Urinary Incontinence, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Detailed description of urinary incontinence (UI) and its causes, symptoms and treatment are given below.

Urinary Incontinence

Incontinence is of two types, Urinary Incontinence (UI) and Fecal Incontinence (also called as bowel incontinence or anal incontinence).

The urinary incontinence (Overactive Bladder) is the unwanted leakage or involuntary loss of urine. It is a very common problem, about 15 million Americans have this problem, of which two third are women. The symptoms of overactive bladder increases with age, although it is not due to aging.The fecal incontinence is the involuntary loss of solid or liquid stool and affects people of all ages, men and women, adults and children.

Urinary Incontinence Symptoms

You may have urinary incontinence if you have any of the following:

1. You leak urine when you sneeze, cough, laugh, or exercise.

2. You go to the bathroom more than 8 times in a day and more than two times at night.

3. You have urgent need of urination.

4. You leak urine on the way to the bathroom.

5. You think that you may leak urine during sex.

You must visit a urologist if you have any of the above symptoms of urianry incontinence.

Causes for Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (overactive bladder) can be caused by

1. conditions such as bladder or sphincter disorders
   

2. problems with nerves to and from the bladder
   

3. neurological problems.
   

4. In men, the blockage caused by an enlarged prostate. The prostate is a small circular gland situated just below the bladder with the urethra. The common symptoms of prostate problems in men are frequent urination, reduced force of flow, painful urination, incontinence and urgency.
   

5. Sometimes there may be temporary symptoms of overactive bladder(Uuary incontinence) due to some infection, constipation, or the side effect of a drug.

Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

You should go to a urologist if you have the problem of Urinary incontinence. Note that there is a treatment for urinary incontinence (overactive bladder) symptoms. Do not feel embarrassed to consult a specialist doctor. It is not a natural consequence of aging. The specialist who will recommend you a treatment that is best for your condition.

There are some urinary incontinence products available in market. The several options for the treatment of urinary incontinence are:

1. Bladder Training & Pelvic Muscle Exercises
   In incontinence, frequent urination may cause your bladder to weaken. You can be taught to resist the urge to urinate.
   
   Pelvic muscle exercises are to tone pelvic muscles and prevent leakage. Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, if done regularly for at least eight weeks. Kegel exercises
   

   1. Empty your bladder.

   2. Tighten the muscles of the pelvic floor and hold up to the count of 10.

   3. Relax and again count to 10.

   4. Repeat 10 times three times a day.

2. Timed Urination
   Urine leakage can be prevented by proper timing (gradually prolonging the time between urination) to empty your bladder. Bladder training has helped many people with incontinence.

3. Medicine
   Medicines can be prescribed to relax the bladder or tighten the sphincter muscles. Certain medications you may be taking for other conditions can affect your bladder control. Medications can reduce the number of incontinence episodes, reduce frequency and urgency, and increase the volume voids.

4. Surgery
   Surgical options are considered only when medications and behavioral training prove ineffective. Surgically the options are:
   

   For women

   • he bladder can be enlarged to hold more urine, or
   • Restoration of the support of the pelvic floor muscles or
   • Reconstruction or compression of the sphincter. Certain materials can be injected around the urethra to add bulk to that area. These serve to compress the urethra and thereby increase resistance to urine flow.
   • Artificial urinary sphincter if the sphincter muscle is absent or has been severely damaged.

   For men

   • Operation to relieve the blockage caused by an enlarged prostate.
5. Absorbents
   

   Absorbent materials may be worn by the people suffering from overactive bladder. This option is for those who are undergoing a treatment program or whose incontinence cannot be cured. Devices such as pessaries can be worn internally by women to support the bladder to its improve control.

6. Supplements
   

   Zinc deficiency has been associated with prostate health. Your doctor may recommend you zinc supplements. Lentils, kidney beans, milk, plain yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, etc. contain zinc.

   Other Remedies

   • Eating celery and cherries help to reduce uric acid.

   • Drink 8 glasses of water per day to dilute and flush uric acid out of the body.

   • Avoide refined carbohydrates to maintain healthy levels of uric acid. Eating cabbage, strawberries, kiwi fruit, peppers, mandarins, oranges, potatoes may help in maintaining healthy levels of uric acid.

   • Vitamin C may help the excretion of uric acid.

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