Urinary Incontinence – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Methods

Urinary incontinence is the involuntary release of urine. It may be caused by physiologic, pharmacologic, pathologic, or psychological factors.There are two main types of urinary incontinence: stress incontinence and urge incontinence. Incontinence is most common among the elderly. Older men can become incontinent as the result of prostate surgery. Urinary incontinence can be caused by many different medical problems, including weak pelvic muscles or diabetes. According to the International Continence Society, urinary incontinence is defined as a condition of involuntary urine loss that is objectively demonstrable and is a social or hygienic problem. It is often temporary, and it almost always results from an underlying medical condition. Women experience incontinence twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference.

Women are more likely than men to have urinary incontinence. This type of incontinence is a constant dripping of urine. Urinary incontinence is not associated with increased mortality. Treatment depends on what’s causing the problem and what type of incontinence you have. Age is a risk factor for UI. Older individuals may have medical conditions that impair continence. It is often found in people who have conditions such as diabetes, stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, but may be an indication of other diseases or conditions that would also warrant medical attention. Urinary incontinence is the inability to control the release of urine from your bladder. The problem has varying degrees of severity. Incontinence is treatable and often curable at all ages. If your urinary incontinence is caused by a medical problem, the incontinence will go away when the problem is treated.

Causes of Urinary incontinence

The common causes and risk factor’s of Urinary incontinence include the following:

Anatomic, physiologic, or pathologic (disease) factors.

Smoking is also a major risk factor of Urinary incontinence.

Problems such as diabetes or high calcium levels.

Urinary tract infection

Certain medicines.

Depression or Alzheimer’s disease.

Nerve or muscle damage after pelvic radiation.

Build-up of stool in the bowels.

Symptoms of Urinary incontinence

Some sign and symptoms related to Urinary incontinence are as follows:

Inability to urinate.

An increased rate of urination without a proven bladder infection.

Leakage of urine that prevents activities.

Frequent bladder infections.

Bed-wetting or leaking while sleeping.

Leakage of urine that began or continued after surgery.

Treatment of Urinary incontinence

Here is list of the methods for treating Urinary incontinence:

Kegel exercises and bladder training help some types of incontinence.

A pessary is a stiff ring that is inserted by a doctor or nurse into the where it presses against the wall of the and the nearby urethra. The pressure helps reposition the urethra, leading to less stress leakage.

Some Medicines are also used to treat Urinary incontinence.

When other therapy fails, or when incontinence symptoms become severe, surgical treatment may be necessary.