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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffGenerally, adults don't experience fecal incontinence except perhaps during an occasional short-lived bout of diarrhea. But that's not the case for people with recurring, or chronic, fecal incontinence. If you have fecal incontinence, you:
- Can't control the passage of gas or stools, which may be liquid or solid, from your bowels
- May not be able to make it to the toilet in time
For some people, including children, fecal incontinence is a relatively minor problem, limited to occasional soiling of their underwear. For others, the condition can be devastating due to a complete lack of bowel control.
Fecal incontinence may be accompanied by other bowel problems, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas and bloating
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you or your child develops fecal incontinence. Often, new mothers and other adults are reluctant to tell their doctors about their fecal incontinence problems. But treatments are available, and the sooner you get evaluated, the sooner you may find some relief from your symptoms
- Robson K, et al. Fecal incontinence in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 18, 2010.
- Bartolo DC, et al. Anal incontinence. Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology. 2009;23:505.
- Fecal incontinence. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/fecalincontinence/fecalincontinence.pdf. Accessed June 18, 2010.
- McQuaid KR. Gastrointestinal disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=6395. Accessed June 18, 2010.
- Hannaway CD, et al. Fecal incontinence. Obstetric and Gynecologic Clinics of North America. 2008;35:249.
- Mellgren A. Fecal incontinence. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2010;90:185.
- Wald A. Fecal incontinence in adults. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356:1648.
- Anderson CF (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 23, 2010.
- Picco MF (expert opinion) Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. June 23, 2010.
- Tjandra JJ, et al. Injectable silicone biomaterial for fecal incontinence caused by internal anal sphincter dysfunction is effective. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 2004;47:2138.
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