Does bowel incontinence make you live in fear?

Bowel incontinence, also known as fecal incontinence, can make routine outings fraught with anxiety. It can mean always looking for the nearest restroom, bringing a change of clothes everywhere you go and fear of engaging in social activities.

How common are bowel control problems?

This problem can come from a variety of causes, including damage to the anal sphincter. It can be associated with diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s and other conditions. A traumatic childbirth can cause this problem for women.

 How is bowel incontinence treated?

Many different treatments are possible, including lifestyle changes, specialized physical therapy, exercises, medications and surgery. A new option is the implantation of the InterStim™ device. It treats bowel incontinence by sending electrical pulses to the sacral nerves. Contact us for information about whether InterStim may be an option for you.