Fecal Incontinence

Fecal incontinence — also called bowel incontinence — is when you can’t manage or control your bowel movements (pooping). Liquid or solid stool (poop) leaks out when you don’t want it to. Fecal incontinence may be as mild as having a little leakage when you pass gas or as severe as unintentionally passing solid stools.

Several factors affect your ability to regulate bowel movements. The muscles in your pelvic floor, rectum and anus must be working correctly to hold poop and (when the time’s right) release it. Nerves have to work with these muscles so your body knows when it’s time to poop. Finally, you have to be physically able to reach the toilet in time.

If any of these things go awry, you may have issues with fecal incontinence.

Types of fecal incontinence

There are two types of fecal incontinence:

• Urge incontinence: You feel the urge to poop but can’t make it to the toilet fast enough to prevent soiling yourself (having an accident). This is the most common type. It usually involves issues with the muscles that control your bowel movements.
• Passive incontinence: Your rectum (which holds your poop) has stretched as much as it can to contain your poop, but your body isn’t registering that you need to go. In this situation, you’ll pass the movement (poop) without realizing it. This type usually involves issues with how your nerves communicate with your muscles.

How common is fecal incontinence?

It’s very common. Researchers estimate that it affects 1 in 3 people — or even more. Bathroom visits are a private matter; many people have likely experienced fecal incontinence at some point or another but just don’t talk about it.