Specialities

Urinary incontinence Treatment

Urinary incontinence means a person leaks urine by accident. While it can happen to anyone, urinary incontinence, also known as overactive bladder, is more common in older people, especially women. Bladder control issues can be embarrassing and cause people to avoid their normal activities. But incontinence can often be stopped or controlled.

What is urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence happens when you lose control of your bladder. In some cases, you may empty your bladder’s contents completely. In other cases, you may experience only minor leakage. The condition may be temporary or chronic, depending on its cause.

According to the Urology Care Foundation, millions of adults in the United States experience urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence affects women more often than men in a 2-to-1Trusted Source ratio. However, this condition can affect anyone and has many different causes.

As you age, the muscles supporting your bladder tend to weaken, which can lead to urinary incontinence.

Many different health problems can also cause the condition. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can be a sign of cancer, kidney stones, infection, or an enlarged prostate, among other causes.

If you experience urinary incontinence, make an appointment with a healthcare professional. Urinary incontinence can interfere with your daily life and lead to potential accidents. A healthcare professional can also determine if a more serious medical condition may be the cause. They may also be able to treat the cause. 

Types of urinary incontinence

Urinary incontinence is divided into three general types. You can potentially experience more than one type at the same time.

Stress incontinence

Stress incontinence is triggered by certain types of physical activity.

For example, you might lose control of your bladder when you’re:

  • exercising
  • coughing
  • sneezing
  • laughing

Such activities put stress on the sphincter muscle that holds urine in your bladder. The added stress can cause the muscle to release urine.

Urge incontinence

Urge incontinence occurs when you lose control of your bladder after experiencing a sudden and strong urge to urinate. Once that urge hits, you may not be able to make it to the bathroom in time.

Overflow incontinence

Overflow incontinence can occur if you don’t completely empty your bladder when you urinate. Later, some of the remaining urine may leak from your bladder. This type of incontinence is sometimes called “dribbling.”

Functional incontinence

Unlike other types of incontinence, functional incontinence is caused by physical or mental barriers that may prevent someone from making it to the bathroom in time. This can be due to cognitive issues, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, muscular issues like arthritis, or neurological issues like stroke or spinal cord damage.

Causes and risk factors of urinary incontinence

There are many potential causes and risk factors for urinary incontinence.

Some risk factors can include:

  • having weakened bladder muscles, which can result from aging
  • having physical damage to your pelvic floor muscles, such as from childbirth
  • having an enlarged prostate
  • having prostate or bladder cancer, which can put pressure on your bladder
  • having a neurological condition such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, or a physical condition that may prevent you from making it to the bathroom on time
  • having an infection, such as a urinary tract infection, bladder infection, kidney infection, or kidney stone
  • being pregnant
  • being overweight
  • having diabetes
  • going through menopause

Some of the conditions that cause urinary incontinence are easily treatable and only cause temporary urinary problems. Others are more serious and persistent.

Common causes of urinary incontinence may include:

Aging

As you get older, the muscles supporting your bladder typically become weaker, which raises your risk for incontinence.

To maintain strong muscles and a healthy bladder, it’s important to stay as active as you can, eat a diet rich in nutrients, and maintain a healthy weight. This may improve your chances of avoiding incontinence as you age.

Damage

Your pelvic floor muscles support your bladder. Damage to these muscles can cause incontinence. It can be caused by certain types of surgery, such as a hysterectomy. It’s also a common result of pregnancy and childbirth.

Enlarged prostate

In men, the prostate gland surrounds the neck of the bladder. This gland releases fluid that protects and nourishes your sperm. It tends to enlarge with age. It’s common for males to experience some incontinence as a result.

Cancer

Prostate or bladder cancer can cause incontinence. In some cases, treatments for cancer can also make it harder for you to control your bladder. Even benign tumors can cause incontinence by blocking your flow of urine.