Urinary Incontinence
Urinary Incontinence: All you need to know
Urinary incontinence is a common disease in old age people. It is often known as the loss of control over one’s bladder. The intensity can range from having a small amount of pee slip out when you cough or sneeze to having a need to urinate that is so urgent and intense that you are unable to make it to the washroom on time.
Urinary incontinence occurs when a person cannot control urine leakage. It can be caused by stressors like coughing, can occur during and after pregnancy, and is more prevalent in circumstances like obesity. The likelihood of it occurring increases with age.
Bladder control and pelvic floor exercises, or Kegels, can help prevent or decrease this condition. Take your time going to the doctor if urine incontinence is affecting your day-to-day activities, do it as soon as possible.
Urinary incontinence can be treated with relatively simple lifestyle and dietary adjustments, as well as with medical care, for most patients.
Urinary incontinence can be classified into the following types:
- Incontinence due to stress. When you exert pressure on your bladder by coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or lifting anything heavy, urine spills.
- Urge urinary incontinence You feel an unexpected, strong urge to urinate, which is followed by an involuntary loss of urine. You may need to urinate frequently, including at night. Urge incontinence can be caused by a small ailment like an infection or a more serious condition like a neurological disorder or diabetes.
- Incontinence due to overflow. You have frequent or continual dribbling of pee as a result of a bladder that does not entirely empty.
- Incontinence that is functional. You are unable to use the toilet due to a physical or mental handicap. If you have severe arthritis, for example, you may not be able to unbutton your jeans quickly enough.
- Incontinence on both sides. You have more than one form of urine incontinence, which is usually a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.
Risk factors/complications involved
Chronic urine incontinence can lead to a number of complications, including the following:
- Skin issues. Skin that is constantly damp can lead to the development of rashes, infections, and blisters.
- Infections of the urinary tract. Incontinence raises the likelihood that a person will experience recurrent infections of the urinary system.
- repercussions for your own private life. Urinary incontinence can have repercussions on your social life, as well as on your professional and personal relationships.
Some key points that can make you more likely to have urinary incontinence are:
- Gender. Stress incontinence is more common in women. This is because of pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and the normal female body. But men with problems with their prostate gland are more likely to have urge and overflow incontinence.
- Age. As you get older, some of the strength in the muscles in your bladder and urethra goes away. Age-related changes make it harder for your bladder to hold as much urine and make it more likely that urine will leak out on its own.
- Being overweight. When you gain weight, your bladder and the muscles around it get more pressure, which makes them weaker and lets urine leak out when you cough or sneeze.
- Smoking. Using tobacco may make you more likely to leak urine.
- About the family. Urinary incontinence especially urge incontinence, is more likely to happen to you if a close family member has it.
- A few illnesses. Diabetes or a disease of the nervous system can make you more likely to leak urine.
When should one go to the doctor?
It’s possible that talking about incontinence with your doctor will make you feel awkward. However, it is advised that you seek medical help if your incontinence is persistent or is negatively impacting your quality of life. This is due to the fact that urinary incontinence may include the following:
- Induce you to cut back on your activities and reduce the amount of time you spend interacting with other people.
- Have a detrimental effect on the quality of your life.
- Increase the likelihood of older folks falling as they rush to the toilet.
- Signify the presence of a more severe underlying diseas
Conclusion: How to prevent it?
It’s not always possible to avoid developing urinary incontinence. On the other hand, in order to help reduce the risk:
- Keep your weight at a healthy level.
- Practice pelvic floor exercises
- Caffeine, alcohol, and meals high in acidity should be avoided because they can irritate the bladder.
- Increase your fibre consumption to reduce your risk of constipation, which is a contributor to urine incontinence.
- If you are a smoker and want to quit, either don’t smoke or get help quitting.
People who are ashamed may retreat from social interaction, which can put them at risk of developing depression. Urinary incontinence is a condition that should prompt a visit to the physician.
Most of the time, your doctor can help you figure out why you can’t control your bladder and help you feel better. You don’t have to handle it by yourself. Talk to your doctor about the best ways to treat incontinence so you can live a full and active life without having to worry about accidents.
For anyone who is concerned about it, at Cure Stone, we provide assistance and help you to live your life “pain-free.”
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