Urinary incontinence is the loss of control
over one's bladder. In certain cases, it results in total loss of the bladder's
contents or just causes minor leakage. The condition may be temporary or
lasting, depending on its cause. Incontinence can be due to many different
health problems like cancer, kidney stones, or an enlarged prostate. Aging also
causes incontinent bladder as the muscles weaken. The condition generally
affects people over 50 years of age, but anyone can be affected. Consult a
doctor for any instance of incontinence as the condition interferes with daily
life, causing embarrassing situations.
There are different types of urinary incontinence:
Stress Incontinence: occurs during
some physical activity like during exercising, sneezing, coughing, or laughing.
They cause the sphincter muscle, which holds urine in the bladder, to become
weak and release urine even with subtle pressure.
Urge Incontinence: is a sudden and
strong urge or need, to urinate and the need strike very frequently, and in
many cases, people cannot reach the bathroom in time.
Overflow Incontinence: occurs the
bladder is not emptied completely in one go, but later, one may lose some
urine. It is also called dribbling.
There are many causes of bladder
incontinence like aging, cancer, physical damage, infection, or neurological
disorders. Some cases are temporary and are often caused by an external factor
like drinking caffeinated beverages, alcohol, or too much intake of any fluid.
Some medications like blood pressure drugs, sedatives, muscle relaxants, also
lead to a short spell of incontinence. Certain conditions like constipation can
increase the urge to urinate because the compacted stool can make the nerves
controlling your bladder overact. With increasing age, the bladder muscle
weaken making incontinence more likely. Damage caused to one's pelvic floor
muscles can also lead to incontinence, since they muscles support the bladder.
In nearly all men, the prostate gland enlarges with age,
causing Urine
incontinence as a result. A tumor can also cause incontinence by blocking
the usual flow of urine.
Consult a doctor if you feel like you may
be having problem emptying the bladder fully. Tell in detail about your
condition, so that he/she can determine which type of incontinence you are
experiencing. One can also take care of incontinence at home. Ask your doctor
for exercise of physical activities to strengthen the pelvic muscles. Have a
clear and easy path to the bathroom, keep a night light on, and use absorbent
undergarments when you leave the house to prevent accidents.
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