Poor Bowel Control in Maltese

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.

X’inhu kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren?

Persuni li għandhom kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren jistgħu jippurgaw aċċidentalment meta mhux suppost jew fejn mhux suppost. Huma jistgħu jgħaddu l-gass bla ma jkunu jridu.

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).

Il-kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren hu komuni?

Madwar wieħed minn kull 20 ibati minn kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren. Kemm l-irġiel u kemm in-nisa jistgħu jbatu minn kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren. Hi aktar komuni hekk kif tikber fl-età, imma ħafna żgħażagħ ibatu wkoll minn kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren.

Ħafna nies li għandhom kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren għandhom ukoll kontroll dgħajjef tal-bużżieqa tal-awrina (ipixxu taħthom).

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.

X’jikkawża l-kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren?

Muskoli Dgħajfa

Muskoli dgħajfa tal-passaġġ ta’ wara jistgħu jkunu riżultat tal-fatt li:

• kellek it-trabi;
• qed tikber fl-età;
• xi tipi ta’ kirurġija - bħal ngħidu aħna, morliti (emorodji ); jew
• terapija tar-radjazzjoni.

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.

Dijarea Severa

Dijarea jiġifieri ippurgar maħlul. Jista’ jkun hemm ħafna raġunijiet għala jiġri dan u tkun ideja tajba jekk tmur tara t-tabib tiegħek biex tara x’jista’ jsir dwar din il-problema.

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.

Kostipazzjoni

Il-kostipazzjoni hi raġuni komuni ħafna ta’ problemi tal-imsaren fl-anzjani jew persuni b’diżabilità. Il-ħmieġ kultant jista’ jeħel fil-musrana l-aktar baxxa u l-likwidu jista’ jqattar ‘il barra madwar il-massa mwaħħla, li jidher li hemm telf tal-kontroll tal-imsaren.

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.

X’għandek tagħmel dwar il-kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren?

Hemm ħafna affarijiet li jwasslu għal kontrol dgħajjef tal-imsaren, mela hemm bżonn ta’ eżami bir-reqqa biex insibu r-raġunijiet u l-fatturi li jistgħu jagħmlu l-problema aktar serja.

Jekk spiss ikollok problemi tal-imsaren, int l-ewwel għandek tkellem lit-tabib tiegħek. Int għandek ukoll tgħarraf lit-tabib tiegħek jekk għandek:

• bidla fid-drawwiet normali ta’ imsarnek;
• uġigħ jew ħruġ ta’ demm mill-passaġġ ta’ wara;
• tħoss li imsarnek qatt ma jkunu vojta gћal kollox;
• ippurgar skur jew iswed; jew
• telf ta’ piż li ma tistax tispjegah.

It-tabib tiegħek jista’:

• jistaqsik xi mistoqsijiet;
• jagħmel eżami fiżiku tal-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi tiegħek (jekk tagħtih permess)
• jitolbok iżżomm ċart tad-drawwiet tiegħek rigward l-imsaren u x’tiekol u x’tixrob għal xi żmien; jew
• jirreferik għal ultrasound biex jiċċekkja l-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi tiegħek.

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.

Kif jista’ jiġi kkurat il-kontroll dgħajjef tal-imsaren?

Peress li t-telf tal-kontroll tal-imsaren hu sinjal ta’ twissija u mhux marda, il-kura addattata ser tiddependi fuq x’qed jikkawża l-problema.

Il-kura tista’ tinkludi:

• iċċekkjar tal-mediċini u pilloli li qed tieħu;
• tieħu mediċina ġdida biex l-ippurgar jibbies jew biex jikkalmaw imsarnek;
• biex tiġi kkontrollata l-kostipazzjoni tiegħek jekk din hi l-kawża;
• l-eżerċizzju tal-muskolu tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi biex jgħinek ħalli l-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi jissaħħu aktar. Il-muskoli madwar il-passaġġ ta’ wara huma parti mill-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi;
• il-kura minn fiżjoterapista jew ners tal-kontinenza li jafu dwar problemi tal-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi. Dan jista’ jinvolvi l-użu ta’ apparat biex il-muskoli tal-qiegħ tal-pelvi jibdew jaħdmu; jew
• żżur kirurgu jew tabib speċjalizzat, jekk it-tabib tiegħek jirreferik.

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.

Għal persuni bid-dimenzja jew b’konfużjoni

Persuni bid-dimenzja jew b’konfużjoni jistgħu ma jħossux, jew ma jkunux jafu, li għandhom bżonn ibattlu imsarinhom. Dan jista’ jwassal għal taqtir ta’ azzjoni normali tal-imsaren. Ħin komuni meta jiġri dan hu minnufih wara xi ikla, spiss il-kolazzjon ta’ filgħodu.

L-osservar tad-drawwiet tal-imsaren tal-persuna għal xi żmien jista’ juru mudell tad-drawwiet tal-imsaren. Fl-istess waqt jekk iżżomm rekord dwar kif jaġixxu jista’ jgħinek tkun taf meta ser jippurgaw. Imbagħad il-persuna tkun tista’ tittieħed it-tojlit fil-ħin.

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.

Itlob l-għajnuna

Hemm nersis ikkwalifikati jekk iċċempel lin-National Continence Helpline fuq 1800 33 00 66* (mit-Tnejn sal-Ġimgħa, bejn it-8.00am to 8.00pm AEST (Ħin Standard tal-Lvant tal-Awstralja)) mingħajr ħlas:

• Informazzjoni;
• Pariri; u
• Fuljetti.

Jekk ikollok diffikulta’ biex titkellem jew biex tifhem bl-Ingliż jista’ jkollok aċċess għall-Helpline permezz tat-Telephone Interpreter Service fuq 13 14 50 b’xejn. It-telefon ikun imwieġeb bl-Ingliż, għalhekk għid liema lingwa titkellem u stenna fuq it-telefon. Tkun ikkonnettjat/a ma’ interpretu li jitkellem il-lingwa tiegħek. Għid lill-interpretu li tixtieq li ċċempel lin-National Continence Helpline fuq 1800 33 00 66. Stenna fuq it-telefon biex tkun ikkonnettjat/a u l-interpretu jgħinek biex titkellem ma’ ners li tagħti pariri dwar il-kontinenza. It-telefonati kollha huma konfidenzjali.

* Telefonati minn fuq telefonijiet mowbajl ikunu ċċarġjati r-rati li japplikaw.