There are numerous causes of faecal incontinence, but by far the most common, is injury sustained by the anal muscle complex during the process of child birth. This is known as obstetric injury. Other causes include trauma or accidental injury during surgery to the anal area, while drugs, neurological disorders, congenital malformation, and colorectal diseases are less frequent causes.
Most people suffering from incontinence will describe either one or a combination of the following three symptoms in varying degrees:
Faecal Urgency: Patients experience the urge to expel stool but unfortunately just cannot get to the bathroom quick enough and as a consequence suffer an accident. This form of incontinence is due to weakness or injury to the external anal sphincter muscle complex.
Passive Incontinence: In this form of incontinence patients have no urge or need to use the bathroom but are alerted to the fact that they have suffered an accident by the smell of stool. This symptom arises as a result of injury or dysfunction of the internal anal sphincter muscle.
Post-defecatory Soiling: In this case patients are ordinarily continent but following stool expulsion, there is a near constant feeling that they have not fully emptied their bowels, associated with soling of their underwear and a frequent need to return to the bathroom. This type of incontinence is caused by obstruction to the normal flow of stool to the outside, either due to abnormal anatomy, that may be correctable surgically, or due to weakness or dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscle complex.
Source : Total Health
Here at Fico Centre, we manage a treatment called Secca Therapy. This is a non surgical option for the elimination of Faecal Incontinence and is delivered by a low level electrical stimulation to the nerves & muscles of the lower bowel and sphincters. Call us now on 0844 561 6606.