Health Information
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Understanding This Symptom
Medical Definition
Subject Matter Expert Verified
Fecal incontinence (also called bowel incontinence) is the inability to control bowel movements, causing stool to leak from the rectum unexpectedly.
It ranges from occasional leakage of stool when passing gas to complete loss of bowel control.
The condition results from problems with the muscles and nerves that control the anus and rectum, often involving the pelvic floor, anal sphincters, or the communication between the brain and digestive system.
Quick Facts
What Optimal Health Looks Like
Understanding how your body functions when healthy helps identify dysfunction
A healthy bowel control system requires perfect coordination between multiple anatomical structures.
The internal anal sphincter (IAS) is an involuntary smooth muscle that maintains tonic contraction at rest, providing 85% of anal resting pressure.
The external anal sphincter (EAS) is a voluntary skeletal muscle under conscious control, providing additional squeeze pressure when needed.
The puborectalis muscle forms a sling that creates the anorectal angle, helping maintain fecal continence.
Healthy Function
Your body is designed to maintain balance and self-regulate
How This Develops
Fecal incontinence results from dysfunction in one or more components of the continence mechanism: **Sphincter Muscle Damage**: The internal and external anal sphincters can be damaged during childbirth (especially with forceps delivery, prolonged second stage, or third/fourth-degree tears), after anal surgery (hemorrhoidectomy, fistulotomy, sphincterotomy), or from trauma.
Damage to these muscles reduces the resting and squeeze pressures needed to keep the anus closed.
**Pelvic Floor Dysfunction**: The levator ani and puborectalis muscles may become weakened, overstretched, or hypertonic.
Vaginal deliveries, chronic constipation, aging, and pelvic surgeries can compromise pelvic floor integrity.
Denervation injury to the pelvic floor (pudendal neuropathy) is common, especially after prolonged labor.
Understanding the mechanism helps us target the root cause rather than just treating symptoms.
What Happens If Left Untreated
Understanding the consequences helps you make informed decisions about your health
Short-Term Consequences
Days to weeks
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Time Matters
Don't wait for symptoms to worsen. Early intervention leads to better outcomes.