Fecal Incontinence Treatment Options
Fecal incontinence is a condition where one finds it difficult to control their bowels where there may be unexpected leakage of stools from the rectum, sometimes even while passing gas. There are various fecal incontinence treatment options available that help improve and restore bowel movements.
The choice of fecal incontinence treatment to use to treat a case of fecal incontinence depends on the cause of and the severity of the condition. This may include dietary changes, some medication, bowel training and surgery. Sometimes, a combination of these treatments may also be required for successful treatment of the condition.
Dietary changes
The food you eat affects the consistency and speed of its passing through the digestive system. Watery stools that are hard to control can be controlled by eating high-fiber foods as they add bulk and make passing of stools easier to control. Avoid foods and drinks with caffeine like coffee, tea and chocolate as they only relax the internal anal and sphincter muscles.
Maintain a food diary to identify the foods that trigger fecal incontinence bouts so that you can eliminate them to see if there is any improvement. foods that usually trigger diarrhea, and which should be avoided are cured or smoked meat, drinks, dairy products like cheese and milk, spicy foods, fruits like apples and pears, fatty and greasy foods and sweeteners like sorbitol and mannitol.
Eat more frequent and small meals and make it a point to avoid drinking and eating together as liquid helps food to pass through the digestive system. Eat sufficient fiber as too much only leads to bloating, gas and diarrhea. Drink about 8 ounces of plain water to prevent dehydration and keep stools soft.
Medication
Medication like bulk laxatives to induce regular bowel movements or anti-diarrheal medications help in slowing down bowels and control fecal incontinence.
Bowel training
Bowel training can mean strengthening of pelvic floor muscles to control bowel movements so that they are emptied at a specific time everyday. Developing regular bowel movements is especially important for people suffering from fecal incontinence because of constipation.
Surgery
People who have not responded to conventional fecal incontinence treatment options and those suffering from fecal incontinence because of injury to the pelvic floor, anal canal or anal sphincter may undergo surgery for repairing anal sphincter.
During a colostomy, the patient’s colon is disconnected and its one end is brought through an abdominal opening called the stoma for discarding of body waste. This colostomy may or may not be permanent.
Houston Colorectal Surgical provides specialize in minimally invasive and laparoscopic techniques to diagnose and treat the many ailments we encounter.
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