Incontinence, Urinary Information

Description

Incontinence is the inability to fully control urination. For someone suffering from the condition, simple actions, such as sneezing, laughing, physical activity, and hugging, can cause urine leakage. In some cases, the sufferer may lose bladder control despite the lack of a definite physical cause. Women are twice as likely as men to be affected by urinary incontinence.

Elderly women are the segment of the population most commonly affected by the condition, because their urinary muscles and ligaments become less efficient with age. Declining estrogen levels after menopause also contribute to bladder control problems. While incontinence is a medical condition that usually develops late in life, it is also a symptom of several illnesses and physical conditions that can affect men and women of any age. The muscular and neural systems that control the retention and release of urine can be affected by medications, urinary tract infections, diabetes, prostate gland problems, weakened pelvic floor muscles, operations on the urinary tract, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and even psychological factors, such as depression, anger, or confusion.

Middle-aged women who have given birth are at increased risk of developing incontinence because the muscles at the pelvic floor (which support the bladder and close off the top of the urethra) can become stretched during pregnancy. With any subsequent pregnancy, it becomes even more difficult for the pelvic muscles to resume their original tautness. Episiotomies and deliveries involving forceps may cause further damage. The pelvic floor can also deteriorate as a result of obesity and hysterectomies.

Men often experience incontinence as a symptom of a prostate condition, wherein an inflamed, enlarged prostate pushes against the bladder, interfering with its opening and closing mechanism. In children, incontinence most often takes the form of bed-wetting.

Signs and Symptoms

Inability to control urination

Urine leakage during physical activity, laughing, coughing, or sneezing

Conventional Medical Treatment

If you are suffering from incontinence, see your family doctor or primary care physician, who may refer you to a urologist or urogynecologist (a specialist who focuses on treating women's urological problems). The specialist takes a detailed medical history, including any medications, operations, or infections that you may have had. The doctor also may conduct a physical examination of your genitals, rectum, and abdominal area, and take a urine specimen for analysis. In some cases, an ultrasound, pelvic X-ray, or cystoscopy (a microscopic examination of cells) may be necessary to confirm diagnosis.