What Causes Anal Leakage

I love this animation detailing what causes anal leakage and how soiling accidents happen in children. The information can also apply to adults.

The video is specifically designed for children with encopresis. The Mayo Clinic explains, “Encopresis, also called stool holding or soiling, occurs when your child resists having bowel movements, causing impacted stool to collect in the colon and rectum. When your child’s colon is full of impacted stool, liquid stool can leak around the impacted stool and out of the anus, staining your child’s underwear.”

The consequences of ignoring the urge to poop apply to adults as well. If you chronically ignore the urge to poo, your rectum may not return to its natural size and tone. You will also increase your chances of anal sphincter dysfunction.

Anal sphincter dysfunction is usually related to the bathroom-averse crowd or those who ignore the urge to go because they are too busy to stop what they’re doing.  If you routinely ignore the urge to go, you may develop what is called paradoxical sphincter contraction.  It’s as if you’re pushing on the door at the same time you’re holding it shut.

This is only one cause of anal leakage. Please consult your doctor about other potential causes.

I agree that your feet should not dangle. However, I disagree with the advice to sit with your hips at a 90-degree angle. I prefer a platform like the Squatty Potty. It positions you in a more natural squatting position, which raises the knees higher than the hips. It may not work with the younger children, but at least their feet will be supported. If the child feels like they are falling into the toilet, you could add a seat reducer. The Squatty Potty may not be suitable for every adult, particularly those with tight leg muscles. The lowest size Squatty Potty is 7 inches high, which is too high for some adults. Starting with an inch or two of books under the feet if your posterior leg muscles are particularly tight may be helpful. Next, focus on stretching the muscles in the back of your legs. Change your habits and do your restorative exercises first. Then, you can move to a higher platform. I will write about this later, but for now, you can read my Squatting Potty review HERE. 

Note: “The FDA admits to years of reports of tremors, tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior in children given laxatives containing PEG 3350, the active ingredient in Miralax. A 2014 FDA investigation into the safety of Miralax discovered that tiny amounts of ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG), the main ingredients in antifreeze, were found in all batches of the drug they tested.”- Dr. Aviva Romm, MD.  Dr. Aviva Romm, MD has some great suggestions in her article Dr. Aviva’s Top 7 Steps for Treating Children’s Constipation Naturally (& Avoiding Miralax)

For a more in-depth look at constipation read my article Constipation AKA Log Jam. 

You may also be interested in:

Make Shift Happen: a course to help adults have better bowel movements

Author: Barbara Horsley has more than 26 years of experience as a licensed massage therapist. She specializes in abdominal massage and Visceral Manipulation™ and is an NCBTMB-approved educator. In addition to being certified in abdominal massage, she also studied biomechanics and restorative exercise. She is also a Certified Women’s Herbal Educator and a graduate of the IWHI Perimenopause & Menopause Certificate Program.