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About Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is described as the loss of control of the bladder. It's mostly characterized by the inability to hold urine. This potentially embarrassing medical condition is common. Several causes exist ranging from diet and constipation to medication and pregnancy. The good news is that incontinence can be easily treated and prevented through a variety of lifestyle, medical and behavioral modifications.

  1. Statistics

    • While embarrassing, urinary incontinence is fairly common. Thirteen-million Americans are incontinent (11 million of them are women). One out of four women over the age of 18 has experienced urine leakage.

    Causes

    • There are several causes for incontinence. A combination of hormones, pressure on the uterus and childbirth may cause urine leakage during and after pregnancy. Conditions like urinary tract infections and constipation may interfere with the ability to hold urine.What you eat and drink (caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages, and even citrus) can also affect your bladder.You should also be careful with certain medications like sleeping pills and diuretics. Aging also influences the chances of developing incontinence.

    Types

    • The most common types of urinary incontinence are stress incontinence, urge incontinence or a combination of both. Stress incontinence happens when pressure on the abdomen causes the bladder to leak. Urge incontinence, on the other hand, occurs because of overactive bladder muscles. People often become overcome with the urge and become unable to control urine flow.

    Treatment

    • Some people find bladder training helpful for the treatment of urge incontinence. This involves setting yourself up on a toilet schedule. Some other treatments for incontinence include surgery, medications and biofeedback. Alternatively, some find treating incontinence with herbs like horsetail and sweet sumac helpful.

    Prevention

    • To prevent incontinence, maintain normal weight or lose weight if you're overweight. Another way to prevent incontinence is by avoiding substances like diuretics, antihistamine and antidepressants. Eating a diet rich in whole grains, fiber and water also prevents incontinence by preventing constipation. Constipation contributes to incontinence in women by weakening pelvic floor muscles. You can strengthen those muscles by performing exercises like kegels.

    Warning

    • Two-thirds of people with symptoms of urinary incontinence don't seek treatment. It may be embarrassing to discuss. However, if frequent, long-term incontinence is interfering with your life, it's essential to speak with your health care provider. Incontinence can negatively influence your life emotionally and socially. It could be also be a sign of a more serious problem. It's important to remember that incontinence is a medical problem. There's no need for embarrassment. Your health care provider is there to help you.

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