My doctor told me I'd just have to learn to live with it. The sense of loss was overwhelming, both personally and professionally. Incontinence is a chronic, psychologically stressful, and limiting disorder. It may be so embarrassing to people that they fail to voluntarily reveal it, even to their own physician. Treatment for incontinence should begin with attention to the individual - how do they manage and what effect does incontinence have on their daily life.
Attention then can turn toward ways to minimize or contain incontinence.
In the medical community, success of treatment is usually measured by the degree of reduction in the frequency of episodes of incontinence. Support for the individual and follow-up by physicians or other care providers is essential to help people learn how to manage fecal incontinence. Constipation and diarrhea are the most common causes of incontinence. Treatment initially focuses on identifying the existence and cause of these symptoms. Biofeedback, which may help improve sensation and muscle control.