Urinary Incontinence
Urinary Incontinence is a common problem that affects several people and is highly common in nature as well. According to the American Urological Association, quarter- one-third of men and women are affected by this problem in the United States. This condition is furthermore common among women compared to that of men. An estimated 30% of females from the age group of 30-60 are thought to suffer from this, whereas in men it is about 1.5-5%.
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Everything You Need To Know About Urinary Incontinence
What is it?
Urinary Incontinence is the involuntary leakage f urine that occurs when the urethra and the bladder refuse to hold the urine and further causes leakage. The urethra is the tube that is present in the lower abdomen and also helps to carry the urine from the bladder for extraction. In this situation, you might get a cntin0ous leakage or might be able to hold the urine for a single second.
Furthermore, according to the Urology Care Foundation, millions of adults in the United States experience these problems. Also, in another report from Johns Hopkins Medicine, it is found that it is more common in women who are above 50 years but can also affect anyone
Causes
Urinary Incontinence can take place due to several reasons, for instance, urinary tract infections, constipation, irritation, or vaginal infection. There are several medicines as well that can lead to problems in the bladder however, it lasts for a short time.
Temporary Urinary Incontinence
- Alcohol
- Artificial sweeteners
- Caffeine
- Chili peppers
- Large Vitamin C dosage
- Carbonated drinks including sparkling waters
The incontinence that lasts for a longer time can be caused by the following reasons:
- Weak pelvic floor muscles
- Weak bladder muscles
- Overactive bladder muscles
- Damage to the nerves that take care of the bladder from other diseases including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s diseases.
- Diseases like arthritis may make it difficult to get to the bathroom in time.
- Pelvic organ prolapse is the situation when the pelvic organs including the bladder, uterus, and rectum move out from their normal place and try to come out into the vagina. When pelvic organs are out of their original place then the urethra and bladder start malfunctioning, which results in such conditions including other conditions.
Furthermore, most inconsistence in men is related to the prostate gland, and further conditions cause it to happen:
- Injury or damage to the nerves or muscles that occurs due to surgery
- Prostatitis, which is the painful inflammation of the prostate gland.
- Enlarged size of the prostate gland also can lead to Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH). It is a condition where the prostate grows with the age.
Symptoms
This problem can be understood when a person starts to feel a minor leak in the urine. Other persons may lose a moderate to large amount of urine from the beginning or with the due course of time.
The several symptoms provided by the Urine Incontinence include the following:
- Stress Incontinence- This further takes place during the activities such as laughing, sneezing, exercising, or coughing.
- Overflow Incontinence- This normally takes place when the bladder does not empty itself and the volume of the urine preset in their gets exceeded more than its capacity and further forms the dribbling.
- Urges Incontinence- This takes place in the form of a strong, sudden need to urinate. When the bladder refuses to hold the urine it makes a continuous squeezing over that area. In this case, you will not get enough time to hold the urine, and further you have to immediately visit the bathroom.
- Functional Incontinence- The physical and mental impairment forces you to not perform urination right on time. Arthritis patients are a big example of this.
- Mixed Incontinence- Apart from this there is another type called mixed incontinence it happens when both the urge and stress types of this occurs at the same time.
Treatments
To treat Urinary Incontinence several treatment methods are further available that includes the following:
Exercises
The Kegal exercise helps to control the pelvic floor and also strengthens the urinary sphincter, along with the muscles, that further help to control urination.
Bladder Training
This helps the patients to slowly regain control over the bladder, further, some of this includes:
- Double voiding- It includes urinating for a couple of minutes and again continuing the process.
- Delaying the event- It helps to control the urge and helps patients to hold the urge to urinate for some time.
- Toilet timetable- It is the process of creating a timetable to opt for urination.
Medications
Some medicines that can deal with these problems include:
- Imipramine or Tofranil, which is an antidepressant.
- Anticholinergics that calm down bladders and help from urge incontinence.
- Estrogen brings reinforcement to tissue.
Medical Devices
The medical devices used in such case further includes-
- Bulking agents
- Urethral inserts
- Sacral nerve stimulator
- Radiofrequency therapy
- Botox (botulinum toxin type A)
- Pessary
Surgery
The surgical process used in this treatment include-
- Sling process
- Artificial sphincter
- Colposuspension
Conclusion
Urinary incontinence is thus a common problem, especially for old-aged women. This needs the right amount of treatment or can turn into something big. A good consultation with the doctor can help individuals to have a further idea. You can visit a urologist physician for problems of urinary incontinence.