To learn more about fecal incontinence, it is important to understand how the rectum and anus work normally.
Even in a healthy person, the voluntary control of gas and stool is a complex process. A circular muscle called the anal sphincter controls the release of stool. In men and women, this muscle wraps around the anal canal, a small tunnel between the rectum and the anus.
A healthy sphincter naturally stays tightly closed most of the time. This muscle squeezes the anal canal and prevents stool from leaking out of the bowel. When the sphincter relaxes, the anal canal opens and allows stool to be carried through the anal canal, out the rectum.
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