SkiptomaincontentHomeHealthAtoZBacktoHealthAtoZOverview-BowelincontinenceContentsOverviewTreatmentBowelincontinence,orfaecalincontinence,iswhenyouhaveproblemscontrollingyourbowels.Itcanbeveryupsettingandembarrassing,butit'simportanttogetmedicaladviceifyouhaveitbecausetreatmentcanhelp.SignsandsymptomsBowelincontinencecanaffectpeopleindifferentways.Youmayhaveaproblemif:youhavesuddenurgestopoothatyoucannotcontrolyousoilyourselfwithoutrealisingyouneededthetoiletyousometimesleakpoo–forexample,whenyoufartithappenseverydayorfromtimetotime–aone-off"accident"whenyou'reillwithdiarrhoeaisnotusuallyaproblemit'saffectingyourdailylife–forexample,itstopsyousocialisingYoumayalsohaveothersymptoms,suchasconstipation,diarrhoea,fartingorbloating.WhentogetmedicaladviceSeeaGPifyouhavedifficultycontrollingyourbowels.Donotbeembarrassedabouttalkingtosomeoneaboutit.Rememberthat:it'snotsomethingtobeashamedofit'scommonandGPsareusedtoseeingpeoplewithitit'snotsomethingyouhavetoputupwithitwillprobablynotgetbetteronitsownitcanbetreatedIfyou'dprefernottoseeaGP,youmaybeabletomakeanappointmentatanNHScontinenceserviceinstead.Callyourlocalhospitalfordetailsofyournearestservice.TreatmentsforbowelincontinenceTreatmentcanhelpimprovebowelincontinenceandreducetheimpactithasonyourlife.Thebesttreatmentforyoudependsonwhat'scausingtheproblem.Treatmentsforbowelincontinenceinclude:incontinenceproducts–suchaspadsyouwearinyourunderwearorsmallplugsyouputinyourbottomchangestoyourdiet–suchasavoidingfoodsthatmakediarrhoeaworsemedicinestoreduceconstipationordiarrhoeapelvicfloorexercisestostrengthenthemusclesusedtocontrolyourbowelsSurgerymaybeconsideredifothertreatmentsdonothelp.ReadmoreabouttreatmentsforbowelincontinenceCausesTherearelotsofpossiblecausesofbowelincontinence.Oftenit'scausedbyacombinationofproblems.Causesofbowelincontinenceinclude:severeorlong-lastingconstipationordiarrhoeairritablebowelsyndrome(IBS)inflammatoryboweldisease–suchasCrohn'sdiseaseseverepiles(haemorrhoids)childbirthorsurgerydamagingthemuscleso