Talking with Your Doctor
You may be embarrassed to talk about your bowel control problem, but your doctor will not be shocked or surprised.
What do I tell my doctor about my bowel control problem?
The more details and examples you can give about your problem, the better your doctor will be able to help you. You should be prepared to tell your doctor
- when your bowel control problem started
- whether you leak liquid or solid stool
- if you have hemorrhoids that bulge through your anus when you lift things or at other times and if the hemorrhoids pull back in by themselves or have to be pushed in with a finger
- if the problem is worse after eating or if any specific foods seem to make the problem worse
- if you aren’t able to control passing gas
Your doctor will probably also ask you questions like these:
- How often do you have a bowel control problem?
- Do you leak a little bit of stool or do you lose complete control of your bowel?
- Do you feel a strong urge to have a bowel movement or do you lose control without warning?
- Is your bowel control worse when you have diarrhea or constipation?
- How is your bowel control problem affecting your daily life?
You may want to keep a stool diary (PDF, 148 KB)* for several weeks before visiting your doctor so you can answer these questions. A stool diary chart is a chart for recording daily bowel movement details.
To learn more about the causes of bowel control problems, visit What I need to know about Bowel Control.
Page last updated February 20, 2013
