Poor Bowel Control in Cantonese

What is poor bowel control?

People with poor bowel control accidentally pass bowel motions at the wrong time or in the wrong place. They may also pass wind when they do not mean to.

甚麼是欠佳的大便控制？

大便控制欠佳的人會意外地於不當時間或不當地點排大便。他們可能還會在無意中排氣。

Is poor bowel control common?

About one in 20 people has poor bowel control. Both men and women can have poor bowel control. It is more common as you get older, but a lot of young people also have poor bowel control.

Many people with poor bowel control also have poor bladder control (wetting themselves).

欠佳的大便控制普遍嗎？

大概20個人中就有1人有欠佳的大便控制。男性及女性都可能出現。年齡越大越常見，但很多年青人同樣也會有欠佳的大便控制。

很多有欠佳的大便控制的人同時有欠佳的排尿控制（尿濕褲子）。

What causes poor bowel control?

Weak Muscles

Weak back passage muscles may be due to:

• having babies;
• getting older;
• some types of surgery – such as, for piles (haemorrhoids); or
• radiation therapy.

甚麼導致欠佳的大便控制？

肌力不足

肛門肌力不足可能是因為：

• 生孩子；
• 年紀增大；
• 某些外科手術—如痔瘡手術；或者
• 放射治療。

Severe Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea means passing loose motions. There are many causes and it is a good idea to see your doctor to find out what can be done about this problem.

嚴重腹瀉

腹瀉是指排稀便。有很多原因會引起腹瀉。你應該找醫生，看看能用甚麼方法解決這個問題。

Constipation

Constipation is a very common cause of bowel mishaps in older people or people with a disability. Motions can sometimes get clogged in the lower bowel and liquid can leak out around the clogged mass, which looks like there is a loss of bowel control.

便秘

便秘是年紀較大的人或殘障人士腸道問題的一個非常普遍的原因。糞便有時會堵塞在腸道下段，並有液體從糞塊周圍滲出，看上去就像要腹瀉一樣。

What should you do about poor bowel control?

There are many causes of poor bowel control, so a careful check is needed to find the causes and things that might make it worse.

If you often have bowel mishaps, you should first talk to your doctor. You should also let your doctor know if you have:

• a change in your normal bowel habits;
• pain or bleeding from the back passage;
• a feeling that your bowel is never quite empty;
• dark or black bowel motions; or
• weight loss that you can’t explain.

Your doctor may:

• ask you some questions;
• do a physical exam of your pelvic floor muscles (if you say this is okay);
• ask you to keep a chart of your bowel habits and what you eat and drink for a while; or
• refer you for an ultrasound to check your pelvic floor muscles.

對於欠佳的大便控制，你應該怎麼辦？

有很多原因會導致欠佳的大便控制，因此需要仔細檢查找出原因，以及有哪些情況可能使癥狀加重。

如果你的腸道經常出現問題，應該首先去看醫生。如果你有以下情況，也應該告訴你的醫生：

• 原來的大便習慣有改變；
• 肛門疼痛或出血；
• 感覺腸道從來沒有排空（總是覺得大便沒排乾凈）；
• 排出深色或黑色大便；或者
• 體重下降但原因不明。

你的醫生可能：

• 問你一些問題；
• 幫你做一次骨盆底肌肉檢查（如果你同意的話）；
• 要求你在一段時間內將大便情況以及飲食內容記錄在一張圖表上；或者
• 讓你作超聲波檢查骨盆底肌肉。

How can poor bowel control be helped?

Because loss of bowel control is a warning sign and not a disease, the right care will depend on what is causing the problem.

Care may include:

• checking the medicines and tablets you take;
• taking a new medicine to firm up your motions or to settle your bowels;
• getting constipation under control if this is a cause;
• pelvic floor muscle training to help make your pelvic floor muscles stronger. The muscles around the back passage are part of the pelvic floor muscles;
• treatment by a physiotherapist or a continence nurse who knows about pelvic floor muscle problems. This could also involve using equipment to get the pelvic floor muscles working; or
• visiting a surgeon or other specialist doctor, if your doctor refers you.

如何改善欠佳的大便控制？

因為大便失控是一種警號而不是一種疾病，正確的處理方法取決於引起症狀的原因。

處理方法可以包括：

• 檢查你服用的各種藥物及片劑；
• 服一種新藥，令糞便成型或令腸道恢復正常；
• 如原因是便秘，就要控制便秘；
• 透過骨盆底肌肉鍛練幫助增強骨盆底肌力。肛門周圍的肌肉是骨盆底肌肉的一部份；
• 由瞭解骨盆底肌肉問題的理療師或排便科護士進行治療。這可能還包括使用儀器令骨盆底肌肉發揮作用；或者
• 如果你的醫生給你寫轉介信，可以去看外科醫生或其他專科醫生。

For people with dementia or confusion

People with dementia or confusion may not feel, or be aware of, the urge to empty their bowels. This can lead to leaking of a normal bowel action. A common time for this to happen is soon after a meal, often breakfast.

Watching the person’s bowel habits for a while may help to show a pattern of bowel habits. Also, keeping track of how they act may help to find out when a bowel motion will happen. Then the person can be taken to the toilet in time.

患有癡呆症或迷惑的人士

患有癡呆症或迷惑的人士可能感覺不到，或意識不到自己的排便感。這可能導致正常排便的失控。一般發生的時間為進餐後不久，通常是早餐之後。

在一段時間內觀察這些人的大便習慣有助於看出他們的大便習慣模式。此外，記錄他們的行為可有助於瞭解他們何時會排便，然後就可以及時帶他們去廁所。

Seek help

Qualified nurses are available if you call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66* (Monday to Friday, between 8.00am to 8.00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time) for free:

• Information;
• Advice; and
• Leaflets.

If you have difficulty speaking or understanding English you can access the Helpline through the free Telephone Interpreter Service on 13 14 50. The phone will be answered in English, so please name the language you speak and wait on the phone. You will be connected to an interpreter who speaks your language. Tell the interpreter you wish to call the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66. Wait on the phone to be connected and the interpreter will assist you to speak with a continence nurse advisor. All calls are confidential.

* Calls from mobile telephones are charged at applicable rates.

尋求幫助

如果你致電國家排便節制熱線，有資質的護士會接聽你的電話1800 33 00 66* （週一至週五，澳大利亞東部標準時間8:00am—8:00pm）。

• 信息；
• 建議；及
• 資料單張。

如果你在講英語或者理解上有困難，你可以透過撥打13 14 50獲取免費電話傳譯服務以接通國家排便節制熱線。電話會用英語接通，因此請說明你要講的語言並且不要掛機。你會被連接到一個講你母語的傳譯員。告知傳譯員你想要致電國家排便節制熱線，電話是1800 33 00 66。待電話接通後傳譯員會幫助你與排便節制護理顧問對話，所有的來電均保密。

* 用手機打出會收取相應費用。