What Is Passive Fecal Incontinence?

Far more people suffer from passive fecal incontinence than is commonly believed. Passive fecal incontinence is an even more irritating form of this condition, but with the same treatments and solutions. Preventing passive fecal incontinence may not require any serious medical treatment.

Identifications

• Passive fecal incontinence occurs when a person unknowingly and unintentionally passes stool or urinates, as opposed to regular fecal incontinence where the individual attempts hold bowel contents until reaching a toilet, reports Disposables Delivered.

Effects

• Passive fecal incontinence does not cause any negative health consequences, but may induce people to become introverted in an attempt to avoid accidentally and publicly passing stool, reports Aetna.

Significance

• Over 5.5 million people in America, from children to the elderly, have some form of fecal incontinence, reports the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

Causes

• Passive fecal incontinence has many causes, but the most common are a damaged sphincter, the inability to store stool in the rectum, constipation and diarrhea, reports NDDIC.

Treatment

• Treatment for passive fecal incontinence usually involves changing the diet to avoid foods that cause diarrhea, eating more fiber, and not drinking water with meals, reports NDDIC. More severe cases may require sphincter surgery.