The colon makes up the longest portion of your large intestine. Its primary function is to process waste from food product, form feces and send the fecal waste out of your body. The colon also houses trillions of healthy bacteria, which plays a...
Your pelvic floor muscles provide support and strength to the bowel, uterus and bladder, according to MayoClinic.com. Over time, aging, pregnancy, medical conditions and obesity can contribute to a weakening of the pelvic floor muscles. This is...
While they may be uncomfortable to talk about, rectal exercises have a number of different benefits, depending on your health. You could be suffering from pain or discomfort due to constipation or hemorrhoids, or perhaps you are looking to retrain...
Fecal incontinence is the involuntary loss of bowel control. Injury, illness and your diet can all be contributing factors in fecal incontinence. Foods that are more likely to give you diarrhea may cause the leakage that is consistent with...
The cervical spine is composed of seven small bones within the neck called vertebrae. In between each of the neck vertebrae lies a disc that helps cushion and protect the vertebrae. Disc injury, damage or degradation can cause these discs to slip...
Your internal and external sphincters are muscles that wrap around your anus and help you control your bowel movements. Some people lose control of their bowel movements and develop a condition called fecal or bowel incontinence. You can...
Weakened rectal muscles can cause fecal incontinence, defined as the inability to control bowel movements. Although it can be embarrassing and unpleasant, fecal incontinence is far from uncommon; the American College of Gastroenterologists reports...
Fecal incontinence is the inability to hold your bowels. Leakage of solid waste can be the result of weakened anal and rectal muscles, injury, nerve impairment and constipation. Treatment for this embarrassing medical condition depends on its...
Bowel and urinary incontinence--the inability to fully control defecation and urination, respectively--can be the result of a variety of factors. If ignored, incontinence can affect hygiene and self-esteem and may lead to more severe health...
According to Bupa's Health information Team, an anal fistula can be a result of an infection, abscess or a disease condition--such as Crohn's--in which the lining of the digestive tract becomes inflamed. SteadyHealth.com further states that if...
There are a variety of circumstances that cause weak pelvic floor muscles, the muscles that assist in bladder control, such as childbirth, pregnancy, weight gain and aging. Weak pelvic floor muscles can lead to urinary and bowel incontinence in...
Alli is the brand name of a medication known generically as orlistat. You may purchase Alli over the counter or get it as a prescription medicine from your physician. The medication works by blocking fat from entering the body's system; it binds...
Bladder and bowel control problems are normal in younger children as toilet training begins. You must teach your toddler how to control his urge to urinate or pass stool while also eliminating accidents during the day and night. But sometimes...
A urinary tract infection often does not require hospitalization and can be cleared up and treated at home. However, speaking or visiting with a medical professional is still encouraged. The infection commonly sits in the urethra or bladder and is...
The PC or pubococcygeus muscle supports the bladder, helps control urinary flow and aids sexual function. Kegel exercises, which work the PC muscle, can be performed by men, according to MayoClinic.com. The exercises might help with erectile...
Many individuals experience an occasional bout of diarrhea. Some conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, increase the incidence of loose stools. Eliminating certain foods, especially ones you are allergic to, may help reduce the occurrence...
Incontinence is a condition in which you are not able to control your bowel movements or bladder until you reach a bathroom. Instead, you have an "accident" or leakage of urine or feces. Incontinence is most often a temporary problem that can be...
Prostate removal surgery removes part or all of the prostate gland. The prostate gland sits at the base of a man's bladder. Drugs.com reports that prostate removal treats the following conditions: bladder stones with prostate enlargement, prostate...
The spinal cord is one of the integral parts of the nervous system. A tumor in the spinal cord can either be malignant or benign. If the tumor is malignant, it is known as spinal cancer, which has the ability to metastasize or to spread throughout...
Hemorrhoids are a bothersome but common ailment. They occur when the veins in the rectum or anus swell and become painful. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that two specific types of hemorrhoids exist. The first is an internal...
The cauda equine is a group of nerves at the end of the spinal cord; the group is named for its resemblance to a horse's tail. When the nerve roots are compressed, the result is cauda equine syndrome. Most cases of cauda equine occur after a...
Sciatica consists of radiating pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, according to MayoClinic.com. The sciatica nerve starts at the spinal cord and travels to the buttock area to the back of each leg. This condition occurs when a...
Lumbar discs are plates of cartilage that separate the vertebrae of the lower back. When a lumbar disc ruptures, and its center, called the nucleus pulposus, herniates, it can bulge into the spinal canal. The spinal cord ends at the level of the...
Prostate cancer affects the prostate, a small gland that is responsible for producing seminal fluid in men. This fluid nourishes and carries the sperm. Cancers that grow slowly often require minimal or no treatment. If the cancer is spreading...
Multiple sclerosis, often abbreviated MS, is a debilitating, progressive neurodegenerative disease in which the nerves of the brain and spinal cord are damaged. In some patients, the symptoms of the disease grow steadily worse over time, which is...
If you are looking to treat a minor health ailment or add a dietary supplement to your health regimen, then you should consider belladonna herb as an option. Available in many forms, including pills, powders and even liquid extract, belladonna...
The anus is the outlet for the rectum, and when itching occurs in this area, it can be severe, causing a strong urge to scratch. Not only is it annoying and uncomfortable, it can also be embarrassing. Most of the time the problem is nothing to...
Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria that is normally present in the digestive system or on the skin infects the urinary tract. The parts of the urinary tract that most often become infected are the bladder and the urethra, the narrow tube...
Your digestive tract contains bacteria that can accumulate around the opening of your urethra. The urethra is a tube or passageway for urine to leave your bladder and be expelled from the body. The bacteria can start to multiply and an infection...
Lower back pain can make many everyday activities painful. Learn common treatments to relieve lower back pain in this medical video.