Urinary incontinence occurs when the muscles within and surrounding the bladder do not function normally. As a result, urine leaks and this is the condition we know as urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence does not just affect women. It also affects men.
If you Google the stats as to how many people are affected in your country, you may be shocked! You may find that one in four, or even one in three people suffer from being incontinent.
For seniors, it is a serious concern if they are not close to a bathroom. After all, they can’t run to the bathroom as quickly as they once did, and accidents would be extremely embarrassing.
Factors Causing Urinary Incontinence In Women
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)
- Vaginal infections or vaginal irritation
- Medications
- Constipation
- Weak bladder
- Overactive bladder muscles
- Weak pelvic floor muscles
- Nerve damage from diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases that affect the bladder.
- Pelvic organs shift from their normal position affecting the anus or vagina. This stops the bladder and urethra from working normally and causes the urine to leak.
Factors Causing Urinary Incontinence In Men
- Damage or injury to the nerves from surgery.
- Prostatitis – a condition caused by inflammation in the prostate gland.
- Enlargement of the prostate gland, leading to benign prostate hyperplasia.
Different Types of Urinary Incontinence
Functional Incontinence
This type of urinary incontinence happens due to difficulty in getting to the toilet in time or when seniors cannot move properly. Functional incontinence happens to many seniors even if they still have normal bladder control.
Overflow Incontinence
This particular type of incontinence is often due to spinal cord injuries or diabetes. When a person has a hard time emptying their bladder, due to an enlarged prostate that blocks the urethra, urine can leak.
Stress Incontinence
The most common type of bladder control problem is known as stress incontinence. It happens when pressure is applied to the bladder during intense exercise or when lifting heavy objects, sneezing, coughing, or laughing. This is also common amongst younger women.
Urge Incontinence
This type of incontinence can happen to anyone! It happens when people get the sudden urge to urinate but cannot control their bladder long enough to get to the bathroom. This condition is common amongst people with Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or even those who have suffered a stroke.
Treatments For Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence can be very distressing but fortunately, there are treatments to help manage this embarrassing problem. As there are different types of urinary incontinence issues, the type of treatment also varies. There are also products available, such as disposable underwear and napkins that could be helpful.
Bladder Control Training
Doing pelvic floor exercises or kegel exercises may help strengthen the muscles supporting the bladder. Urgency suppression strategies which entail distracting yourself to hold off and keep your mind from focusing too much on the need to urinate can also help. Scheduling urination time can also be effective in controlling the bladder. With this type of training, practice makes perfect!
Medical Treatments
In some cases, urinary incontinence may necessitate the use of medical devices such as a catheter or vaginal pessary ring, which may help with stress incontinence. Electrical nerve stimulation, biofeedback, and surgery may also be recommended by your health care provider in extreme cases.
Lifestyle Changes
Behavioral changes may be applied to manage bladder issues. In some cases, quitting smoking, losing weight, avoiding alcoholic drinks and caffeinated beverages and drinking water instead can help ease this condition.
Bowel Incontinence
Bowel incontinence or fecal incontinence is the involuntary release of either solid or liquid feces. Men and women are equally affected by bowel incontinence, and it can be a very distressing problem for seniors.
Different Types of Fecal Incontinence
Urge Incontinence
This condition happens due to an uncontrollable urge to defecate and an inability to get to the bathroom on time. Urge incontinence is common in people with weakness in the external anal sphincter.
Passive Incontinence
Also known as stress incontinence, this type of condition happens to people with weakness in the internal anal sphincter. This type of fecal leakage occurs when either sneezing or coughing.
Overflow Incontinence
This type of fecal leakage happens when there is a build-up of fecal liquid behind an obstructing stool. This usually happens when constipation is an issue.
Treatment For Bowel Incontinence
Minor cases of incontinence can be managed at home by eating a healthier diet, doing pelvic floor exercises, and scheduling toilet trips. In more severe cases, bowel incontinence can be treated with prescription medicines, biofeedback training, and surgery. If you are a family member of someone suffering from incontinence, providing support and seeking thorough care can help ease further complications and problems, and also their embarrassment.
