Bowel incontinence is an inability to control bowel movements, which means that stools (faeces) can leak uncontrollably from the rectum (back passage). Bowel incontinence is also sometimes known as faecal incontinence.
Symptoms of bowel incontinence can range from inadvertently passing a small piece of stool when passing wind, to a complete loss of bowel control. See Symptoms, above.
Bowel incontinence is not a condition in itself - it is a symptom of other underlying conditions, such diarrhoea, muscle and nerve damage, and dementia.
Bowel incontinence does not usually present a serious threat to health, but it can have a negative impact on a person’s quality of life, self-esteem, and emotional well-being.
How common is bowel incontinence?
Bowel incontinence is much more common than most people realise, which may possibly be due to many people being unwilling to discuss the condition with family and friends.
It is estimated that 1% of all adults in England experience regular episodes of bowel incontinence.
Bowel incontinence can affect people of any age, although the condition is more common in elderly people. It is also thought to be slightly more common in women than men. This may be because many cases of bowel incontinence develop as a complication of pregnancy.
The importance of seeking treatment
Many people with bowel incontinence do not seek medical treatment for their condition. One study estimated that only 20% of people with bowel incontinence reported their symptoms to their GP.
This may be due to a number of misunderstandings and misconceptions which are listed below.
- ‘Bowel incontinence is something to be ashamed of’ - bowel incontinence is simply a medical problem that is no different than diabetes or asthma.
- ‘Bowel incontinence cannot be treated’ - in fact, there are a wide range of successful treatments for bowel incontinence.
- ‘Bowel incontinence is a normal part of aging’ - in many cases, with the right treatment, there is no reason why a person cannot maintain normal bowel function throughout their life.
- ‘Symptoms of bowel incontinence will resolve without treatment’ - while this is true in a minority of cases, most people will require treatment to control their symptoms.
Outlook
With treatment, the outlook for bowel incontinence is actually very good. Treatment options include:
- lifestyle and dietary changes,
- exercise programmes,
- medication, and
- surgery.
See Treatment, above.
Even if a complete cure for bowel incontinence is not possible, most people will experience a significant improvement in their symptoms and achieve a better quality of life.
