Fecal incontinence can occur briefly during bouts of diarrhea Diarrhea in Adults or when hard stool becomes lodged in the rectum ( fecal impaction Fecal impaction Constipation is difficult or infrequent bowel movements, hard stool, or a feeling that the rectum is not totally empty after a bowel movement (incomplete evacuation). (See also Constipation... read more ). Persistent fecal incontinence can develop in people who have birth defects, injuries to the anus or spinal cord, rectal prolapse Rectal Prolapse 
(protrusion of the rectal lining through the anus), dementia Dementia , neurologic injury Nerve damage in diabetes People with diabetes mellitus have many serious long-term complications that affect many areas of the body, particularly the blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. (See also Diabetes Mellitus... read more 
resulting from diabetes, tumors of the anus Anal Cancer , or injuries to the pelvis during childbirth.
