Fecal Incontinence

Overview

Fecal Incontinence – also known as accidental bowel leakage – refers to accidental bowel movements. This can be either solid stools, diarrhea or mucus. If you are experiencing fecal incontinence, Hoag is here to help.

Types & Symptoms

There are two types of fecal incontinence: urge incontinence and passive incontinence.

Urge incontinence is the most common type of fecal incontinence. This happens when you have a sudden, strong urge to have a bowel movement, but are unable to stop it before reaching a restroom. Many times, a weak pelvic floor is the cause of urge incontinence that can be caused by a muscle injury or nerve damage.

The second type of fecal incontinence is passive incontinence. This happens when a movement or leakage occurs without you knowing it – potentially due to your body not sensing when your rectum is full.