Fecal incontinence or bowel incontinence is the inability to control your bowels. It is also called ano/rectal incontinence, and may occur when you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, and are unable able to hold it until you can get to a toilet, or when gas or stool leak from the rectum unexpectedly during daily activities or exertion.
Fecal incontinence can be caused by:
- constipation
- damage to the anal sphincter muscles
- damage to the nerves of the anal sphincter muscles or the rectum
- loss of storage capacity in the rectum
- diarrhea
- pelvic floor dysfunction
There are two basic types of fecal incontinence:
- passive fecal incontinence – related to a poorly functioning sphincter muscle; you may be unaware that stool is being passed
- urge incontinence – often caused by disease in the rectum and results in involuntary passage of stool through normal sphincter muscles, called anorectal weakening.