Stains on My Underwear:
Is It Bowel
Incontinence?
Article contributed by:
Dr Lim Jit Fong,
Senior Consultant,
Director, Pelvic Floor
Disorder, Director,
Anorectal Physiology &
Ultrasound Laboratory,
Fortis Surgical
Hospital, Singapore
for New Dimension -
biannual newsletter of
the
Society for Continence,
Singapore
Have you ever noticed a
wet sensation in your
underwear even when you
have cleaned yourself
after a bowel movement?
Have you experienced
“skidmarks” in your
underwear? Does it
mean you have bowel
incontinence?
These questions are
often asked of me and my
fellow colorectal
specialists in our
clinics.
In my experience,
staining your underwear
with faecal material is
not the same as
accidentally letting out
solid faeces.
Faecal (or bowel)
incontinence refers to
the involuntary passage
of faeces when you do
not intend to.
Staining your underwear
may be a form of passive
bowel incontinence but
do not panic.
If the staining only
happens occasionally and
after you use dry tissue
to clean yourself after
a bowel movement, this
may be due to inadequate
cleaning. When you
have a bowel movement,
there will be faeces
that stains the inner
lining of the anus.
We need to clean the
anus of this faeces to
prevent skidmarks. When
you have a bowel
movement, the anus
actually descends and
protrudes slightly.
This means the inner
lining of the lower anus
is protruding out.
When you use dry tissue,
it irritates the anus
lining and the anus
retracts quickly,
preventing you from
cleaning all of the
anus. One way to
overcome this is to wash
your anus after bowel
movement or to use wet
wipes instead of dry
tissue.
If you have tried that
and it still stains, you
should see a doctor.
It could be passive
bowel incontinence.
Other than staining the
underwear, patients with
bowel incontinence also
tend to have a problem
controlling passage of
gas. The staining
happens frequently and
may occur in their sleep
or after a long day on
their feet. If
this condition is left
untreated, it may worsen
and the patient may
eventually lose control
of solid stools (severe
bowel incontinence).
There are many causes
for bowel incontinence
and a doctor
specializing in bowel
continence can help you.
You may need to undergo
some tests to determine
the cause and possible
treatment for your bowel
incontinence. The
specialist will assess
the anal muscle
integrity, anal (and
rectal) function as well
as the nerves of the
anus. The tests
are non-invasive and
painless. After
that, your specialist
can recommend the best
treatment for you.
With the modern medicine
today, passive bowel
incontinence can usually
be treated with
medication and pelvic
floor exercises for the
anus. It is rare
for these patients to
require surgery.
Surgery is usually
reserved for patients
with severe bowel
incontinence.
Therefore, if you or
your loved one is
suffering from staining
of the underwear, try to
change the way you clean
the anus as the first
step. However, if
that does not improve
your problem, please see
your doctor for advice.
He can recommend a
colorectal specialist to
help cure you of your “skidmarks”.
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Article contributed by:
Dr Lim Jit Fong,
Senior Consultant,
Director, Pelvic Floor
Disorder, Director,
Anorectal Physiology &
Ultrasound Laboratory,
Fortis Surgical
Hospital, Singapore
for New Dimension -
biannual newsletter of
the
Society for Continence,
Singapore
Dated: Jun 2015
|
The
Society for
Continence,
Singapore
(SFCS) is a
non-profit
organization
that
originated
from the
dedicated
efforts of a
group of
doctors,
nurses and
rehabilitation
therapists
who
recognised
the special
needs of the
incontinent
as far back
as 1988.
The mission
of the
society is to
promote
bladder and
bowel health
and to work
towards a
community
free of the
stigma and
restrictions
of
incontinence.
The society
aims to
disseminate
information
and educate
healthcare
professionals
and the
public on
methods to
promote
urinary &
bowel
continence
and to
promote the
education,
training and
rehabilitation
of the
incontinent
and their
general
interests
and welfare. |
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