Q. How do I prevent fecal incontinence?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Fecal incontinence, or the inability to control bowel movements, can be an embarrassing and uncomfortable health issue. Fortunately, it is preventable by taking a few proactive steps.
First and foremost, it is important to pay attention to your diet and maintain regular bathroom habits. Eating plenty of dietary fiber such as beans, whole grains, and fresh fruits helps keep stool soft and easier pass through the body. It is also recommended that you avoid foods that are high in fat or sugar as these may increase chances of constipation which can lead to fecal incontinence. Making sure you drink enough water throughout the day also helps keep stools from becoming too hard or difficult for passage out of the body. Additionally, it’s important not to resist urges when going to the bathroom even if there’s no time for convenience purposes since waiting too long could worsen any existing fecal incontinence issues.
In addition to eating well-balanced meals with plenty of fiber content each day, engaging in pelvic floor exercises regularly may help reduce symptoms associated with fecal incontinence including difficulty controlling bowel movements due sudden urgency pressure (urgency being defined by an unexpected need for immediate defecation). After urinating try contracting your core muscles repeatedly throughout a 10 second period before release-- this exercise should be repeated four times daily with each repetition lasting 30 seconds per set (including rest periods). While performing these kegel exercises ensure that you are meditating on keeping only your core contracted while maintaining relaxed shoulders during relaxation periods between sets. This will help strengthen those muscles around your anus responsible for controlled elimination process not only reducing episodes concerning loss bladder control but also helping minimize occurrences involving stool leakage within event urinary urgency arises over short notice making timely trips towards lavatory accessible prior defecation necessary service alleviating potential risks associated fecal insensitivity hence forth preventing them all together accordingly forming study habit cultivating better long term sanitation practices maintaining healthier lifestyle overall ending note thank discussion topic helpful!