National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Bowel Incontinence is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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National Institutes of Health
Bowel Incontinence
Also called: encopresis, stool soiling
Bowel incontinence is the inability to control your bowels. When you feel the urge to have a bowel movement, you may not be able to hold it until you get to a toilet. More than 5.5 million Americans have bowel incontinence. It affects people of all ages - children and adults. It is more common in women and older adults, but it is not a normal part of aging.
Causes include
- Constipation
- Damage to muscles or nerves of the anus and rectum
- Diarrhea
- Pelvic support problems
Treatments include changes in diet, medicines, bowel training, or surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Start Here
- Fecal Incontinence(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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Fecal Incontinence(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Fecal Incontinence(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Latest News
- Health Tip: If Bowel Control Is a Problem(08/30/2012, HealthDay)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
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Bristol Stool Form Scale(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- PDF
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Stool Diary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- PDF
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Bristol Stool Form Scale
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Treatment
- Bowel Retraining: Strategies for Establishing Bowel Control(International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders)
- Treatment of Incontinence(International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders)
- Return to top
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Nutrition
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Eating and Bowel Control(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Eating and Bowel Control
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Coping
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Living with Bowel Control Problems(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Living with Bowel Control Problems
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Related Issues
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Talking with Your Health Care Provider about Bowel Control(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Talking with Your Health Care Provider about Bowel Control
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Videos
- If I Had - Bowel Control Issues(Insidermedicine)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Statistics
- Prevalence of Bowel Incontinence(International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders)
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Children
- Encopresis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Encopresis (Soiling)(Nemours Foundation)
- Stool Soiling and Constipation in Children(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
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Women
- Bowel Control Problems(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
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Seniors
- Fecal Incontinence(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
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Patient Handouts
- Bowel incontinence
- Also available in Spanish
- Encopresis
- Also available in Spanish
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Stool Diary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- PDF
- Return to top
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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
