It is basically the inability to retain urine in your urinary bladder or an involuntary loss of urine. Urinary incontinence in men (more commonly due to prostatic hyperplasia) & urinary incontinence in women (pregnancy, childbirth & menopause) is seen but it occurs in women twice more often than men.
What are the causes of urinary incontinence ?
- Nerve problems are one of the leading urinary incontinence causes. They lead to an overactive bladder. Damaged nerves may send signals to the bladder at the wrong time, causing its muscles to squeeze without warning.
- Developmental abnormalities of the excretory system also lead to incontinence.
- A stroke can also affect normal urination.
- Neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis which may affect nerves supplying the bladder.
- The incidence of Urinary Incontinence increases with increasing age.
What are the symptoms of urinary incontinence ?
- Increased Urinary Frequency- If the number of times one urinates exceeds eight or more times a day or two or more times at night, it is a red flag.
- Uncontrollable Urinary Urgency- the sudden, strong urge to urinate right away.
- Urge incontinence- This is the leakage of urine that occurs after the sudden, strong urge to urinate.
- A poor control of the Sphincter muscles- Sphincter muscles are seen surrounding the urethra to keep it closed and retain urine in the bladder. These muscles may malfunction, leading to urinary incontinence.
What is the treatment of urinary incontinence ?
This treatment is wide and varied, from exercise to surgery, based on the symptoms.
- Bladder Training: Keeping a bladder diary is recommended. This will be a record of your exact fluid intake, number of trips to the bathroom and urine leakage episodes. It helps gauge your bladder control problems. This record helps you to maintain a practice called timed voiding, so incontinence is avoided as far as possible. As you slowly gain control, you can start to extend the time between bathroom trips. Bladder training also involves Kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles holding in urine.Kegel exercises strengthen bladder muscles and keep it closed. The right muscles are those you can contract by imagining you are trying to stop passing gas. Squeeze the muscles you would then use. If you feel a “pulling” sensation, those are the precise muscles for pelvic exercises.
- Electrical Stimulation: Loss of bladder control can be better controlled by mild electrical pulses stimulating the nerves that supply bladder and sphincter muscles. Depending on which nerves the doctor plans to treat, these pulses can be given through the vagina or anus, or by using skin patches.
- Surgery for Urinary Incontinence: Another method is a surgery for urinary continence. Surgeons have come up with different techniques for repositioning and supporting the bladder in its normal position. The three chief surgeries are retropubic suspension and two kinds of sling procedures. The first type, the retropubic suspension uses surgical threads called sutures to support the neck of the bladder. The most commonly done retropubic suspension procedure is known as the Burch procedure. In this surgery, the surgeon places an incision in the abdomen, a little below the navel and then ties the threads to the strong ligaments of the pelvis to support the sphincter. This is commonly done at the time of an abdominal procedure like hysterectomy. The sling procedures are done through a vaginal incision. The traditional sling procedure uses your own tissue fascia to support the bladder neck. The other slings can consist of natural tissue or man-made materials. The surgeon attaches both ends of the sling to the pubic bone or ties them in front of the abdomen just above the pubic bone. If you have pelvic prolapse, your surgeon may recommend an anti-incontinence procedure with a prolapse repair and possibly a hysterectomy.
- Drugs for Urinary Incontinence : Several medicines from a class of drugs called anticholinergics relax the bladder muscles and prevent bladder spasms in overactive bladders.
How to find urologists for the treatment of urinary incontinence ?
Now you can find urologists for the treatment of urinary incontinence from different hospitals and destinations on a single platform, Hinfoways. You can avail opinions and information from multiple urologists , get cost estimates for the treatment of urinary incontinence from different hospitals, compare things and then choose an urologist for the treatment of urinary incontinence.
Find and choose an urologist for the treatment of urinary incontinence on Hinfoways. Make an informed choice.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is meant for general informational purposes only and hence SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, care or evaluation by a qualified doctor/physician or other relevantly qualified healthcare provider.
