Ulcers often require medical treatment.ĭepending on the cause, it may be possible to improve or prevent fecal incontinence. It also may lead to sores, also called ulcers. Repeated contact with stool can lead to pain and itching. The skin around the anus is delicate and sensitive. It's common for people with fecal incontinence to try to hide the problem or to avoid social engagements. Losing control over bodily functions can lead to feeling uneasy about being out in public. An injury that caused a physical disability also may cause rectal nerve damage, leading to fecal incontinence.Ĭomplications of fecal incontinence may include: Being physically disabled may make it difficult to reach a toilet in time. Fecal incontinence is often present in late-stage Alzheimer's disease and dementia. These conditions can damage nerves that help control defecation. People who have long-standing diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or back trauma from injury or surgery may be at risk of fecal incontinence. Recent research also has found that women who take menopausal hormone replacement therapy have a modest increased risk of fecal incontinence. Fecal incontinence can be a complication of childbirth. Although fecal incontinence can occur at any age, it's more common in adults over 65. This condition is known as rectocele.Ī number of factors may increase your risk of developing fecal incontinence, including: In women, fecal incontinence can occur if the rectum protrudes through the vagina. The longer this lasts, the less likely the nerves and muscles will recover. The stretching of the rectal sphincter by prolapse damages the nerves that control the rectal sphincter. Fecal incontinence can be a result of this condition, in which the rectum drops down into the anus. Surgery involving the rectum and anus, such as hemorrhoid removal, can cause muscle and nerve damage that leads to fecal incontinence. Things such as surgery, radiation treatment or inflammatory bowel disease can stiffen and scar the rectum. If the rectum is scarred or stiff it can't stretch as much as it needs to, and excess stool can leak out. Usually, the rectum stretches to accommodate stool. Loss of storage capacity in the rectum. These swollen veins can keep the anus from closing completely, letting stool leak out. Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectum. Solid stool is easier to hold in the rectum than is loose stool, so the loose stools of diarrhea can cause or worsen fecal incontinence. Long-lasting constipation also may cause nerve damage that leads to fecal incontinence. This allows watery stool from farther up the digestive tract to move around the impacted stool and leak out. The muscles of the rectum and intestines stretch and eventually weaken. Chronic constipation may cause a dry, hard mass of stool to form in the rectum and become too large to pass. Repeated straining during bowel movements.Many things can damage these nerves, including: Injury to the nerves that sense stool in the rectum or those that control the anal sphincter can lead to fecal incontinence. This is most commonly due to having an episiotomy or using forceps during delivery. This kind of damage can occur during childbirth. These rings are known as the anal sphincter. Injury to the rings of muscle at the end of the rectum may make it difficult to hold in stool. For many people, there is more than one cause of fecal incontinence.
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