Treatment for bowel problems

If you have had a sudden change in your bowel habit it is important to go to your doctor to have this checked out. This can be not passing a stool when you have been regular, abdominal cramps or distension with lack of faecal emptying.

Difficulty in controlling your bowel can be very distressing whether this is because of going too much or not at all. Many people with a bowel problem can be helped and many people can be completely cured.

You can get help from your local Community Nurse, Practice Nurse, GP or at a Specialist Joint Continence Clinic. At these clinics there are nurses and physiotherapists who specialise in bladder and bowel problems.

When you go for your appointment the health professional will ask you questions about the symptoms that you are experiencing to find out what is causing your problem. They may ask you to fill in a food and drink diary and ask you about any medication that you are taking. They may also do some blood tests.

There are ways in controlling your bowel that can be very effective. These include:

• Diet advice
• The type and quantity of drink you take
• Strengthening the anal sphincter
• Review of your current medications and the prescription of specific medication for your problem.

Once all the questions have been asked and all the tests have been undertaken a treatment plan will be discussed. You may then be offered a referral to hospital for further investigations or given a management programme which will be monitored locally.