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The Top 3 Reasons To Use A Bowel Diary When You Have Fecal Incontinence

It sounds weird, doesn’t it?  Keeping a journal for your bowel or bladder?  Maybe, but a Bowel Diary is actually a very useful tool to use if you suffer from Fecal Incontinence or Accidental Bowel Leakage.  

Here Are 3 Reasons To Use A Bowel Diary For Fecal Incontinence

  1. A Bowel Diary Gives You A Good Snapshot Of What’s Happening With Your Body. Knowing how often you leak, when, and how much can give help you create voiding habits that work with your body, and better assess the types of products that you need to address your leakage.  Always have a problem at 10 in the morning?  Perhaps you need to plan to always use the restroom at that time.  Only experience mild leakage? A light absorbent pad may work just fine for your needs.  Keeping a diary will help you make these decisions.

  2. It Helps You To Identify Triggers That May Be Causing You To Have Fecal Incontinence. By keeping a record of your ABL, you can start to uncover trends that may be contributing to the issue. For instance, that cup of coffee first thing in the morning may be irritating your bowels more than you thought before, hinting that it’s time to rethink your java habit.

  3. It Provides You With A Roadmap For A Discussion With Your Doctor. Recording your leaks and daily habits gives you a great reference for when you eventually have a discussion about ABL with your doctor. This can be an embarrassing conversation for many, so having a document that outlines everything you’ve been experiencing can really help the discussion along, and provide your doctor with information that can help him or her prepare a better treatment plan for you.

Download the NAFC Bowel Diary here!

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Take NAFC's Annual Survey!

An older woman looks at an open door beyond blocks labeled support, information, cost, and time. Text encourages taking a survey about barriers to incontinence treatment. NAFC logo is shown.

Each Year, NAFC conducts an annual survey designed to get a pulse on a topic important to our readers. This year, we want to know – what’s holding you back from getting treatment?  Please consider taking 10 minutes to complete this brief survey. Your feedback will help shape future programs and initiatives offered by NAFC!