There are two types of incontinence – urinary and bowel. Urinary incontinence refers to unintentionally passing urine. The condition is believed to affect millions of people. Bowel incontinence – also called faecal incontinence – means you are unable to control when and where you have a poo. Both conditions can be extremely upsetting and embarrassing
You might experience the symptoms of urinary incontinence as:
- Total incontinence – your bladder is unable to store urine, causing you to wee constantly or to experience frequent leaking.
- Overflow incontinence – also called chronic urinary retention, whereby your bladder does not empty properly, causing it to leak frequently.
- Stress incontinence – urine leaks out when you laugh or cough or any time your bladder is under pressure.
- Urge incontinence – you feel a sudden, intense urge to wee, causing urine to leak out.
Sometimes you might experience both stress and urge incontinence.
If you are suffering from bowel incontinence you might:
- Experience a sudden urge to poo that you can’t control (if this is linked to a case of diarrhoea or food poisoning, it is not normally anything that needs further investigation).
- Poo before you become aware that you need to go to the toilet.
- Leak poo sometimes, for example if you pass wind.
- Find that these symptoms are affecting your day to day life or stopping you from going out.
As distressing as these symptoms can be, you do not have to feel embarrassed about talking to a doctor about them. Neither do you have to just put up with them. There are things that can be done to help and the sooner you seek help, the sooner you will be able to get on with your normal life again.
You might be at risk of bowel incontinence if:
- You have Inflammatory Bowel Disease, such as Crohn’s Disease.
- You have a condition that affects the nerves in your bottom, such as spina bifida, diabetes or stroke.
- You have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
- You have severe haemorrhoids.
- Childbirth or surgery has damaged the muscles or nerves in this area.
- You have long-lasting severe diarrhoea or constipation.
Depending on the type and severity of incontinence you are experiencing, there are a number of possible treatments:
Non Surgical
- Lifestyle changes – a decrease in fibre in your diet
- Immodium
- Biofeedback therapy
Surgical
- Sphincter repair
- Rectovaginal fistula repair