About the bowel

The bowel is part of the digestive system, which breaks down food used for growth and removes waste as faeces (poo). The digestive system starts at the mouth and ends at the anus (back passage).

The bowel has two parts:

• small bowel: absorbs nutrients and begins forming waste
• large bowel (also called the large intestine or colon): absorbs water, forms solid faeces (poo), stores it in the rectum, and releases it through the anus (back passage).

What is a healthy bowel?

Having a healthy bowel doesn’t mean going to the toilet every day – it’s about what’s normal for you. Most people pass faeces (poo) regularly – usually from 3 times a day to 3 times a week.

Signs of good bowel health include:

• being able to wait a short time after feeling the urge to go to the toilet without having to rush
• passing faeces within about a minute of sitting on the toilet
• being able to pass faeces easily without straining
• feeling like your bowel is fully emptied.

The Bristol Stool Chart shows what healthy faeces (poo) types look like.

Note: ‘Stool’ is another word used to describe faeces (poo).

Causes of bowel incontinence

Bowel incontinence can be caused or made worse by:

• long-term straining to pass faeces (poo)
• some medicines eg antibiotics or medicines for arthritis or diabetes
• heavy lifting that may weaken pelvic floor muscles
• muscle changes from childbirth, surgery or ageing
• bowel conditions such as Coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease
• neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis
• diarrhoea or constipation.

Understanding the cause is key to finding the right treatment.

Treatments to improve bowel control

Treatment will depend on the cause and may include:

• managing constipation and diarrhoea
• checking the medicines you take
• getting a prescription for medicine to firm or soften faeces (poo)
• healthy toilet habits
• eating foods that improve faeces (poo) consistency eg high fibre foods
• drinking plenty of liquids
• pelvic floor muscle exercises
• seeing a continence service or specialist doctor.

If you’re not satisfied with the advice given by your health professional, you have the option to seek a second opinion from another qualified health professional.

This content has been reviewed by sub­ject mat­ter experts in line with Continence Health Australia’s established process. Read about our clinical content review protocol.