Incontinence

What is Incontinence

Incontinence is the involuntary loss of urine.  Loss of urine may range from drops to complete emptying of the bladder in men and women.  It can occur at any age, but it is more common in the elderly and women. 

Types of Incontinence

• Stress Incontinence

Stress incontinence is when urine leaks out of the bladder during activity. Symptoms of stress incontinence include leaking of urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, and/or lift something heavy. Stress incontinence may occur temporarily in men after prostate surgery. It may also occur because the sphincter muscle is weak.

• Urge Incontinence

Urge incontinence is when your bladder feels full and pushes urine out, even when it’s almost empty. An infection in your urinary tract, a nerve problem, surgery, or a growth in the bladder may be the cause. The main symptom is a frequent, sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate. Urge incontinence is often referred to as an “overactive bladder.”

• Overflow Incontinence

Overflow incontinence is the inability to fully empty the bladder, resulting in leakage.  You may dribble small amounts of urine frequently. Overflow incontinence may be due to a blockage, or if the bladder does not contract as it should.

• Mixed Incontinence

Mixed incontinence is when you have more than one type of incontinence occurring at the same time.

Treating Incontinence

The best treatment for you will depend on the type of incontinence you have. Your symptoms, age, and any underlying problems that are found also affect your treatment.

Lifestyle Changes

• Quit smoking. Smoking can lead to a chronic cough that strains pelvic floor muscles. Smoking may also damage the bladder and urethra.
• Weight loss. Excess weight puts extra pressure on the pelvic floor muscles. Exercising and eating right can help you lose weight. This helps other treatments work better.
• Dietary changes. Some foods may make you need to urinate more, so it may be good to avoid them. These include caffeinated drinks and alcohol. Ask your doctor whether these or other diet changes might be helpful.
• Timed voiding. Following a schedule for drinking fluids and urinating.
• Kegel exercises. Completing kegel exercises can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles decreasing urinary leakage.

Medications

Your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to help control your incontinence. He or she will describe how it works and any side effects it might have. Please understand this is an individualized process and your provider will work to find the best medication option.

Medications may:

• Help the urinary sphincter function appropriately.
• Help reduce overactivity of your bladder.
• Help the bladder muscles contract with more force, or help relax the sphincter muscle and allow urine to flow.

If a urinary tract infection is the cause of your incontinence, antibiotics can clear up the infection.

Catheters

In some instances, catheters are used to improve urinary function. A catheter is a narrow tube that is inserted through the urethra into the bladder to help drain urine.

 Procedure/Surgery

Certain procedures/surgeries are available to treat some cases of incontinence. If surgery is an option for you, your healthcare provider can discuss the specific procedure with you and explain its risks and benefits.