What Is Incontinence?
Urinary incontinence simply means leaking urine. Incontinence can range from leaking just a few drops of urine to complete emptying of the bladder.
- Urgency—Having a strong urge to urinate
- Frequency—Urinating (also called voiding) more often than what is usual for you
- Nocturia—Waking from sleep to urinate
Men’s Treatments
Incontinence can be an embarrassing, even debilitating problem for some men. Though it occurs more often as people get older, it isn’t an inevitable consequence of aging.
Our Emsella treatment is designed to focus on developing the pelvic floor musculature associated with urine retention.
Women’s Treatments
Treatment for urinary incontinence in women depends on the type of incontinence, its severity, and the underlying cause. A combination of treatments may yield the best results.
Live Happy & Live Healthy
For men and women, the problems associated with poor pelvic health can have severe effects on their quality of life. It can lead to social anxiety as well as many other ancillary problems. Often many people “deal” with the condition by using adult diapers, or other inconvenient means.
FAQs
The kidneys are constantly producing urine. Thin tubes called ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, where it’s stored. The bladder should stay relaxed while it is filling and the urethra (the tube that expels urine from the bladder) should remain tight. When the decision is made to urinate, the urethra relaxes, the bladder squeezes, and urine flows out. This is a complex process that can be disrupted in many different ways, resulting in incontinence.
The symptoms of urinary incontinence include:
- Urine leakage after a sudden, uncontrollable urge
- Urine leakage after coughing, laughing, or sneezing
- Urine loss without any apparent reason
Urine loss may be a few drops or a large amount. Waking up frequently at night to urinate, bedwetting or needing to urinate very often during the day also can be signals of a bladder control problem.
There are many possible causes of urinary incontinence. These include:
- Urinary tract infection
- Side effects of medications
- Weakened pelvic floor muscles
- Nerve damage to the bladder
- Overactivity of the bladder
- Changes in the body from childbirth or surgery
- Obesity
- Diabetes
Some people lose bladder control because of factors not related to the urinary tract. If one is unable to walk to the bathroom, or if arthritis makes removal of clothing difficult, loss of urine may result.
The condition is diagnosed mainly on the pattern of symptoms. Keeping a urinary diary (a record of daily urination, urine accidents and fluid intake) can help your health care provider determine patterns and establish the working diagnosis. The provider will also ask questions about your general health, your history of incontinence, past surgeries, illnesses and any medication you’re taking.
Incontinence should not be considered to be a normal condition of aging. Elderly patients should be evaluated in essentially the same way that patients of any age should be evaluated. Incontinence is certainly more common as patients age, but incontinence can be seen in children, adolescents, and adults.
People often live with incontinence without seeking help. Many cases can be cured or controlled with appropriate treatment. Urinary incontinence is the second leading cause of institutionalizing elderly people. The problem can contribute to decreased socialization, decreased quality of life and depression. Getting up at night to urinate also increases the risk of falling and fracturing a hip.
