Call your health care provider if
- There is any incontinence of stool in a child that has been previously toilet trained
- There is any incontinence of stool in an adult
- There is any skin irritation or ulceration as a result of bowel incontinence
What to expect at your health care provider's office
The health care provider will perform a physical examination, focusing on the stomach area and rectum. A finger exam of the rectum and anus will be performed. The health care provider will insert a lubricated finger into the rectum to evaluate sphincter tone, anal reflexes, and check for any abnormalities of the rectal area.
Medical history questions documenting bowel incontinence in detail may include:
- Has anything happened recently to cause emotional upset?
- Is the patient confused or disoriented?
- In a child, was he or she previously toilet trained? Did he or she have trouble with toilet training?
- What other symptoms are also present?
- Describe your problem. When does this occur?
- How long has incontinence been a problem?
- How many times does this happen each day?
- Are you aware of the need to defecate before you leak?
- What is the consistency of the stool? Is it hard, soft, liquid?
- Describe the amount of stool leakage (discharge, with gas, large amount of stool)?
- What surgeries have you had?
- What injuries have you had?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you drink coffee? How much?
- Do you drink alcohol? How much?
- Describe your usual diet.
Diagnostic tests may include:
- Stool culture if person has chronic diarrhea
- Blood tests
- Barium enema
- Defecography (X-ray procedure using a special dye to visualize the bowel while the person defecates)
- Balloon sphincterogram (X-ray procedure using a special dye to evaluate how well the sphincter contracts)
- Anal manometry (measures anal sphincter tone)
- Rectal or pelvic ultrasound
- EMG
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