Your Good Health Matters

What is urinary incontinence?  In the simplest terms, incontinence is the loss or lessening of voluntary bladder control.  While it can be embarrassing, it is not actually a disease that requires treatment and it is more common than one would think. It ranges in severity from sudden urges that don’t leave enough time to get to the toilet, to leaking a little urine when you sneeze or cough. Unless urinary incontinence affects your everyday life, it may not be necessary to seek treatment.  If you feel that your day to day activities are impacted, there are many simple treatments and lifestyle changes that can help.

If you choose to visit your doctor, the first step will be to determine the type of incontinence you are suffering from.  The most common diagnosis is stress incontinence. When pressure is exerted on the bladder when you cough, laugh or sneeze, urine can leak out.  It can also occur when lifting or exercising.  This is a symptom of the weakening of the pelvic floor muscles.  This can be an effect of aging but can also result from child birth in women and prostate surgery in men.  Strengthening these muscles will usually reduce or eliminate this problem.  There are many incontinence products available to assist in building up the muscles of the pelvic floor.

Another common form of incontinence is Urge Incontinence.  This is an intense demanding need to urinate that occurs so suddenly that you cannot make it to the bathroom.  These sudden urges can be a symptom of other diseases, including bladder infections, Parkinson’s, or injury to the nervous system.  Treating the underlying problem will usually eliminate this type of incontinence.  If, however, the cause is unknown, there may be pharmaceutical remedies to help.

Overflow incontinence occurs when you continually leak a small amount of urine.  This can be caused by an inability to fully empty your bladder.  This is most often the result of damage to the bladder, a blockage in the urethra or nerve damage.  EMG biofeedback and surgeries are the most common treatments for this type of incontinence.

The last form is functional incontinence.  Often this is the result of a mental or physical impairment that prohibits you from getting to the bathroom or recognizing the need to go. This is most common in the elderly or infirm.  Treatments for this type of incontinence are poor due to the fact that the issue is caused by problems that don’t actually have to do with the urinary system.

Whatever the type of incontinence you are troubled by, there are many treatments available.  It is a good idea to discuss the issue with your doctor so a treatment plan can be developed for your particular form on incontinence.