5 Steps to Managing Bowel Incontinence

July 1, 2011 - PRLog -- Neenah, Wis. — Fecal incontinence can be caused by diarrhea, constipation, disease, injury to the nervous system, a damaged sphincter, loss of muscle strength, poor overall health or even a difficult childbirth. Rather than feeling embarrassed about bowel incontinence, talk to your doctor about the many treatments available. Here are some things to think about.

Follow eating and drinking guidelines. Eat small, frequent meals to avoid hyperactive bowel movements, and drink water to prevent constipation. Add fiber to your diet to soften your stool and improve digestion, and get plenty of bulk, in the form of bananas, yogurt and rice, to give you soft yet solid stool. Avoid foods and drinks that irritate your bowel, which may include spicy or oily foods, alcohol or caffeine, as well as dairy products if you’re lactose-intolerant.
   
Engage in a bowel retraining program. Your doctor may suggest you retrain your body to defecate at a certain time every day or perform exercises to strengthen your anal sphincter.

Use products made for bowel incontinence. Many people with fecal incontinence prefer to wear disposable briefs because they offer maximum protection and have tape tabs for easier changing. In addition to regular changing, it’s important to keep skin clean and moisturized, to avoid breakdown that can lead to infection. Consider hygienic, disposable washcloths made for bowel incontinence (such as these by Prevail: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/product/prevail-premi...), combined with an emollient protectant that helps skin heal (try Lantiseptic: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/product/lantiseptic-d... ). Visit our Incontinence page to compare products and learn how to change briefs: http://www.caregiverpartnership.com/landing/incontinence/.    

Ask your doctor about medications. She may prescribe antidiarrheal drugs, anticholinergic medications, opium derivatives, laxatives or stool softeners. She may also suggest the use of enemas to loosen fecal impaction.

Consider surgical interventions. In severe cases of bowel incontinence, your doctor may suggest surgery to repair or replace your sphincter, add a colostomy bag, or recommend surgery to correct underlying conditions such as hemorrhoids.

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About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wis. Visit www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.