Obesity and Urinary Incontinence. How Can It Be Related?

ComorbiditiesObesity and Urinary Incontinence. How Can It Be Related?

Obesity is a disease that either creates or is related to many comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, but one that is also common, but not mentioned as much is urinary incontinence.

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is a condition in which the patient has an involuntary release of urine, which affects very seriously their quality of life, as well as their social interaction, personal relationships and psychological wellbeing. Many patients feel ashamed of seeking attention.

Obesity has a strong impact on urinary incontinence. The mechanisms behind urinary incontinence aren’t fully established, but there’s a strong correlation between Body Mass Index (BMI) and intra-abdominal pressure. It’s also known that obese patients have a reduced nerve conduction velocity that can have an impact on the time taken for nerve signals that control bladder function to be relayed.

How obesity affects this…

With the accumulation of extra weight in a patient’s midsection, that puts extra pressure on the bladder that can cause the bladder to leak. Actions that typically can produce incontinence include laughing, sneezing, coughing or kneeling.

Benefits of losing weight

Patients that lose weight can see an improvement in their urinary symptoms. Overall health benefits can be seen in patients who lose as little as 10% of their excess body weight. If patients continue with healthy eating habits and avoiding beverages that have diuretic properties (such as coffee, alcohol and cranberry juice), they can even eliminate urinary incontinence.

The benefits of losing weight are many, and urinary incontinence is one of the biggest. There are many ways to lose the weight. Here at Obesity Control Center, we can help guide patients to achieve their weight loss goals, provide guidance in selecting a weight loss method that works best for each patient. We can help them to get results and enjoy a new lease in life and a healthy lifestyle. 

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