When incontinence is mentioned, most people think about involuntary leakage of urine — doctors refer to it as urinary incontinence. However, there is another form of incontinence that nobody likes to talk about, and it’s referred to as bowel incontinence. Also sometimes called fecal incontinence, this condition causes accidental bowel leakage.
This article will focus not on some of the most important things to know about bowel incontinence such as the causes and treatments for it. Rather, it will talk about foods that should be avoided by anyone who is suffering from it so that it may be put under control.
Bowel incontinence can happen to anyone, including some of your family members and friends. No one can blame them from not wanting to talk about it including to their doctors because it’s a really embarrassing matter. And that is why sharing this article on your various social media sites can help them obtain relief without making their secret known.
So without any more ado, let’s now take a look at some of the foods that should be eliminated from the diet if bowel incontinence is around:
Dairy Products
Milk and anything that contains milk such as cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream should be avoided especially by someone who has both bowel incontinence and lactose intolerance — lactose in dairy products can cause excess gas formation and also diarrhea.
Those who are encountering bowel incontinence only after consuming dairy products may be lactose intolerant. In order to deal with the problem, they may ask their doctors about taking lactase supplements.
Fatty and Greasy Stuff
Someone who is secretly suffering from bowel incontinence should refrain from stepping foot inside fast food joints. That’s because consuming anything that has a lot of fats and oils can cause the very same set of digestive problems as ingesting dairy products.
By the way, avoiding fatty and greasy foods is not only good for people who have bowel incontinence, but also those who want to remain healthy and fit.
Anything With Gluten
It’s not uncommon for individuals who have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease to one day find themselves battling bowel continence. That’s because of chronic diarrhea that tends to accompany the digestive issue.
Needless to say, it’s of utmost importance for anyone who develops unfavorable symptoms to gluten to avoid food products that have it. Wheat, rye, barley and consumables that contain them are examples of gluten-containing foods that should be avoided at all costs.
Sugar-Free Goods
We all know that refined sugar can cause unnecessary weight gain. It’s for this reason why sugar-free food products are highly appealing to those who wish to slim down. According to experts, however, artificial sweeteners are bad for the waistline and overall health, too.
Artificial sweeteners are especially bad for people who are dealing with bowel incontinence due to the fact that they can cause diarrhea to strike.
Certain Fruits
It’s common knowledge that fruits are healthy. Because they are loaded with fiber, they can help make the stools fully formed, which is something that can benefit a lot people who are secretly battling bowel incontinence. Unfortunately, the intake of certain fruits, in particular those that contain a lot of fructose, is not a good idea.
Fructose is a naturally occurring type of sugar. While healthier than refined sugar, it can cause diarrhea in some. Pears, apples, peaches, cherries, watermelons, mangoes — these are some of the fruits that are loaded with fructose.
Caffeinated and Alcoholic Drinks
Everyone knows that coffee contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. Not a lot of people know that caffeine can stimulate not only the nervous system, but also the digestive tract. It’s for this reason exactly why the intake of coffee as well as other caffeinated drinks is contraindicated for individuals who have bowel incontinence.
Alcoholic drinks can cause irritation of the lining of the digestive tract, and that’s why its consumption should be avoided as well to have bowel incontinence fended off.
