damage can be the reason behind fecal incontinence. If that is the case, a program of therapies including exercise may be recommended by the doctor to restore strength in the muscle. These treatment programs can improve a person’s control over their bowel movements. The following options are available:
Pelvic Floor Exercises
Some doctors recommend pelvic floor exercises for the treatment of bowel incontinence. These exercises are taught by a specialist nurse or physiotherapist and they strengthen the muscles that a person uses to control the closing and opening of their bowels.
Bowel Training
A doctor may recommend a person to try to have their bowel movements at specific times of the day such as after lunch and dinner, early in the morning and before going to bed. This can help a person gain better control over their bowel movements.
Bulking Agents
Injecting non-absorbable bulking agents thicken the anus walls. This can help prevent leakage.
Surgery
If the anal sphincter is damaged, then surgery is often used to repair it and help a person regain control over their bowel movements. Surgery options include:
Sphincter Repair
In this procedure, a muscle from a person’s inner thigh is taken and wrapped around their sphincter to restore muscle tone.
Sphincter Replacement
If the anal sphincter is damaged, an artificial anal sphincter can be used to replace it. This device is implanted around the patient’s anal canal through surgery. The device stays inflated to keep the anal sphincter of a person tightly shut until they want to defecate. In the toilet, the device can be deflated with a small pump and the stool can be released. When a person is done, the device re-inflates itself.
If you have an issue controlling your bowel movements, come to Colon & Rectal Disease Center and get yourself checked. If you are diagnosed with bowel incontinence, we’ll develop a treatment plan for you to ensure that the disease doesn’t impact your life.
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