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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffGenerally, adults don't have "accidents" except perhaps during an occasional short-lived bout of severe 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 to avoid an accident
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 troubles, such as:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Gas and bloating
- Abdominal cramping
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you develop fecal incontinence or if your child develops fecal incontinence. Often, new mothers are reluctant to tell their doctors about their fecal incontinence problems after childbirth. But repairing a torn anal sphincter muscle soon after delivery may prevent long-term complications.
A number of tests are available to help diagnose what's causing the problem and determine the right treatment.
