The health care provider may ask the following medical history questions:
- Has anything happened recently to cause emotional upset?
- Is the patient confused or disoriented?
- Was the child toilet trained? Did he or she have trouble with toilet training?
- What other symptoms are present?
- Describe the problem. When does this occur?
- How long has incontinence been a problem?
- How many times does this happen each day?
- Are you aware of the need to defecate before you leak?
- What is the consistency of the stool? Is it hard, soft, liquid?
- Describe the amount of stool leakage (discharge, with gas, large amount of stool)?
- What surgeries have you had?
- What injuries have you had? Did you have a complicated delivery?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you drink coffee? How much?
- Do you drink alcohol? How much?
- Describe your usual diet.
Diagnostic tests may include:
-
Barium enema - Blood tests
- Electromyography (
EMG ) - Rectal or pelvic
ultrasound -
Stool culture - Test of anal sphincter tone (anal manometry)
- X-ray procedure using a special dye to evaluate how well the sphincter contracts (balloon sphincterogram)
- X-ray procedure using a special dye to visualize the bowel while you defecate (defecography)
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