You are not alone if you are dealing with bowel or bladder leaks. Every year, 25 million Americans deal with mild to severe leakage. This condition is known as incontinence.
No, it’s not a sickness.
However, it may also indicate something else, such as a medication’s side effects, a change in one’s diet or way of life, or an underlying medical issue.
Feel free to bring it up in conversation.
Leak sufferers frequently avoid talking to their doctors about embarrassing and personal issues because of the stigma associated with it. We understand. Remember that your doctor has been through it all before and can be an honest and encouraging confidant, also can guide you to use adult diaper for your comfort. Leaks can be a symptom of more severe health issues, so it’s crucial to talk about them to get the help you need to live a better life.
Different forms of urine incontinence
Urinary incontinence can be classified into three main types: stress, urge, and mixed. When you were exercising, did you ever pee unintentionally? What about when you were sneezing or coughing? Urinary incontinence caused by stress. Half of all patients with incontinence suffer from this type.
One in fourteen cases of urine incontinence is urge incontinence. It’s when you feel an intense need to pee suddenly and have no control over your bladder. Mixed incontinence accounts for 32% of all cases and is characterized by a mix of stress and urge incontinence.
Overflow incontinence or persistent dribbling of urine is a less common kind of urinary incontinence. Functional incontinence occurs when a patient cannot reach the restroom on time due to a mental or physical ailment.
1. Incontinence when the bladder is stressed
The involuntary loss of urine in response to increased intra-abdominal pressure is known as stress urinary incontinence. This may occur when there is a significant physical effort, such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, or engaging in intense physical activity. As the most prevalent form of incontinence, stress incontinence affects a disproportionate number of younger women and accounts for as much as half of all incontinence cases in women.
Weak pelvic floors, urethral sphincters, or both are common in women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence. The urethra is the passageway that carries pee from the bladder to the outside world. The sphincters are a group of revolving muscles that, when contracted, block the bladder’s outlet. Urine can be expelled from the bladder when these muscles loosen up. The lower pelvis is where you’ll find the urinary tract, which includes the bladder and urethra. Involuntary urine passing can occur if the urethra is unable to close sufficiently in response to rising intra-abdominal pressure.
Surgical procedures involving the pelvis, giving birth, and diabetic neuropathy are among the causes of urethral damage and urethral sphincter weakening. The pressure on the bladder and urethral sphincters increases during pregnancy because the growing baby takes up more space in the pelvis.
2. Urgent incontinence of the urine (UUI)
A significant need to defecate just before or during a leak is a symptom of urgent urine incontinence. When a person who suffers from UUI detects a sensation of urgency, they will likely need to empty their bladder soon, or it might empty accidentally.
Urine does not just leave the body through gravity. A big, spherical muscle known as the detrusor muscle encircles the bladder. A smaller bladder is the result of a contraction of the detrusor muscle. The detrusor muscle is likely hyperactive and may contract randomly, particularly during the night, in patients with UUI. The detrusor muscle contracts more forcefully than the urethral sphincter seal, causing urine to be forced out in some cases.
3. Mixed type incontinence
Incontinence caused by increases in intra-abdominal pressure and a feeling of urgency to empty the bladder are the two main components of mixed-type incontinence.
What to anticipate when you see a urologist
If your urine incontinence persists, you should consult your primary care physician. Aside from the obvious negative effect on your quality of life, it could be an indication of something more serious going on with your health. For more in-depth evaluation and treatment, your primary care physician can recommend a visit to a urologist.
During the visit to the urologist
You can expect your urologist to evaluate your medical history and symptoms and undertake a physical exam. In order to test for incontinence, the urologist may have you cough while your bladder is full. The following may also be requested of you to help with the diagnosis of urinary incontinence:
- Assessment of symptoms or quality of life questionnaire
- Urine test
- Tests for urine volume and bladder function
- Screening for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in males
- Urodynamic evaluations
- Cystoscopy
Medical Care
Modifying one’s way of living can be a straightforward solution to incontinence for a lot of people. Behavior modification and pelvic-floor muscle training are examples of the conservative (less invasive) treatment options that your doctor will first recommend.
Modifying behavior
- Regular, scheduled toilet times
- Fluid restrictions
- Smoking cessation
- Avoidance of caffeine and foods and beverages that impact bladder control
- Bladder training Treatment for constipation
- Weight loss
- Treatment for a persistent cough
Along with behavior adjustment and muscle training (Kegel exercises), you may be prescribed drugs that help with incontinence. Typically, a medicine will be trialed for 4 to 12 weeks to establish if it is useful.
Management
Many people believe the following temporary treatments to urine incontinence are beneficial for maintaining quality of life.
- Pessary – A silicone ring or disc that can be put into the vagina and worn throughout the day. It prevents leakage by supporting the bladder.
- Urethral insert—a disposable, little device that can block the urethra; it looks like a tampon. It is used during incontinence-triggering activities, such as playing sports.
- Absorbent pads or undergarments
- Catheter – A soft, flexible tube that is inserted into the urethra that helps drain the bladder.
If conservative treatment options aren’t working, you may be a candidate for the following.
- Electrical stimulation of the rectum or vagina to strengthen pelvic floor muscles
- Interventional therapies, such as Botox bladder injections, sacral nerve stimulation, or injection of supportive material around the urethra
- Medical Procedure
In the end!
Problems with urine incontinence can be both embarrassing and annoying. Fortunately, there are various alternatives for therapy and management. Let’s discuss urinary health more openly. Ultimately, removing the stigma will allow us to continue promoting education, prevention, and treatment for incontinence, a problem that affects up to 50% of women.